GQ front panhard brace recall

[Captain Datto]

What was the exact problem behind it? The factory panhard mount coming completely off?

I'm putting onboard air on and running a second compressor below the injector pump. It's fouling on the brace, wondering if it'll be alright to grind a bit of meat off the brace.

[blackmav]

Without the brace, and running bigger tyres and lift its pretty likely to crack the chassie. Between panard mount and steering box.

[BIG GQ]

Without the brace, and running bigger tyres and lift its pretty likely to crack the chassie. Between panard mount and steering box.

Bullshit................you ever poked your head under many many many of the comp trucks doing the rounds that have been doing so for years? Obviously not.

Captainn Datto - The actual truth behind the recall of those early (88-89) models is hard to come by. Basically some guys fit the barce if not already fitted and others do fine without it for many years of comp use.

I ran an unbraced 1989 model comp truck with 4.6ratio diffs, GU Front and run REGULARLY run tyre sixes from 37 - 42 and occasionally run 46" claws without a hassle for over 4yrs of comps

[marko]

Without the brace, and running bigger tyres and lift its pretty likely to crack the chassie. Between panard mount and steering box.

Bullshit................you ever poked your head under many many many of the comp trucks doing the rounds that have been doing so for years? Obviously not.

Captainn Datto - The actual truth behind the recall of those early (88-89) models is hard to come by. Basically some guys fit the barce if not already fitted and others do fine without it for many years of comp use.

I ran an unbraced 1989 model comp truck with 4.6ratio diffs, GU Front and run REGULARLY run tyre sixes from 37 - 42 and occasionally run 46" claws without a hassle for over 4yrs of comps

Well, I have a 88 gq which i race ( offroad racing) std diff and 31''. after a few racers I noticed pan hard mount on the chassie was cracking right next to the weld and through the bolt hole where the pan hard connects to it. I welded a plate on it, but after a few racers it started to crack again. So I welded in across brace like a 80 series, no probs so far.

[blackmav]

Without the brace, and running bigger tyres and lift its pretty likely to crack the chassie. Between panard mount and steering box.

Bullshit................you ever poked your head under many many many of the comp trucks doing the rounds that have been doing so for years? Obviously not.

Captainn Datto - The actual truth behind the recall of those early (88-89) models is hard to come by. Basically some guys fit the barce if not already fitted and others do fine without it for many years of comp use.

I ran an unbraced 1989 model comp truck with 4.6ratio diffs, GU Front and run REGULARLY run tyre sixes from 37 - 42 and occasionally run 46" claws without a hassle for over 4yrs of comps

The shorty Mav I had that was previously owned by a family and never offroad.It lasted about 6 months with 35s and social wheelin before mine had enough of a crack in it that the death wobbles came on at about 25km/h.
Had Mannel motors fix it and they had done quite a few. That was probably five years ago.

[Captain Datto]

Sounds like I should be ok grinding a bit off the rear rib on the brace. Can always beef it up while it's off.

[Mark2]

Without the brace, and running bigger tyres and lift its pretty likely to crack the chassie. Between panard mount and steering box.

Bullshit................you ever poked your head under many many many of the comp trucks doing the rounds that have been doing so for years? Obviously not.

Captainn Datto - The actual truth behind the recall of those early (88-89) models is hard to come by. Basically some guys fit the barce if not already fitted and others do fine without it for many years of comp use.

I ran an unbraced 1989 model comp truck with 4.6ratio diffs, GU Front and run REGULARLY run tyre sixes from 37 - 42 and occasionally run 46" claws without a hassle for over 4yrs of comps

Just went out and had a look at my 89 tonight. Its cracked. It doesnt have a brace and has only been used as a tow vehicle all its life with 31's. The panhard bracket is cracked, its cracked around the steering box bolts and theres a crack in the chassis near the engine mount on the same side. It still steers and drives fine.

Should I just put a brace on it or try and weld the cracks and then put the brace on?

[Sandy Rut]

Just went out and had a look at my 89 tonight. Its cracked. It doesnt have a brace and has only been used as a tow vehicle all its life with 31's. The panhard bracket is cracked, its cracked around the steering box bolts and theres a crack in the chassis near the engine mount on the same side. It still steers and drives fine.

Should I just put a brace on it or try and weld the cracks and then put the brace on?

weld it then bolt on brace. If you just put the brace on you will find it will crack even worse around the engine mount because it will transfer more stress there



you can see that mine must have cracked once and then the previous owner repaired it and bolted the brace on. you can now just see the cracks around the engine mount that i assume have appeared since the original repair and adition of the brace. there was also a crack up through the chassis rail between where the two sides of the engine bracket are welded on - if you know what i mean

[ats4x4dotcom]

some had bolt on brackets, some had weld ons on recall, and it depends what model and what year specifically as to what cracked.

My 92 model by 1994 had torn the front panhard mount off, torn the engine mounts off the chassis, broken the riubber engine mounts, torn the body mounts out, except one, bent the panhard rods, and the lower control arms bent.

That was when I went to a 80 series which did 2 safari's with 400 rwhp on 36"s and it far outlived the gq for such issues after a harder life.

YMMV

[naif]

does anyone have a picture of this bracket or can you tell me what to look for? i have a 93 model nissan patrol RX 4.2 petrol. mine looks like the one in the above picture without the fixed up welded part.

[Sandy Rut]

does anyone have a picture of this bracket or can you tell me what to look for? i have a 93 model nissan patrol RX 4.2 petrol. mine looks like the one in the above picture without the fixed up welded part.

[Yom]

My early '93 (series 2, so is meant to have the updated chassis yeh?) has no bracket but I think the design of the mount is different and it seems to extend further up on the rail.

No cracks seen as yet (258,000km, I'm the first owner to start using it offroad) but I'll keep monitoring it... Knew it was an issue but thats a really meaty bracket so I'm guessing its worth more attention! No cracks around the steering box yet either which is another one to watch for.

[naif]

yeah mines a 93 gq2 unsure if they are any different. will sus out if theres any cracking as i dont really know much about the car. 330000km.

[Mousie]

i riped mine of wheeling once

i am soo lucky it wasnt at 100km/h or i would have beeen on my roof


2 months later my mate riped his of in his shorty, put the car on its roof rote it off and he ended up in hosipital the car came to a stop arfter sliding for some time then hitting a tree

i freak out about it all the time i have welded 10 mm plate front and back and as long as i could along the rail and then fitted that brace over the top
and i still stress....

[brad-chevlux]

anyone have a photo of the brace installed on the chassis

[sudso]

Heres mine, 89 LWB.
Dont know if you can see it or not but between the brace and the engine mount there is a piece of flat bar welded to the chassis and over the panhard mount with a stress relief hole in the top and the bottom of the flat bar.

It may have started cracking there and was welded up then the brace fitted. It was there when I bought it.

[dirtyGQ]

i must be lucky i have a 94 which cops a caining and no such cracks.

[jessie928]

if you have heavy duty panhards, you will be on your way to cracking the chassis and/or panhard mount alot quicker.

the panhard should be the weak link, not the chassis
heavy duty panhards are a stupid idea.

cheers,
JEs

[Yom]

if you have heavy duty panhards, you will be on your way to cracking the chassis and/or panhard mount alot quicker.

the panhard should be the weak link, not the chassis
heavy duty panhards are a stupid idea.

cheers,
JEs

I agree to an extent.

The panhard rod does not flex - it is simply a pivoting device - so you have equal chances of cracking a chassis (or axle) mount with a heavy duty rod as you do with an OEM rod in normal driving and even medium duty offroad situations. So until you start putting extreme forces on the panhard like competitions, jumping, gutter strikes, side on ramming from another vehicle etc.. This is where the OEM panhard should give way to 'protect' the chassis.

IMO the fact that the GQ s1 chassis is cracking in this area and that there's a) a recall issued by nissan back in the day and b) a very beefy plate designed to strengthen this area indicates this part of the chassis is weak (or being subjected to forces they didn't think it would have to endure).

I know that even though i've got a s2 and I don't do what I would call exteme offroading and I certainly don't go out of my way to get mine into the air (its an atmo TD42 for god's sake) I will be keeping a very cautious eye on the panhard mount and steering box area. There's a shitload of stress on that area of the chassis!

[Mark2]

Its possible that poly panhard bushes might exacerbate the problem due to transmitting more force to the chassis.

I welded up my cracks on the weekend and put a brace on. Hopefully thats the end of the issue but I'll be keeping an eye on things......