Panhard Rod

Suspension related stuff goes in here.
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ORFORD2004
Posts: 1120
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:48 pm
Your car is a: 1983 PININFARINA
Location: Sherbrooke, Qc, Canada

Panhard Rod

Post by ORFORD2004 »

For the last year i didn't trust my Fiat. It was like if the rear was swinging. I even ask my friend who own a garage to take a ride. He came back and said that my car was solid. Yesterday when i was driving at around 40, the panhard rod broke in 2. The feeling is like if you have 2 blowout in the same time. Not funny. I'm pretty sure that the feeling of swinging was the pahhard rod crack that open under stress.
18Fiatsandcounting
Posts: 3798
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:23 pm
Your car is a: 1969 and 1971 124 spiders
Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Re: Panhard Rod

Post by 18Fiatsandcounting »

Wow, quite the story! Without the panhard rod, the rear body of the car is pretty much free to swing side to side relative to the rear wheels/axle. Not good... Was the rod rusted, or damaged, or ? Normally they don't just break in two.

Are you still friends with the guy who owns the garage...? :lol:

-Bryan
ORFORD2004
Posts: 1120
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:48 pm
Your car is a: 1983 PININFARINA
Location: Sherbrooke, Qc, Canada

Re: Panhard Rod

Post by ORFORD2004 »

Are you still friends with the guy who owns the garage...? :lol:
Oh yes, but lesson learned. Thrust yourself more than anybody.
And for the rest, will see when i remove it to replace with a new one.
18Fiatsandcounting
Posts: 3798
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:23 pm
Your car is a: 1969 and 1971 124 spiders
Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Re: Panhard Rod

Post by 18Fiatsandcounting »

Let us know what you find out regarding the panhard rod, as I didn't expect these things to just break in two. It would be good to know if there's something Fiat owners should be looking for...

-Bryan
GeorgeT
Posts: 379
Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2012 12:41 pm
Your car is a: 1982 Fiat 124 Spider

Re: Panhard Rod

Post by GeorgeT »

Did it snap into or break where it attached to the axle or frame? I would suspect the mounting points to be the weakest.
ORFORD2004
Posts: 1120
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:48 pm
Your car is a: 1983 PININFARINA
Location: Sherbrooke, Qc, Canada

Re: Panhard Rod

Post by ORFORD2004 »

Did it snap into or break where it attached to the axle or frame?
Almost inline with the left diff bolts cover. So almost in the middle.
tima01864
Patron 2021
Patron 2021
Posts: 702
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:01 pm
Your car is a: 1983 FIAT Pininafarina Spider 2000
Location: Wilmington, MA

Re: Panhard Rod

Post by tima01864 »

Sounds like it could of been fatal for you
18Fiatsandcounting
Posts: 3798
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:23 pm
Your car is a: 1969 and 1971 124 spiders
Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Re: Panhard Rod

Post by 18Fiatsandcounting »

ORFORD2004 wrote:Almost inline with the left diff bolts cover. So almost in the middle.
That's just weird. Are you the original owner? Any evidence that the rod was damaged (other than the break in the middle), like someone ran over a large rock and managed to avoid hitting the rear axle? Speaking of which, I would take a close look at your differential and rear axle next time you're under the car, to see if there's any evidence of other damage.

-Bryan
ORFORD2004
Posts: 1120
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:48 pm
Your car is a: 1983 PININFARINA
Location: Sherbrooke, Qc, Canada

Re: Panhard Rod

Post by ORFORD2004 »

I have the car for 10 years and no hit but don't forget it's an 83... 36 years hold hollow bar. So new trailing arms and panhard rod that i should install friday.
Also i have a 79 diff in now because i screw up when i change the seal of the 83 diff. So i order a new crush sleeve and seal and my friend told me he was able to do it right so i hope to reinstall my 83 shortly.
ORFORD2004
Posts: 1120
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:48 pm
Your car is a: 1983 PININFARINA
Location: Sherbrooke, Qc, Canada

Re: Panhard Rod

Post by ORFORD2004 »

Sounds like it could of been fatal for you
I was on gravel road so probably more vibration than on the highway. But i can tell you that the rear swing like in a boat with giants waves.
DieselSpider
Posts: 2130
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2014 10:21 pm
Your car is a: 1978 124 Spider with Isuzu Turbo Diesel

Re: Panhard Rod

Post by DieselSpider »

ORFORD2004 wrote:I have the car for 10 years and no hit but don't forget it's an 83... 36 years hold hollow bar. So new trailing arms and panhard rod that i should install friday.
Also i have a 79 diff in now because i screw up when i change the seal of the 83 diff. So i order a new crush sleeve and seal and my friend told me he was able to do it right so i hope to reinstall my 83 shortly.
So the bar could have been damaged during the swap since that is the bent and not the straight rod. If it was forced back into the wrong orientation that could have led to failure too as could an errant driver loading it on a ramp truck using the pan hard bar as an attachment point if it ever had to be towed.
ORFORD2004
Posts: 1120
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:48 pm
Your car is a: 1983 PININFARINA
Location: Sherbrooke, Qc, Canada

Re: Panhard Rod

Post by ORFORD2004 »

So the bar could have been damaged during the swap since that is the bent and not the straight rod
Guess who made the swap? So i doubt.
DieselSpider
Posts: 2130
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2014 10:21 pm
Your car is a: 1978 124 Spider with Isuzu Turbo Diesel

Re: Panhard Rod

Post by DieselSpider »

ORFORD2004 wrote:
So the bar could have been damaged during the swap since that is the bent and not the straight rod
Guess who made the swap? So i doubt.
Still 26 years of others being custodian of the car.

It may take years for the actions of a previous owner to manifest themselves. I bought a nice clean mini van which came up with no issues on its CarFax however after a few years things started to happen that revealed that the Executive Lease Vehicle was a Recovered Theft that due to the evidence uncovered as we started pulling carpet, interior panels and inspecting deeper into the uni-body showed that the van had been rolled and driven into the Bay since there was pealing non-factory paint on the rear of the roof and hatch, broken sunscreen glass under the carpet/behind the trim panels and sea shells packed deep into the uni-body. It was determined that very likely the lease companies own security people recovered the vehicle as it was allocated to one of their own and repaired it in their own body shop so the incident never made it into the public record or onto the title. At first we had thought it was showing signs of Northern Road Salt issues but the Sea Shells revealed it was immersion in Salt Water.

Who knows what Evil Lurks Inside a Used Car? Only the Shadow but not CarFax.
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