Setting my panhard bar - for the last time!!

[smashingchuck]

Alright guys, I know this sounds really simple, but the more I measure the more I get confused, so I want to know the "right" answer here. I originally set up my pan hard bar for a minimal amount of side to side travel, keeping it closest to center at all times... the result is having an axle that is offset to the driver side at all times. (I have a straight bar that hooks to the frame behind the axle.)

So I guess here is my main question: Should I set the panhard bar so that when it is level, the axle is exactly centered? By doing this, all side to side travel will be to the passenger side. Or should I try to split the difference,so that when the panhard bar is level it the axle would be slightly offset to the driver side. Now I know the old school of thought here that says "the panhard bar should be level to the ground at ride height", so does that mean the axle should be centered too? I really never have had a predetermined ride height for the truck, so when I put the panhard bar in I made it so it was level to the ground the the suspension is mid way through it's travel.

[Tony@AirRideTech]

Your panhard be needs to be level at ride height and you will want it centered between the outer fender lips at ride height.

[edflores]

sorry to be off topic but what size backspace are your rear rims? and how far are you tires from your upper bag brackets? i wanted to do a parallel setup but i think i'm going to go with a watts link to avoid any clearance issues.

[XXL]

Originally Posted by Tony@AirRideTech

Your panhard be needs to be level at ride height and you will want it centered between the outer fender lips at ride height.

I don't completely agree. Since the purpose of the bar is to center the rear, the question is on the user... WHEN do they want the rear centered? At ride height, dumped, or???
For my truck (stepside), before I widened the bed, I had MAJOR tire fitment issues because of the narrow fender area available after you dump the rearend. For me, I NEEDED the Panhard bar centered at dump just to clear the bedsides and fender lip with a relatively narrow wheel/tire combo (8" wheel with 255/50/17). I have alleviated much of that problem by widening the bed by 2"... but that's not how you'd typically solve the issue.

Ultimately, the key to Panhard bar is to get it absolutely as long as you possibly can, and as Tony indicated, to get it level (at whatever your "centered" height is going to be).

[johnboyon20s]

ive always been told to set the panhard parallel to the ground with the axle centered at half the height of ur suspension travel, ( so if u get 12 inches of travel set it to 6 inches and make ur panhard parallel) < hope that makes sence,

ive done it before and it works , but also my panhard looks as if it was longer then urs, maybe a little bit longer panhard would help ya ?

[smashingchuck]

Originally Posted by Tony@AirRideTech

Your panhard be needs to be level at ride height and you will want it centered between the outer fender lips at ride height.

OK, but in all reality what do the outer fender lips have to do with the location of my axle? Shouldn't I center it on the frame, since the box can be off kilter?

Also, (and this is something I've never seen talked about) since my truck was set up to lay frame first, everything else secondary, is my ride height predetermined by the bags being half way through their travel? (this is also when the panhard bar is parallel to the ground) What is the "ideal" operating height for an F9000?

Originally Posted by XXL

I don't completely agree. Since the purpose of the bar is to center the rear, the question is on the user... WHEN do they want the rear centered? At ride height, dumped, or???
For my truck (stepside), before I widened the bed, I had MAJOR tire fitment issues because of the narrow fender area available after you dump the rearend. For me, I NEEDED the Panhard bar centered at dump just to clear the bedsides and fender lip with a relatively narrow wheel/tire combo (8" wheel with 255/50/17). I have alleviated much of that problem by widening the bed by 2"... but that's not how you'd typically solve the issue.

Ultimately, the key to Panhard bar is to get it absolutely as long as you possibly can, and as Tony indicated, to get it level (at whatever your "centered" height is going to be).

XXL-
You make some excellent points... but did having it not aligned with the front while traveling down the road make it dog track? I have no issues with fender clearance, or any other clearance issues for that matter.

My point is that if I have the axle set slightly to the driver side when the bar is parallel to the ground, that gives me two times during travel that the axle is centered, and the axle would stay "closer" to center at all times. If I set it at center, that's only once that the axle is centered through travel, and all travel would be to the passenger side.

Originally Posted by johnboyon20s

ive always been told to set the panhard parallel to the ground with the axle centered at half the height of ur suspension travel, ( so if u get 12 inches of travel set it to 6 inches and make ur panhard parallel) < hope that makes sence,

I've already done that.

Originally Posted by johnboyon20s

maybe a little bit longer panhard would help ya ?

My panhard bar is plenty long, and that's not even an option.

thanks for the input so far guys!!

[XXL]

Originally Posted by smashingchuck

You make some excellent points... but did having it not aligned with the front while traveling down the road make it dog track? I have no issues with fender clearance, or any other clearance issues for that matter.

90% of travel is to the passenger side... it's the nature of the geometry. And so, any time the suspension is moving through the arc created by the Panhard bar, you're "dog walking" at that moment. So... I don't see it as an issue when it's in the ~1/2" range like you're probably seeing during the suspension cycle.

If you don't have wheel/tire clearance issues, you have more flexibility to decide when you want to "dog walk" -- at rest (dumped) or at ride height.

[smashingchuck]

Originally Posted by XXL

If you don't have wheel/tire clearance issues, you have more flexibility to decide when you want to "dog walk" -- at rest (dumped) or at ride height.

I think this pretty much answers the question. Thanks.

[lolife99]

smashingchuck,... I think,... In theory,... you would want the link bars parallel to the ground and the panhard bar parallel to the ground at ride height. I'm not sure you can obtain BOTH with your set up.
With the panhard bar anything other than parallel,... the rearend will be shifted one way or the other.
The first pic looks like it's air'd all the way up. Is the second pic a ride height estimated pic?
I would still suggest centered at ride height. Maybe half way thru the shock travel,... not bag travel.

[XXL]

Originally Posted by lolife99

With the panhard bar anything other than parallel,... the rearend will be shifted one way or the other.

I disagree. The rearend can be centered with the bar at any angle. However, you generally don't want to set your suspension up like this since the amount of side play increases as the arc angle increases (or decreases) from horizontal.

[lolife99]

You are correct. I guess I just meant,... that "parallel at ride height" would be the best for the least amount of side-to-side movement. Plus,... the longer the panhard bar, the less side to side movement during the suspension travel.

[XXL]

Originally Posted by lolife99

You are correct. I guess I just meant,... that "parallel at ride height" would be the best for the least amount of side-to-side movement. Plus,... the longer the panhard bar, the less side to side movement during the suspension travel.

Agreed on both points!

[smashingchuck]

Originally Posted by lolife99

smashingchuck,... I think,... In theory,... you would want the link bars parallel to the ground and the panhard bar parallel to the ground at ride height. I'm not sure you can obtain BOTH with your set up.
With the panhard bar anything other than parallel,... the rearend will be shifted one way or the other.
The first pic looks like it's air'd all the way up. Is the second pic a ride height estimated pic?
I would still suggest centered at ride height. Maybe half way thru the shock travel,... not bag travel.

yeah, the four link mounting bracket are a little high... and welded on. SO I just have to make do. It rode freaking great the first time around, and I can only guess it's going to ride better with the shocks going straight up and down right next to the bags. The shocks have the same amount of travel as the bags.

Thanks for all the conversation on this fellas! Pretty much all the points everyone has made rolled through my head at some point, so you can see where I was getting myself confused!

[Tony@AirRideTech]

Smashing...... the reason to go off of the fenderlips is so that it is aesthetically centered in the truck at ride height. that measurement should not be that far off of the frame center but a 1/2" can make a difference in looks or tire to outer fender lip clearance.

XXL..... if your only concern was how the truck looked when it is dumped out, centering the axle on deflate would be the only time one would want it centered. For driving, you want it centered at ride height. That is where the bar (being level with the ground ) should be at the pinnacle of its arc. It undoubteldy will pull one direction and you could compensate for some lateral shift but that is the ideal, simple scenario.

[XXL]

Originally Posted by Tony@AirRideTech

XXL..... if your only concern was

Yes, I believe we are in violent agreement.

[Tony@AirRideTech]

"violent agreement". ........ sounds angry ...