OK. So I get the Zuki back 'on the road' and in true Zig fashon, break the hell out of it before I ever hit pavement. I snapped the end off of the panhard??? bar... the bar that holds the front axle in place left to right centered.... In turn I snapped both shock shafts and bent the bar.....

So my question is, can the ends used on the kit be purchased at any ol parts store? If so do you know a part number? I'm heading back to the woods behind the house to retrieve the part and hopefully go get a replacement. If any of you have a part number, please let me know......

I'm just glad it happened on my property instead of miles away on a trail 

Zig

You may have already guessed this .If you snapped your panhard. It"s in a bind. It was the cause of the shock failier....
 Without pics of the ends I can't be ant help on locating new ones....Boxcar...

Here is a pic of the damaged parts. I found out that they are probably FJ60 or FJ80 joints.... It should of never snapped where I had the truck. It must of been worn out and snapped. Just goes to show, you need to go over your vehicle frequently checking for worn parts when you do this stuff to your rig....

Carnage parts:


Sadly, the obsticle where it broke  (let the trash talk begin) 

Nice kick. Let me ask you..Are your panhard rod an your drag link at exactly the same angle? Or are they at different angles?
 My guess is that they aren't lined up . If so , that allone will cause a bind .
 Or it could be that due to the use of a ball joint in a panhard rod. You have simply over extended the travel of the ball joint.
I'd convert the rod to heim joints with misalignment shims . And check your angles.
You can get the ends through any off road supplier.
 Your right on the preflight checking issue. That's probably the one thing we are all guilty of neglecting.
 Sorry for the bad luck.....Boxcar...

Not sure about the new super joints, but heim joints are not legal in most states and on race tracks for steering linkage (like the rest of your rig is).  But at least they will not just break and leave you stranded.

I suspect the problem is you do not have IFS anymore, I went up a similar hill and had no problems.


At least you don't have to worry about someone helping themselves to parts off it on your property.

I suspect the problem is you do not have IFS anymore, I went up a similar hill and had no problems.

  I do miss the characteristics of the IFS, but there are many things I can do in this that would of been extremely difficult (but not impossible) in the IFS on 33's 

At least you don't have to worry about someone helping themselves to parts off it on your property.

No doubt... Just glad it was not on a trail hours form home....

Why would you want your panhard bar on while wheeling? From what I have read the best case scenario is to remove them while wheeling to prevent damage to the bar, frame, axle. Because of the stress placed on the bar in the adverse conditions the weakest link will let go.

I was under the impression the bar was added to help eliminate the shake / shimmy down the road. Or to inhance the steering control.

Can you utilize pins with safety clips in the ends? This would allow you to remove it while off roading and easily replace it once ready to hit the road?

My plan is to build one using tractor link bars in this fashion with hiem ends just for that quick connect / diconnect reason. As far as the legality it should not be a problem since the panhard bar isn't actually a portion of the steering componets. It is more of a suspension inhancement tying the axle to the frame.

                                                                                                   Tux...

The panhard is not steering , but suspension. Heims are legal in all 50 and tracks on suspension.
Offroad (if set up correctly)  They work great. The idea is to keep the axle centred under the frame.Set up is prety critical though, or they will bind..Boxcar...

Why would you want your panhard bar on while wheeling? From what I have read the best case scenario is to remove them while wheeling to prevent damage to the bar, frame, axle. Because of the stress placed on the bar in the adverse conditions the weakest link will let go.

Remember he's on coils with a modded Trackick Trailslayer... I think the panhard is required as it's the 3rd link in the 3 link front.
IIRC TT changed the design of the panhard bar & or its mount sometime after initial design, because there were problems. I'd contact TT & see what they have to say... or geez ask Eric since he built it!

I spoke with Brent and got the answer. It uses 78 Toyota FJ-80 rod ends. It is a non grease-able rod end and I bet it just wore out. The Trailslayer system is set up properly (everything lined up correctly). It was just a faulty rod end that had been abused over the past 10-15K miles I have put on it since it was built....

I also found out that Bilstein can/will rebuild the shocks for me. $35 for the standard rebuild and $20 for the main rod... Another good reason for spending the extra money on their product. For the cost of standard long travel shocks, I'm getting mine rebuilt good as new 

Are all of the Suzuki IFS systems built with shocks in the panhard bars? I know that the Chevy Tahoe is more of the traditional adjustable panhard without a shock.

The straight axle versions I have looked at for Sammi's are either rigid or adjustable. All connect the axle to the steering side of the frame.

That is why I previously commented to make the bar removable.

Great thread i'm learning a few things here because it is driving me to research more! Thanks, Zukipilot!!!

There are no panhard bars on a zuk IFS let alone with shocks on them, lost here.

Are you getting panhard and antisway bars confused?

The panhard CAN NOT be disconnected, it keeps the axle centered between the frame rails.

The sway bar connects left to right and keeps body roll under control in a turn.

The PO has a converted Kick ( solid axle) That's why the panhard rod...
 And yes you can run without it. Most solids do.....Boxcar...

Zig's rig is the solid toy axled Trackick Trailslayer, which uses coils & a 3 link in front, 4 link in back.

http://www.trailtough.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=167&category_id=47&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=53

 While you can run leaf springs without a panhard, it wouldn't be possible with coils as the panhard is the only thing that keeps the axle centered. This is why when it broke, it bent his shocks because the axle went off center.

Are all of the Suzuki IFS systems built with shocks in the panhard bars? I know that the Chevy Tahoe is more of the traditional adjustable panhard without a shock.

The straight axle versions I have looked at for Sammi's are either rigid or adjustable. All connect the axle to the steering side of the frame.

That is why I previously commented to make the bar removable.

Great thread i'm learning a few things here because it is driving me to research more! Thanks, Zukipilot!!!

The shocks were just a side damage to the bar end breaking, not part of the bar's function. When the rod end broke I was turning left climbing my wheel up onto a 3' dirt bank. The end snapped (nothing left to hold the axle centered) and the axle quickly shifted to the passenger side 6-8" until the tire rested against the wheel well. That quick shift put to much shear stress on the shock shafts (designed for tension and compression not shear load) and snapped them.

In the pic below the bar that broke on me is the second one up from the axle. You can see the mount to the axle on the passenger side and the other end mounts to the frame near the steering box.

HTH,
Zig