Thread: Panhard Rods - mod or replace. (D2)

How much safe adjustment is also in the drag link also. Personally, I wouldn't even think about cutting and welding the panhard, testing it in the press isn't ally an exhaustive test particularly with fatigue. An engineer would also crack testing/X-ray. I also don't think the mods guidelines allow it.

What year is ur car? The reason I ask is that pre d2a/2003 discoveries I believe have longer rods. There is thread here somewhere explains yhe reason why LR made that mode as well.

It's a 2000, the later ones have a shorter (30mm) rod.

The drag link is fine. There's enough to adjust it to where is is now so I hope it'd go back to where it should be. The difference between std and raised lengths shouldn't be that much and I could do the same with the drag link to extend as well.

I know just bending isn't much of a test but if there's a solid bar through the middle and then joined about as well as it's possible to do. I'm more concerned whether you think it's as good as it could be done or there's something that could be better.

The aftermarket is either expensive as there's virtually no off the shelf stuff here (or suppliers of UK sourced stuff need to bring it in with associated costs), it's custom made with associated costs or buy from overseas, is cheap by comaprison to local but has high (due to size/shape/weight) shipping.

I bought a spare one for my d2 that I'm gonna do something similar with. Getting a fabricator mate to look at it soon. Hopefully that and some castor correction bushes will bring back the ride quality I had before I lifted. Will post the results when it happens.

From talk apparently the bushes aren't the end all to castor correction that most hope. How much have you lifted by? At 2" you should be able to cope with the steering being a little sharper, and I prefer it this way. I have 2" but HD springs make it about 70mm all up and 3deg corrected arms bring it back to about 1.3deg out. sharper but not tram tracking all over the place like it does past 3deg.

I'm avoiding the adjustable route as I don't want to introduce a point that I'd see as weaker than a solid piece. Using a std hollow bar and threading it to put an insert I'd think would have the potential for being weaker at the join.

Even if you used solid bar, short of going to a larger diameter if it will fit past the diff centre or using higher strength material, you will still end up with the same strength ends because you still need to drill and tap the threads for the ball joints.

Failures that I've seen at the ball joint have related to the male screw thread having bending loads put through them with panhards etc that have bends in them. Fortunately Land Rover don't do this. Screw threads really are not at all designed to have ending moments in them. I have not seen a ball joint ripped out of the link.

If you cut it and weld a plug into it then the weld creates a stress raiser which concentrates the bending force into a small area and will make it more prone to cracking.

So even if I was to use a 4140 solid core (keeps the OD original (though won't go fully end to end past the diff bend)) which is welded to the outer and has the spacer supporting the outer you think they'd be issues (wouldn't the stress raiser in the outer be offset by the core?) with possible bending?

Originally Posted by clubagreenie

So even if I was to use a 4140 solid core (keeps the OD original (though won't go fully end to end past the diff bend)) which is welded to the outer and has the spacer supporting the outer you think they'd be issues (wouldn't the stress raiser in the outer be offset by the core?) with possible bending?

I think it'd be a really good one if you machine or have it machined as a one piece complete item, ie drill and tap each end for the ball joints.

Check this website for the welding implications of Cro-Mo.
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