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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Panhard rods

A browse through the archive shows that this subject hasn't really come up for a year or more and no definitive information.

Anyone know if there is a dedicated MGB kit available. I see that Austin Healey ones have been used. What's the story on fitting? What is the downside?
Marc Gander

British Automotive or MGOC sell the same type. I hear it works well, but I'm highly skeptical of the seemingly flimsy aluminum bracked that holds it to the axle. Seems to me to fly in the face of sound mechanical engineering. The sideways thrusts on a Panhard rod are, as you know, very high.
Ted

Yes, I noticed an exchange in the archive referring precisely this point about the bracket. Has anyone fitted a panhard rod recently. How did they go about it?
Marc Gander

Marc.
I have recently made and fitted a panhard rod to my 4.0L Gt. I used a length of heavy guage pipe, approx 3/4inch diameter. I made up a neat bracket which I welded to the axle facing backwards. Then I made the chassis bracket with a few holes for height adjustment.
I installed the rod with a rose joint each end making sure the rod was paralell with the centre line of the axle when under normal load. A lot of trial and error went into the installation. It is important to fit the rod with the cars weight on the suspension. Together with the composite leaf springs and anti tramp bars ( also my own design ) the handling has improved a lot, in fact like night and day.
I use my car for track days and sprints as well as a fun road car. At a recent track day I was out cornering a lot of modern machinery and caused quite a stirr in the paddock. I overheard an imprezza driver comment that he had never seen an MGB go like that before.
My Panhard Rod has been through some serious testing on both right and left hand turns with no increase in body roll.
On a normal road car it probably wouldn't make much difference to the handling but when pushed hard the Panhard rod/composite springs somehow gives better grip and more predictable handling.
If you are interested I could take some pics.

Cheers

Mark
Mark Rawlins

Mark,

I'd be very interested in some pictures - so yes please.
Also maybe I could come down to you to have a look in the next few weeks. Where are you in Wiltshire?
Marc
Marc Gander

Marc
I would also be interested in some pictures or details on how to make your own traction bars and panhard rod. Is there any way you could share this information?
Al

Al

If you would like to post your name and your email address on the Board then I'm sure that some info can get to you.
Marc Gander

Marc
E-mail address as requested.Many Thanks
Al

Marc
I'll take some pics tomorrow.
You are very welcome to come down and have a look at my setup. If you could make it on 15thJune I will be at Castle Combe race track for a Cars & car conversions action day. Bring a crash helmet and I'll demonstrate the proof of the pudding.
I live in Westbury which is about 10 miles southeast of Bath.
Al
My anti tramp bar setup started with a Spax telescopic conversion. I altered the lower bracket to take one end of the bar. The other end attaches directly below the front spring mount, onto a fabricated box section which runs forward to the chassis cross member. The bar itself is a Mercedes Benz truck part which is a bar with a rubber bush each end. To start with I shortened the bar using both the rubber bushes but this made the rear too stiff and the handling was terrible. To overcome the problem I used a Rose joint one end ( rear ) and this works very well.

Mark
Mark Rawlins


A good place to share your photos might be: http://www.mgcars.org.uk/v8_conversions/
(You'll find an e-mail address there for forwarding photos...) The site already shows a couple
homemade MGB Panhard rods. It doesn't seem to be getting updated with any regularity -
but it's still a great site.

As Mark touched on, it's important Panhard rods be parallel to the axle. It's usually and
generally preferable to mount them low (i.e. closer to the ground than axle centerline.) Doing so
will relocate the rear suspension's roll center from the center of the axle to the center of the
Panhard rod. That could be a nice thing. For more information, you might try Fred Puhn's
classic book "How To Make Your Car Handle".
Curtis

This thread was discussed between 03/06/2002 and 04/06/2002

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