lowered rear axle alignment out!!!

[testrun00]

Hi ,
Just had a full set of rubber on last week and thought I'd have the tracking done aswell. now my Bongo handles like shit!
Done some research and found out that lowering will knock out the rear axle alignment upto 2".
Because the panhard rod is pushing it out, has anyone else had this problem and what were your solution?
The only things I can think of is either put normal springs on the rear or make an adjustable panhard rod out of the existing one

Cheers,

[dandywarhol]

You've come up with a good there, lowering will knock the chassis alignment out andmake the van steer to the right - never thought of that before! Several people have lowered their Bongos but I don't know what they've done to sort it out An adjustable panhard rod would sort it - how much has it been lowered by?.

[testrun00]

The springs came with the Bongo there the blue ones which I think are 50mm drop from normal ride height.The links I found where these ones:
http://www.fbodyonline.com/forum/f20/ad ... -bar-1454/
and possible solution:
http://forum.ih8mud.com/tx-alamo-city-l ... r-how.html

[missfixit70]

I'm sure I remember reading ages ago about Someone supplying them, may have been Bellhill?

[testrun00]

I'll have to give them a ring there only 9 mile down the road

[The Great Pretender]

An adjustable rod isn't the answer. If the system design is correct the rod will move through its arc of minimum deflection, you need to alter the pickup point to get back to that arc.

[testrun00]

I think I understand what you mean after reading this
http://www.afcoracing.com/tech_pages/panhard.shtml
,makes sense and depends on how you want to set it up too.

Cheers,

[dandywarhol]

Do you not think that an adjustable bar will be ok considering the reduced spring travel on the shorter springs? I do take your point about the arc needing to be right but it looks like the bar on the Bongo is primarily an axle locator for lateral movement - or do you think it's also a body roll reducer?

[The Great Pretender]

I think I understand what you mean after reading this
http://www.afcoracing.com/tech_pages/panhard.shtml
,makes sense and depends on how you want to set it up too.

Cheers,

Using the bar to tune the suspension is not what you are after on a road car. pic 3 with the bar in mid position will give the minimum arc movement.

[testrun00]

Oh definitely the way to go is an adjustable panhard after all I'm not racing or welding new mounting points for a panhard I just want my rear axle centred then I can sort out my tracking and go in a straight line

[The Great Pretender]

Do you not think that an adjustable bar will be ok considering the reduced spring travel on the shorter springs? I do take your point about the arc needing to be right but it looks like the bar on the Bongo is primarily an axle locator for lateral movement - or do you think it's also a body roll reducer?

And if the location is correct there is minimum lateral movement.
To be honest I havn't even looked at the Bongo suspension but moving the rods pickup point to recreate the origional movement seems logical.

[The Great Pretender]

Oh definitely the way to go is an adjustable panhard after all I'm not racing or welding new mounting points for a panhard I just want my rear axle centred then I can sort out my tracking and go in a straight line

Then your missing the point, let me do a simple drawing with a compass and get it up on here so you can see why it wont go straight.

[dandywarhol]

If I remember the chassis mount is higher than the axle mount - probably to help reduce body roll then - until of course, you shorten the springs excessively and it tries to push the body to the left.........................

[dandywarhol]

Oh definitely the way to go is an adjustable panhard after all I'm not racing or welding new mounting points for a panhard I just want my rear axle centred then I can sort out my tracking and go in a straight line

Then your missing the point, let me do a simple drawing with a compass and get it up on here so you can see why it wont go straight.

Will it then point North???

[cheffy34]

This has been talked about before , i have an adjustable one in a striking purple colour as certain peeps will remember looks the nuts shame i never fitted it Dandy did say to me a couple of year ago that i should have fitted it when i did the springs

testrun00 my springs are light blue name begins with an L if i remember they were a 50mm drop apparently but my v6 only came down about 30mm me reckons any lower and i think i would loose the sump anyway it would appear the v6 engine sits lower,must measure it sometime, the wheel arch gap is deffo smaller that was all i was after but it does drive better than before i did it

Dar