Panhard Bar kit for Mustangs greatly improves handling by adding a critical suspension component to better locate the rear axle. Also called the part that Ford forgot.
What is a Panhard Bar?
- It is a suspension link that provides lateral (sideways) location of the rear axle.
- Don't bother looking for it under your Mustang; Ford left them off the 1979-04 models.
Benefits
- Improves stability during cornering.
- Improves straight-line stability.
- Improves handling predictability.
- Fewer steering wheel corrections are needed to stay on line.
- Helps keep car straight during a drag race launch.
- Stops the Mustang's rear-steer tendency.
- Lowers the rear roll center.
- Simpler and therefore less expensive than a Watts linkage.
Features
- Bolts-in, no welding required.
- Clears stock tailpipes, and aftermarket tailpipes that follow the stock routing. Dynomax and Flowmaster tailpipes follow the stock routing.
- Vertical adjustment of the rod's mounting accommodates different ride heights.
- Very long rod minimizes sideways movement caused by the arc of the rod's motion.
- Teflon-lined spherical rod ends precisely control movement with virtually no noise transmission.
- Stout 6061-T6 aluminum rod is made from a custom extrusion, designed by MM for this application.
- Rod ends are mounted in double shear for greatest strength and safety.
- Chassis inserts allow proper tightening of mounting bolts without distorting the frame rail.
- Low mounting of the rod significantly lowers the rear roll center, reducing the tendency of the inside rear tire to lift and unload during cornering.
- Roll center is lower than what can be achieved with a Watts link.
- While compatible with the standard T/A differential cover when properly installed, we recommend the new low-profile cover (listed for the S197 application) to ensure no interference.
Wheel spacers are recommended for 1979-93 Mustangs that have both:
- Fox-length axles
- Rear wheels with a backspacing greater than 5.75". This is typical of 9" or wider wheels.
Why?
- The Panhard rod lowers the roll center from the stock height. This may allow the inner sidewall of a wide tire to rub on the inside wheel well when the body rolls during cornering.
- A 1/4" wheel spacer will eliminate or reduce tire rubbing on the inside wheel well housing after installation of a Panhard Bar.
