I need tube axle panhard mount ideas

[Zandoz]

Background: While getting my frame is on hold due to health issues, I decided to play around with the CAD system and see if I could come up with a frame configuration with fewer compromises and closer to the car I originally envisioned.

Towards that end, to get the main rails as low as I want, I'm playing with the idea of running the R&P tie rod ends and bellows through a sleeved hole in the main rails. That places the front crossmember parallel with the dropped center section of my tube axle. And since the front axle is a spring-over configuration, there will only be about 2" clearance between the axle and the crossmember. In that 2"s is where the Panhard bar will have to live. The good news is that since I have a 4-bar setup to locate the axle, and the travel is short, there would be very little fore and aft movement of the axle. I've worked out the mounting of the frame end of the Panhard bar.

The problem is the axle end. A mount on top of the axle will hit the spring above. Since the axle has a 5" drop, a mount under has potential ground clearance issues. This leaves behind the axle. So far I've not come up with a way to mount it behind that keeps it tight enough to the axle. Has anyone seen a mount that might work?

 

[choppinczech]

I had a similar issue. In my case, there was no place for a panhard bar to keep my axle centered. Somewhere, I saw an old black and white news print article where a guy centered his axle with a cam follower bearing. So I'm giving it a go.

I've got two variations to try.


This photo shows a cam follower bearing.







And this photo shows a Derlin slider.





It might ride like crap. Might be jerky on one sided bumps. I don't know yet.

 

[choppinczech]

I think Ex Junk's panhard is right behind his axle.

 

[one finger john]

I seem to remember an axle "stabilizer" that was on a hot rod 34. It was very similar to choppinczech's designs, at least in theory. Same central post in the axle to act as a stability point.

But here is the big difference !!!

The yolk attached to the frame was a forked piece of bronze that slid up and down the axle post. Limiting side to side movement but still allowing up & down movement.

Same theory, different approach. And for 1955, quit elegant.

John

 

[old round fart]

Had a friend with that system. He said it worked great.

 

[PotvinGuy]

Hmmm. Sounds something like my front end:

I put the R&P inside the crossmember. The axle, 4-bars and Panhard are all p/o Speedway's unit. The axle end of the Panhard rod attaches to the bottom of the left batwing The frame end is an arm that bolts to the perch. Now mine is spring-behind instead of the spring-over you are doing,but some variation of this setup might do the job for you. Maybe from the top of the batwing to the perch. Or get fancy and do a Watts linkage with the pivot at the perch and rods to both batwings. Better hurry or I will come up with something even more radical (and expensive and time-consuming).

 

[choppinczech]

I love that.

 

[old round fart]

Yep! Sounds familiar! LOL

 

[Zandoz]

I'd love to do something like one of those sliders, but I don't have the fabrication facilities or any more the abilities. I need to keep it simple.

Hmmm. Sounds something like my front end:

I put the R&P inside the crossmember. The axle, 4-bars and Panhard are all p/o Speedway's unit. The axle end of the Panhard rod attaches to the bottom of the left batwing The frame end is an arm that bolts to the perch. Now mine is spring-behind instead of the spring-over you are doing,but some variation of this setup might do the job for you. Maybe from the top of the batwing to the perch. Or get fancy and do a Watts linkage with the pivot at the perch and rods to both batwings. Better hurry or I will come up with something even more radical (and expensive and time-consuming).

My axle, batwings, mono-leaf, and 4-bars are all Speedway. In the configuration I'm working on, the Omni R&P (I think from Flaming River, but I'm not sure) will mount right behind the rectangular crossmember.

One thing I'm trying to accomplish is to position the Panhard bar parallel to the R&P, with the frame and axle attachment/pivot points in line with the R&P tie rod pivot points. I have no idea if that will be of any benefit, but it seems like it might. My pivot points will need to be around 23.75" apart. The batwings are 36.375" apart.

Back when I first started this project (before most of my tools were stolen) I seriously considered front and rear Watts links. Since then I've decided to keep the custom fabrication simple and to a minimum....thus all the Speedway and all the other "Off the shelf" stuff

 

[PotvinGuy]

Where will the frame end of the Panhard be located?

 

[Zandoz]

Where will the frame end of the Panhard be located?

The plan is to have 3 fastening points arranged vertically on the face of the front crossmember, 11-7/8" from the centerline...

 

[PotvinGuy]

I'm trying to visualize your front end. Did you buy pieces from Speedway or a complete kit? If the front crossmember is level with the axle, and it is spring-over, that is gonna be a really tall perch.

 

[Zandoz]

I'm trying to visualize your front end. Did you buy pieces from Speedway or a complete kit? If the front crossmember is level with the axle, and it is spring-over, that is gonna be a really tall perch.

Here is an image with the axle brought back in...



The components were all piecemeal...and actually all "Garage Sale" items. There are only a few items for this project that I've paid retail for. This is definitely a low budget endeavour...LOL.

The combination of a 5" drop and the mono-leaf cut down the height. A plate would be set in between the perch verticals, for lateral reinforcement.

 

[butch27]

I think I saw that old pic also. It looked like a piece of heavy rod welded to the back of the axle an the slide part looked like jus 2 rods mounted on the perch.

 

[one finger john]

Pretty sure it was an I beam axle. Instead of bronze could have been copper.

 

[ChrisK]

I've been contemplating putting one on but Im leaning towards doing it. I like the slider idea.

 

[Zandoz]

I've been contemplating putting one on but Im leaning towards doing it. I like the slider idea.

The slider would be my choice, if I had the fabrication abilities.

 

[choppinczech]

Found this photo. Same concept.