Stock Panhard Rod

[95TransAm]

A couple days ago i made a post about how i had handling problems. Well, immediately after work, i put her up on some jack stands, got on my back and decided to check it out. At first i'm looking at my rear sway bar, bushings, etc.... then i decide to check out my panhard rod. Now I'm not an ASE Certified technician or anything, but i believe that your panhard rod is not supposed to be slightly twisted next to the section that is COMPLETELY GONE!!! Yup, near my drivers side, there is about a 1 1/2 inch gap, and the metal all around it is a little bit twisted. Ironically too, that happened when i caught a 2001 GT at the light . I did take him by 2 cars before i started hitting my brakes though , at the expense of my panhard rod though. I bought a new one from jegs, edelbrock tubular 1 1/4, should be in today . Funny too because i checked my whole underside about a month ago just to make sure everything was good, and there was nothing noticable with my panhard rod. Surprisingly not even rusted that bad also. Anyways, i was just curious on if other people have had that same experience with a stock panhard rod, and if not, I'd suggest to take a look at it sometime

[Injuneer]

......but i believe that your panhard rod is not supposed to be slightly twisted next to the section that is COMPLETELY GONE!!! Yup, near my drivers side, there is about a 1 1/2 inch gap, and the metal all around it is a little bit twisted.....

I'm having a little problem understanding what yours looked like, what was "gone" and what was twisted. On the driver's side, the bar attaches to the bracket on the back of the axle that extends back from the spring perch. What is gone? Part of the bracket? Part of the panhard rod? Where is the gaP? What is broken?

Might be worth taking a picture, so others can see what the problem was, and know what to look for.

[95TransAm]

I wish i could take a picture but i dont have the means to. Every time i post i am at work. Part of the Panhard rod was gone, like the actual rod itself. Imagine if you are looking at just the bar, like if it came just out of the box and it's all by itself. On the right side, there is about 3 inches (from the end coming inward) that looks normal, then a 1 1/2 inch gap (no metal whatsoever), then it continues the rest of the length. My Panhard rod is 2 very unequal pieces in length. Each end is connected into the brackets with no damage, its just the rod itself. And when i say "twisted", i mean where the gap in the panhard rod is, the "new ends" of the 2 unequal lengths of what used to be 1 solid piece, the metal around that going about 1 inch in each direction is a little bit twisted.

Sorry for the confusion , i tried to word it as best as possible!

[Jeff_in_Atl]

I wish I could see that.

[Joe 1320]

It sounds to me like the stock U shape channel of metal that us used to make the stock rod has some chucks taken out so that one part of the rod left to being a flat piece of metal with no support around the edges. This would allow that portion of the rod to twist. How that would happen is a mystery as well. The panhard rod is responsible for keeping the rear end from moving from side to side. It bears a considerable load in corning, but in a straight line it merely keeps the rear end centered. I would love to see pictures.

[SS_CarGuy]

I remember your first post and several of us mentioned that the Panhard rod was the likely culprit. I can't say I understand exactly what's wrong with your standard panhard rod. That "gap" you refer to may be how much your rear end has actually shifted to one side. If the stock bar is broken, there may be no metal actually missing.....it's just that the rear end has moved that much! Is the new Panhard an adjustable rod? If so, you are going to need to get the rearend "squared up" first before you lock the threaded part of the bar in place. There are several ways to determine if it's square and aligned on a do-it-yourself basis but if you want to be sure you have it done right you should consider going to an alignment shop.

[wolfdogs]

get an aftermarket one.. they make a heck of a diff anyway.. steve spohn is a good one for the bucks........

[95TransAm]

since everyone wants to see pictures, im just gonna have to bring it to work tomorrow after i take it out tonight and use the digi here. I got my new one in today, it is not adjustable just for the fact that i am barely making it with all my bills (literally $33 in the bank account as of now for gas but all bills for this month are paid off whoo hoo!), and sadly i need my car tonight, so i cannot afford to have my rear end aligned for me. I got an edelbrock one (tubular 1 1/4 inches) overnighted here from jegs. Total was 128.97, and i only had 130, so i just barely made it! It comes with a warranty which makes me happy and confident in it . I will post some pictures tomorrow morning so you can learn exactly what you DON'T want stabalizing your rear end!
Thanx again for all the input

Chris

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

It's probably adjustable, so try to adjust it to make the tires the same distance from the fenders at some point on each side and check it after driving it a while to see if it is centered. If you have a straight car, this will get you pretty close. I think SS Car_Guy hit the nail on the head with the thing just breaking apart and the rear end shifting to make it seem like there's a part missing.