Do I need andjustable panhard bar,and how do I adjust

[maxpayne]

I have 20" wheels,eibach pro kit springs,and eibach shocks.I had the stock rear sway bar and I replaced it wih the BMR one.Now the car feels really stiff in turns,handels awesome,BUT the rear now seems to be siveling slightly when I'm doing like 90-100.Is that because it got stiffer and since it's lowered one of the sides went out some and needs to be bourght back in!Am I on the right track?If so how do I adjust the panhard bar.Does it have to be adjusted to shorter than the stock?How will I know I have it adjusted to the right lenght!

 

[psycho bob]

you have to recenter you rearend. i'm horrible at explaining things w/o being there to do it so i'm sure another one of these guys will be able to. it's quite simple though.

pretty much need to put your rear end up on jackstands but not by your axle. using a string and weight measure the distance your axle is from the fender. now adjust it with the panhard till it's even on both sides.

i'm sure there's a more technical way of doing it and explaining it.

 

[tmcolegr]

Just keep in mind the rear axle is not centered in the chassis from the factory - it is slightly off center. I spoke to a factory Ford rep about this and he stated this was to give the rear ujoint a slight working angle. Ujoints typically don't provide acceptable service life without a slight bit of oscillation.

I have centered the rear axle in all the vehicles that I have installed an adjustable panhard bar in and had no adverse affects.

 

[maxpayne]

you have to recenter you rearend. i'm horrible at explaining things w/o being there to do it so i'm sure another one of these guys will be able to. it's quite simple though.

pretty much need to put your rear end up on jackstands but not by your axle. using a string and weight measure the distance your axle is from the fender. now adjust it with the panhard till it's even on both sides.

i'm sure there's a more technical way of doing it and explaining it.

So you mean the back of the car,and the rear end to be jus hanging in the air corect.But which side do I go with?The pan hard bar can be install either way right?

 

[maxpayne]

Just keep in mind the rear axle is not centered in the chassis from the factory - it is slightly off center. I spoke to a factory Ford rep about this and he stated this was to give the rear ujoint a slight working angle. Ujoints typically don't provide acceptable service life without a slight bit of oscillation.

I have centered the rear axle all the vehicles that I have installed an adjustable panhard bar in and had no adverse affects.

Ok.How and which way do you install the panhard bar is there a specific way that it goes,and how do I make the adjusting part?

 

[tmcolegr]

......

 

[psycho bob]

read directions. it's been way to long to tell you off the top of my head and i'm in iraq so i can't go out and look at my car. sorry i can't be of more help man.

 

[radmustangs]

The suspension needs to be loaded. I may have missed it but if you already have a panhard bar it comes with directions. Some are on car adjustable like BMR some are not.

But if you have the bmr adjustable panhard bar, take your stock panhard bar off, lay them next to each other, make them the same length, then put the BMR on car Adjustable on the car.

Drop the car, you need to be on level ground, perfectly level ground really. Then measure on both sides using a plum the distance from the rim, to the wheel well. just hang the plum from the top center of the wheel well and measure the distance to the rim. Adjust the panhard bar until there is the same distance on both sides.

Give me a call if you need help. Look me up at www.radmustangs.com

 

[radmustangs]

Ok.How and which way do you install the panhard bar is there a specific way that it goes,and how do I make the adjusting part?

You install it with the adjustable part on the right side of the car. You can tell becuase the grease fittings are different on each side, one comes straight down and the other is at a 90 degree angle so that it can be reached. So just have the grease fittings pointed down and the adjustable part toward the right side.

 

[radmustangs]

In this picture you cant see the grease fitting but on that side it comes straight down and you can get to it.

On this side it needs to be at the 90 degree angle or you cant get to it becuase the bar is blocked on the bottom. If you look just below the sway bar hanger you can see the grease fitting for the banhard bar sticking out.

 

[maxpayne]

......

Thank you sirJust one thing,when they say the car should be at ride height,that means on the ground right?But then I cant go underneath of it to adjust it.If I put the rear wheels up on ramps that should be the same I guess right?I mean the weight at the back will be at the rear...or ti doesent work that way

 

[RRRoamer]

Ramps will work fine.

 

[MrClean]

+1. I used ramps. FYI, just because the suspension is loaded, and your car is sitting on a level surface, doesn't mean the car is level...so check the gap between the fender and top of tire to make sure...if they're not, lift the low side slightly with a jack to make the car trully level, then adjust.

 

[maxpayne]

COOL!BUT ....is that swiveling at high speed caused because I need to center the rear end....that started happening after I installed the BMR sway bar.Do you thing it might be because of something else...aligment maybe?Or it's deffinetly because of the need of adjustable PHRod

 

[MrClean]

You need to describe in more detail how "the rear now seems to be swiveling slightly when I'm doing like 90-100"...what exactly is happening, what are you objectively experiencing? Take you time in explaining this because stuff happening at 90-100 can be dangerous!

Do you mean the rear end is jumping around a little at that speed? Is it on the same strech of road, or does it do it on different road surfaces?

I had the BMR rear sway var with the rest of the suspension being stock (except for the CHE Adj PHB), and the only thing that cganged was that it cornered flatter and reduced understeer. I've since changed to an H&R rear sway bar because I didn't like the grease mess that came with having to grease the BMR. The sway bar is only a factor when the car is leaning to ne side or the other...in a straight line it shouldn't make a difference.

 

[Vapour Trails]

I think he's saying the rear end is coming around at speed (oversteer).

Well you installed lowering springs and put an aftermarket sway bar in the rear, the rear is now much more stiffly sprung (the sway bar acts like a spring). This is exactly what I would expect to happen. The panhard bar has nothing to do with it.

There is really no reason to ever change the sway bars on these cars with regards to improving handling.

 

[MrClean]

I think he's saying the rear end is coming around at speed (oversteer).

I would agree that might be what he's describing if he's turning, but in a straight line at 95 mph? I doubt it.

Well you installed lowering springs and put an aftermarket sway bar in the rear, the rear is now much more stiffly sprung (the sway bar acts like a spring). This is exactly what I would expect to happen. The panhard bar has nothing to do with it.

There is really no reason to ever change the sway bars on these cars with regards to improving handling.

With all due respect, sir, I disagree on two counts:
1) I have an otherwise stock suspension, and in sweeping corners my car understeered in stock form. The rear sway bar changeout cured that and made it corner in a much flatter attitude. Yes it will oversteer more easily under throttle, but I'm one of those drivers that would rather have oversteer than understeer.
2)In a straight line, the rear sway bar has no effect whatsoever on the springrate of the rear suspension. Note that the endlinks attach the bar to the chassis such that the if the car's attitude is level, movement in the vertical plane is unrestricted by the rear sway bar, within the limits of the suspension's travel. The car can move up and down unrestricted by the rear sway bar. When the car is leaning, however, then the sway bar counteracts the lateral motion by being stressed between the endlink and the end of the bar which is attached to the axle assembly.

Again, I think we need a more thorough description of what he calls "swiveling".

 

[maxpayne]

Well,like I said.when I'm doing 90-100 and lets say I step on he gas,then let go,then press on the gas again,the car doesent just take off straight,but the back of the car goes to the left some,and then goes back to straight.Now I eyeballed the rear wheels,and I can thel that the left one is sticking out like a 1/4 and te right one is in liek a 1/4 but cant really tell without a plumb bomb.I havent had the time yet(or he plumb bomb) but I'll be doing that over the next week.But I read everywhre that that centering the rear end is done with adjustable panhard bar,since the car is lowered,but I was wondering if that is the reason for what the car is doing!The stuff I have for now as far as susspension goes is:
CHE fixed LCA's poly ends
CHE relobrackers-welded
BMR rear sway bar
front stock sway bar with energy susspension poly bushings
stock uca,and panhard bar

I bet all this was like this before I install the BMR bar!Could that be from the front maybe?Because the front sway bar is the stock one and is thinner?