5 link coil 4 runner rear panhard rod

[brad 93hilux]

Hey guys, i have a factory 4 runner coil rear in my lux with 4" raised coils and adjustable panhard.

Now i know this may be a stupid question to some but being that the panhard is on a steep angle i was thinking of raising the panhard mounts from the diff up to flatten out the panhard as much as possible..

Is it better to lift it at the diff end or the chassy end... seems easier to do at the diff as the mount at the top is all one piece and will be more work.

Wanted to try this as well as putting the factory sway bar back on with disconnects to help with the body roll and poor onroad handling...

Cheers
Brad

I did search it but could not find the right answers....

[Struth]

I would drop it at the chassis end.

You may be able to buy the weld on drop bracket from someone like snake as it is a part of their 4" lift kit I think.

Some others may disagree and these are only my thoughts, but I think raising it at the diff end will create a weird articulation point that wont work near as well as having it connected to the diff as per factory and will cause the diff to move side to side more when articulated.

Happy to have these thoughts proven wrong though by anyone who knows better.

Cheers

[HG]

When My Surf had 4" of lift in it I made an extension bracket that bolted into the chassis bracket for the panard.
It was sleeved and used the standard panard bolt as well it bolted to the bracket in 2 other places to stop it moving around.
Work a treat for years then I decided to lower the Surf and took it out.
I will have a look in the shed to see if I still have it and I'll put a pic of it on here.

[uninformed]

what you are doing by rasing or lowering the panhard, is changing the roll center.....a high roll center is more stable on side slopes etc but will not articulate as easily as it has to move the body more....the lower the roll center the more compliant the suspension but less stable etc....Of course the spring rate and shock valving/set up will also play a roll in this...

another thing to consider is the relation between front and rear roll centers which gives the vehicle roll center... general rull of thumb is to have slightly higher in the rear....

kinda bodgy explination but i hope it makes sense

Serg

[brad 93hilux]

When My Surf had 4" of lift in it I made an extension bracket that bolted into the chassis bracket for the panard.
It was sleeved and used the standard panard bolt as well it bolted to the bracket in 2 other places to stop it moving around.
Work a treat for years then I decided to lower the Surf and took it out.
I will have a look in the shed to see if I still have it and I'll put a pic of it on here.

Cheers, pics will be great.
Thanks for the info

Brad

[brad 93hilux]

Serg, just so I understand if I flatten out the Panhard, it lowers the roll centre?
I have a leaf sprung front, so I can imagine it will always handle slightly different then coils f&r.

Brad

[zookimal]

Serg, just so I understand if I flatten out the Panhard, it lowers the roll centre?
I have a leaf sprung front, so I can imagine it will always handle slightly different then coils f&r.

Brad

The height of the roll centre will be approx at the middle of the panhard.
I'll have to check I don't have this backwards but leaves tend to result in a higher roll centre.

[uninformed]

its not about how flat the panhard is,but where it intersects the chassis centerline looking from front or rear, ie center of left - right chassis rail.

so that point where chassis centerline, (imaginge a vertical line) and the panhard crosses through it is your axle roll center

I dont know much about leaves, i think the roll center is drawn from leaf end - end and where the axle center line (from side) disects that point, so axle roll center would change for spring under/over and different length and camber leaf packs....?????

a flatter panhard is probably ideal as you would get the same axle lateral movement in up and down travel.....as the panhard swings though its arc, it is pulling/pushing the axle lateraly....

Serg

[brad 93hilux]

I can imagine the flatter it is, the less it swings when you hit a bump. Thus I was hoping - a little more stable.

But that was only a guess and I'm no expert... Does that sound right

Brad

[lay80n]

I can imagine the flatter it is, the less it swings when you hit a bump. Thus I was hoping - a little more stable.

But that was only a guess and I'm no expert... Does that sound right

Brad

The flatter it is, the less the axle is moved to the left and right during bound and re-bound travel. What Serg is refering to is the Roll Centre Height. The roll centre is basically s an imaginary point about which the vehicle rolls. The height of this on a panhard equiped link setup is the middle height of the panhard rod. The higher this point is (and closer to the vehicles Centre of Gravity) the less the body will roll due to side loads like cornering or side hills. But the higher the roll centre, the more the body has to be displaced left or right when the suspension travels. This effect is seperate to the angle of the panhard. You can have a flat panhard with a high roll centre that still moves the body left or right when the suspension travels. If you think of it like a pivot point. If it is throught the centre of the diff, then the diff just pivots on itself. But it it is a foot above the diff, then the whole diff assemble moves like a pendulum, side to side.

Layto....

[brad 93hilux]

Cheers Layto, that is really easy to understand. Thanks for the info

Brad