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Adjustable Panhard Bar


Lynno

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Wanted to know when Shelby lowered our cars (bad to the bone) did the factory panhard bar not being adjustable pushes the rear end off center by 1/4" to 3/8" . Does this make a big difference or should a adjustable panhard bar in installed?

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Save your money - skip the adjustable panhard bar and go straight to the Fays2 Watts Link, you'll be much, much happier!

 

Just removed my adjustable panhard bar and installed said watts link and the rear end now behaves like it should!

 

Now if you still want an adjustable panhard bar and brace, I'll be happy to let you purchase my old one! :)

 

Sam

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Save your money - skip the adjustable panhard bar and go straight to the Fays2 Watts Link, you'll be much, much happier!

 

Just removed my adjustable panhard bar and installed said watts link and the rear end now behaves like it should!

 

Now if you still want an adjustable panhard bar and brace, I'll be happy to let you purchase my old one! :)

 

Sam

Thinking about this for my car too, does the roll center adjustment make a noticeable difference in grip out of a corner? I'm struggling to put much power down :(

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Thinking about this for my car too, does the roll center adjustment make a noticeable difference in grip out of a corner? I'm struggling to put much power down :(

I am so much happier having done the Fays2 Watts Link on my car. Curves are so much easier to negotiate now compared to before. The panhard seemed to accentuate roll characteristics in curves to unloading one wheel and when it broke loose I was in for a ride not knowing whether the rocking of suspension or wheel skip was going to put me in the ditch.

 

Now I know I can pull lot harder into a curve and then use the throttle to push me out into the straightaway. I am also getting a better ride on the marginal condition roads here in Michigan. Particularly notice that broken up curb side conditions don't get car into rear body shimmy going straight down the road.

 

+1 to Sam's comment above.

 

Tom

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I am so much happier having done the Fays2 Watts Link on my car. Curves are so much easier to negotiate now compared to before. The panhard seemed to accentuate roll characteristics in curves to unloading one wheel and when it broke loose I was in for a ride not knowing whether the rocking of suspension or wheel skip was going to put me in the ditch.

 

Now I know I can pull lot harder into a curve and then use the throttle to push me out into the straightaway. I am also getting a better ride on the marginal condition roads here in Michigan. Particularly notice that broken up curb side conditions don't get car into rear body shimmy going straight down the road.

 

+1 to Sam's comment above.

 

Tom

 

Any other suspension mods?

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Lynno: http://fays2.net/

 

Jim is a swell guy - email or call him.

 

We have tons of log trucks here and with their weight, they create valleys in the roads. When crossing lanes to pass, the rear end of the car felt really loose, and would wiggle around quite a bit. After installing the watts link, this is totally eliminated with the rear end staying properly planted.

 

Can't wait to see what she'll do on the track this Friday!

 

Sam

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Thanks, I am going to investigate this. It seems a better set-up than the panhard bar. I do feel the same road sliding back and forth on my car. I cannot take a country road without slowing down because I feel I might also go into a ditch. The Shelby is so hungry for the road experience it needs

help doing this.

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Due to my limited budget, I added the adjustable Panhard rod.

 

My car is a DD and I don't track it, so my needs might be different than those above and yours.

 

I noticed the rear was more predictable and didn't want to go another direction than the front.than before.

 

I'm sure the Watts linkage does it better, as described above, but the adjustable PH rod works for me.

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Jaydubmach1 how much adjustment did you have to make to pull the rear end back to center.

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Jaydubmach1 how much adjustment did you have to make to pull the rear end back to center.

 

Mine was a little more than a 1/4 of an inch off, couldn't really tell with the stock wheels, but after I added 10 inch rears it was very noticeable. I went with the adjustable pan hard bar and brace. It was very easy to adjust and re-center. if your not going to track your car and are just looking to center the rear, the adjustable pan hard bar is probably the better option as far as cost goes. In my opinion a watts link is a rather expensive fix if your not tracking.

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Roll center really changes the car... I had much more rear grip but need to adjust the propeller upward till its balanced better.

 

If they made a panhard with adjustable roll center for our cars for less money I'd have no issue going that route, but very happy with the fays2 at this point. Test 2 will be Sunday to see if one notch up is enough.

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Mine was a little more than a 1/4 of an inch off, couldn't really tell with the stock wheels, but after I added 10 inch rears it was very noticeable. I went with the adjustable pan hard bar and brace. It was very easy to adjust and re-center. if your not going to track your car and are just looking to center the rear, the adjustable pan hard bar is probably the better option as far as cost goes. In my opinion a watts link is a rather expensive fix if your not tracking.

 

Not starting an argument here, but even if you aren't tracking the car, I think the Watts link, though more expensive, (still less than $700), is still a better option. Of course, independent rear suspension might be the ultimate solution!

 

In day-to-day driving over various road conditions, you'll have more control with the Watts link. Might actually help to avoid an accident on these crazy-driver filled public roads!

 

Sam

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I agree with the fact that a watts is superior to a panhard but geez, these cars a million times better than any previous gen mustang! Have you guys ever driven a stock suspension fox body? Talk about rear instability! I say buy the adj. bar, set and forget it!

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Not starting an argument here, but even if you aren't tracking the car, I think the Watts link, though more expensive, (still less than $700), is still a better option. Of course, independent rear suspension might be the ultimate solution!

 

In day-to-day driving over various road conditions, you'll have more control with the Watts link. Might actually help to avoid an accident on these crazy-driver filled public roads!

 

Sam

 

 

Sam,

 

No argument here, I agree that the watts is a better option for handling, hands down, I plan to add one myself and sell my adj. pan hard bar after I install my KB, but I just cant see it being the difference in getting into or not getting into an accident or being that major of an improvement for a DD.

 

For someone who is just looking to center the rear, a cost difference of about 500.00 makes this a no brainer. Now if the original poster is going to track the car or doesn't mind spending the extra $500 then sure, go with the watts, but for your everyday DD, doesn't seem practical.

 

 

Jeff

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Save your money - skip the adjustable panhard bar and go straight to the Fays2 Watts Link, you'll be much, much happier!

 

Just removed my adjustable panhard bar and installed said watts link and the rear end now behaves like it should!

 

Now if you still want an adjustable panhard bar and brace, I'll be happy to let you purchase my old one! :)

 

Sam

You are correct but unless he plans to race the car quite a bit than the Watts link is overkill on a street only car

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I mean stock for stock handling wise. Is your 68 stock?

 

Actually, yeah, a stock leaf spring car actually has less wiggle than a fox style four link

 

I meant for handling too. It's much closer to stock than custom... aside from "better" quality parts that take out deflection of old rubber bushings, quality dampers, and the addition of a panhard to give roll center adjustability... the only "custom" geometry changes are the lowered UCA like shelby did in the 60's and UCA's that give more caster. Good dampers make a lot of difference as evidenced by the recent 2015 mustang/camaro track pack comparisons...

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