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Panhard/Track bar pics please

broncoman6524

broncoman6524

1/2 ton status
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chuluota Fl
I traded some welding for all the supplies I need to build a track bar with 3/4" heims.

My original plan was to build a drop tower on the frame, then a mount coming off my passenger side spring plate. The heights would be determined by whatever would make the bar parrallel with my draglink. That is parrallel if you're looking at the front of the truck, as well as "down from above"



However, after discussing with some local friends who have coilover trucks, the best approach is an equal length track bar and draglink, this would essentially force me to build up from my housing, no big deal. However it would also require me to build outside of the frame 2-3" to bring the lengths equal.


So, for those of you who've done this, any suggestions? Pictures would be awesome..

This is on a K5, 8" springs, zero rate, WFO crossover, I've already got a steering brace and frame repair kit.
 
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why do you think you need one ?

and don't do it off the springplate. the spring plate has already got a lot going on . and if a dana 60 the 2 bolt holes realy don't like this .

my buddy got a TALL truck recently and it has a trac bar off the spring plate. its ripped out the bolts already . thank goodness it was a dodge 60 . this let me retap them to the 5/8inch gm size to save a crazy repair.

I know ruff stuff has nice builder brackets for trac bars.

and t.n.a vendor here has a engine / trac bar combo kit .

you should tie both frame rails across or you can rip off the frame if it pushes to hard.

others will chime in soon with more info I am sure.
 
The truck still wanders awkwardly, and it's got entirely new tre, spring bushings, and like I said the frames already plated.

Granted my tires are ****, new ones go on Thursday, curious if that will change it.

I don't like how I can watch my front frame half walk forward of my body mounts, figured the bar would help alleviate that.

Smart point about the frame tie in, I've got to pull my trans next week I was gonna plate some pieces of the frame while I've got the access.


One weird thing to, I've got gm D60 TRE for my draglink, brand new from WFO. And when I wiggle the wheel, the actual TRE moves up and down from the bolt. I've got them full of grease, which normally with everything at work takes up the slack.
 
broncoman6524 said:
Valid, I just find it hard to believe my TRE are bad straight out of the bags.
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Seen it. And ball joints andjust about ever other part that can be bought for a vehicle.

If you think about it, how many trucks are going down the road with your set up? Allot. Figure out whats wrong first.
 
over 15 years as a mechanic . there is bad out of the box . and specific brands are worse also .

had a guy years ago when autozone first come to our area do all 4 of his ball joints in a 4wd s-10 . . . . . needed alignment and a GOOD tech still checks the front end out just incase . . . . . guess what he needed to redo :D

4 new cheep as he could pay for parts were junk and had play right from the new box.
 
sweetk30 said:
over 15 years as a mechanic . there is bad out of the box . and specific brands are worse also .

had a guy years ago when autozone first come to our area do all 4 of his ball joints in a 4wd s-10 . . . . . needed alignment and a GOOD tech still checks the front end out just incase . . . . . guess what he needed to redo :D

4 new cheep as he could pay for parts were junk and had play right from the new box.
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Valid, and a good friend of mine works at Autozone. He told me their dura last brand are repacked moog.

I'll be picking them up in the morning and seeing what happens.
 
We took the panhard bar off mr.cleans ford. He lifted it and after a year with quite a few trips to the dunes, the pass front spring was sagging. Then Chris from ord made a comment about how panhard bars and leaf springs are bad. So It makes sense to me to not run them. Unless you have no travel and and have a mall crawler :waytogo:
 
I've got a crapload of PHB photos in my build thread over the last 300 posts or so.....

You definitely want the ends of the PHB way out on the axle and away from the frame as much as possible to maximize the length of the PHB... matching the angle to the draglink is also critical to prevent bumpsteer. My draglink and PHB ended up around 42" long which is just about as good as you can get on standard width axles.

Remember, if you put a bend in the PHB to clear the oilpan the angle that you are measuring is between the bolt centers.... the bend angle itself is irrelevant.

Also, check out that tapered blue K5 build from a while back.... the one built by Schaffer's Offroad. He posted up some really nice clear photos of his PHB setup and how they made that work under full-stuff. Even though it wasn't a portal axle build, I studied those photos often and learned a lot.


-G
 
Greg72 said:
I've got a crapload of PHB photos in my build thread over the last 300 posts or so.....

You definitely want the ends of the PHB way out on the axle and away from the frame as much as possible to maximize the length of the PHB... matching the angle to the draglink is also critical to prevent bumpsteer. My draglink and PHB ended up around 42" long which is just about as good as you can get on standard width axles.

Remember, if you put a bend in the PHB to clear the oilpan the angle that you are measuring is between the bolt centers.... the bend angle itself is irrelevant.

Also, check out that tapered blue K5 build from a while back.... the one built by Schaffer's Offroad. He posted up some really nice clear photos of his PHB setup and how they made that work under full-stuff. Even though it wasn't a portal axle build, I studied those photos often and learned a lot.


-G
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Thanks for the leads..

One of the contributing factors to why I want one is my last truck had one. Granted it was a ford diesel, I drove it once after my heims stripped without it... Wasn't too bad. But then after I reinstalled the new bar the difference was quite noticeable.


The point about no need unless it's a mall crawler, it is, of the 10K it gets drove yearly maybe 100 miles are off road. I've spent too much money on paint and body work to go and thrash it in the woods. :D that 75 miles is the 100' clay track for the consistency class. Heh

On the hydro assist point, the only thing I don't understand is why the same truck with 3/4 tons, push pull steering, and boggers drove tighter than my now fully rebuilt D60, with crossover and toyos... I'm going to replace the TRE this afternoon and see if that affects anything. Hopefully that's the source of my problem.
 
Push pull doesn't jam the axles to the side. If your body is wracking and moving side to side when you steer you need hydro assist. It leverages the steering off the axle alleviating all the slack in bushings and springs that cause what you're complaining about.
 
Stomis said:
Push pull doesn't jam the axles to the side. If your body is wracking and moving side to side when you steer you need hydro assist. It leverages the steering off the axle alleviating all the slack in bushings and springs that cause what you're complaining about.
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Valid point, come to find out buddies got a PSC tapped box brand new in his shop. Guess I'll buy a tractor supply ram and hoses next week.

After I typed that last reply and really thought about it, you're correct, the ram will take a lot of the pressure off the frame.

I've read 8" throw rams, in a 1.75 flavor are best for both worlds when built off the stock tie-rod yes?
 
You probably can watch the shackles move and frame actually twist just turning it by hand on the steering shaft. Mine moves quite a bit before the tires begin to turn. But Im going highsteer with crossover and assist to fix all of that when its all said and done.
 
454Sub said:
You probably can watch the shackles move and frame actually twist just turning it by hand on the steering shaft. Mine moves quite a bit before the tires begin to turn. But Im going highsteer with crossover and assist to fix all of that when its all said and done.
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Bingo. Lol.
 
454Sub said:
You probably can watch the shackles move and frame actually twist just turning it by hand on the steering shaft. Mine moves quite a bit before the tires begin to turn. But Im going highsteer with crossover and assist to fix all of that when its all said and done.
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Bingo. Lol.

The 15.5 wide in a 12 wheel probably doesn't help either.

Maybe a silly question, but does the ram eliminate the steering stabalizer?
 
Yes it will. It will cure all your wobbling and wandering as well.

I went out and messed with mine today, and I can actually see the engine crossmember twist in the rivets as well. I have 39.5x18.5s on a 12in rim. And its basically a noodle in the front end still even after the weld in and bolt in plate. I plan on building a stout front bumper or maybe the DIY A-Bomb to stiffen the frame up a bit and add the assist and all that neat stuff to combat all the problems at once.
 
Well... This escalated quickly.

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200$ brand new.. Box hadn't even been opened. :D
 
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