panhard top mount ?

[Big]

Hi gurus,
Is it absalutly imperitive that the draglink and panhard stay on the same plane as I need only move my panhard top mount 35mm ( and I can do this on the same plane) to bring the front inline..
I'll weld on some steel plates and gusset but move the hole along and down to get it to the same angle,
as All I can see happening if I make a drop bracket is I'll just bend it..and or rip it off.. and if I do this the panhard and draglink will NOT be on the same plane..? just I have searched and it's either adjustables.. = $$$ or drop brackets etc..and the draglink.. Do i need to make it bigger by 35mm as well to keep it happy Will go take a pic if you think I should to show what I want..?

Also I cannt for the life of me see how this will change geometry..?? but someone maybe be able to explain it better..
cheers

[NJV6]

Don't you have a stock 80 series front end? Why do you need to move it 35mm?

[Big]

Don't you have a stock 80 series front end? Why do you need to move it 35mm?

Probably because I have around 5"-6" lift in the front over standard and I dont want to buy a adjustable panhard and can see no difference in performance from the solid factory one being moved 35mm to help accommadate the lift besides if I bend it I have another spare Also If it is all setup to height and Im not going to change it then why not..

[Fakey]

Why not just cut the panhard an extend it, moving the mounts seems like more work than is necessary

[turoa]

Don't you have a stock 80 series front end? Why do you need to move it 35mm?

Probably because I have around 5"-6" lift in the front over standard and I dont want to buy a adjustable panhard and can see no difference in performance from the solid factory one being moved 35mm to help accommadate the lift besides if I bend it I have another spare Also If it is all setup to height and Im not going to change it then why not..

We moved the panhard mount on my flatmates 80 up roughly 35-40mm (4-5" lift) on the diff end and it bought the panhard more in line with the tie rod and has made it drive a bit nicer, so it is worth doing

[Fakey]

I can understand how bringing the mounting point up would make it drive a bit nicer but I also thought you would want to square up the axle to the chassis? ( assuming the axle is pulled to the right given how much lift youve got, that's why I suggested lengthening the panhard rod as apposed to modifying mounts)
I don't know much about 80s or your truck but if it was mine I'd sit the chassis on some stands, remove the panhard rod an square the diff an chassis up then mod the panhard to suit but I am a cheap c#%t an it'd be easier to spend a few hundred $ on a adjustable rod

[tweake]

my 2c worth seeing as i know f all about SFA and 80's

my understanding of panhards and suspension lifts is that if you use a longer panhard to keep the axle in the original location you still run the problem of the panhard working at an angle. the steeper the angle the more sideways movement of the axle when the suspension flexes.
its quite common in the surfs to use panhard drop bracket to keep panhard at the stock angle.

[Big]

Indeed lots of food for thought .. Im trying to make this as easy as possible and cheap as possible( LIke fakey says..lol) but also making it reliable.. Ultimatly i'd like to keep the panhard standard as cheap to fix.. got a spare and If I keep it standard length then thats a bonus.. Now I can do this, way I see 3 ways
1 = make top bracket offset dropping it a little which will help BUT puts the panhard and draglink at different angles!! or on the same plane.. depending on if I drop it a bit.
2 = moving the bottom bracket up squaring it or more parallel BUT should the draglink be on the same plane as the panhard.. If so there lies the big problem..
If I make a drop bracket then the draglink will not be on the same plane and could cause issue's and if I just mod the top mount a little everything stays on the same plane.. except it has lift..
3 = make my panhard adjustable.. have thought about it and it'll be reasonbly easy.. cut thread one end tube an extension with internal thread and weld onto stub end.. may cost a little but no modding the mounts..
See thing is Does the draglink NEED to be on the same plane? IF so then I only have a few options.. there lies the problem with the axles poking out under flex..
At the end of the day I only need it street wise for cert and i really dont care what it does when Im frashing it.. offroad..it'll just have to kope with what I do.. Just I have noticed alomst ALL comp trucks dont have drop brackets or modded mounts but adjustable panhards.. so there has to be some goodness with that option..
Gawd..lol thoughts?

[Big]

update on my build

[Dirtydog]

i guess with the adjustables its easier to change how much lift there is without messing around with the panhards too much.

from what ive read it sounds better in terms of ride to drop the mounts lower.

ive also heard from somewhere else that having everything in terms of steering and panhards parralel with one another give better ride? dont know how reliable the info is but it kinda makes sense to me.

[Big]

i guess with the adjustables its easier to change how much lift there is without messing around with the panhards too much.

from what ive read it sounds better in terms of ride to drop the mounts lower.

ive also heard from somewhere else that having everything in terms of steering and panhards parralel with one another give better ride? dont know how reliable the info is but it kinda makes sense to me.

Yea I hear ya.. I just wanted to keep as much as possible standard for ease of repair etc.. and cost.. adjustable panhards = $350+ and my spare was cheap.... Ill post a pic of what Ive done on my build for reference..

[rokhound]

Your draglink and panhard have to be the same angle and approximatley the same length (and have their mounts at approximatley the same position). This is stop you having bum(p) steer. If they are not on exactly the same plane (ie one sits 50mm higher that the other) then no problem, as long as they are both running at the same angle.

Does that make sense?

[Big]

Your draglink and panhard have to be the same angle and approximatley the same length (and have their mounts at approximatley the same position). This is stop you having bum(p) steer. If they are not on exactly the same plane (ie one sits 50mm higher that the other) then no problem, as long as they are both running at the same angle.

Does that make sense?

Umm i think so.. have a look on my build .. not sure about the same length thing tho.. didnt know that.. but they are on the same plane..
Panhard mount hole was only moved along and down like total 30mm so not a lot..