CBDenver

Hey all,

I put in new coils in rear of my 97 4runner and need some ideas of where to get a panhard drop bracket? I know Steve S. was making them, but no longer I guess.

I don't have a good trustworthy fab shop to use, or I'd have one made. Anyone have any ideas of where to look for one or does anyone make them for 3rd gens?

Thanks.

Beachrunner

I've got an extra one that I made if anyone else is interested.

Flygtenstein

Or you can make a bracket to raise the end on the axle which seems to potentially be more straightforward.

Why aren't you using that one Darren, different solution in mind?

Darren

Yes, the first thing you mentioned.

Beachrunner

Does anyone have any specs on that method yet?

Bighead

Adrian or Darren, could one of you explain this to me in a bit more detail. Sorry, I must be a little slow today.

CTB

Instead of making a panhard drop, they are making a panhard "raiser." They are talking about making a bracket that raises the panhard attachment point on the axle end, instead of making a bracket that lowers the panhard attachment point on the frame end.

Bighead

Ahhh...I understand now. Thanks.

44Runner

I don't agree with this statement. As far as I know I am the only 3rd Gen that raised the panhard rod off the axle and I think it was much more invovled than the drop was.

AznSky

Ok in all reality, do you really need it? Cuz if so I might be interested in buying either one from you Darren or Beachrunner

CBDenver

I would be interested in one of them for sure. Raise, lower, does not matter to me exactly as long as I get the rod closer to horizontal. Darren or Beachrunner, let me know how much you want for them.

Thanks a bunch,
Chris

keisur

YES!!!! read about it on Steve's site HERE hehe, that's my runner in the before after pics of the wheels, hehe.

AznSky

Ok but since I rarely go full flex cuz I don't go off-roading that often, would this still be necessary for street driving? Not that I'm a street queen! Just that I don't go wheelin as much or as hardcore as you guys

Flygtenstein

Yeah you need it. I rub frame on one side and not the other because of the way my rod is.

Dave, I mean to say that a drop requires measurements and fitment of the piece that goes in the stock bracket, etc. The raiser involves welding tube stock to the axle. I would think that any welder could/should be able to handle that exclusive of any wheeling knowledge while asking someone to implement the other could result in a lot of song and dance.

People I regard as having a clue say that raising the axle end impacts the roll axis less than dropping the frame end. If you know what that means, then you know what to do.

keisur

you know what a dog looks like trotting down the sidewalk? kind of with it's back legs offset from its front ones? that's what the rear axle is doing. supposedly it's not impacting much but you gotta think about what else is connected to the axle, ie, the control arms, they would also be sort of leaning over to the side that the axle is shifted to, very slightly but still. and the spring perches (if that's what they are called on a coil setup) are not axially lined up so the spring is a little leaned over too, again not much though.

EDIT: I just replaced a grease fitting on the slip yoke last weekend that I sheared off when the driveshaft spun up against my gas tank skid before I got my panhard drop on. I plugged it with an M6x1 screw until I got up enough energy to go to pepboys and grab a few metric zerks. all is better now but now I think I need to replace the ujoints, not because of that since it was the slipyoke fitting but just because last time I checked the ujoints were a bit tough to move and were sort of catching in one spot and moved freely in another. there causing a little vibration too.

Darren

You probably heard that from the same individual I did! And yes, this is the reasoning why I'm electing not to use the drop bracket. Less roll is good, though there are probably marginal benefits/costs in any scenario: left alone, raised or dropped.

sschaefer3

To be honest with you I think Jeff's idea is garbage. If there was a vehicle with body roll that I saw it was his. If he's going to trash my products and spout his mouth off, he should at least "try" his idea out first. He just "thinks" it will be better from what he has "read" on message boards.

I can't tell you how pissed off I was that first night in Colorado when I head that crap.

My 4Runner has NO added body roll. Neither does anyone elses that used this bracket. Apparently you have quite a bit when you don't use it, like old Jeffey.

sschaefer3

Please sell your bracket to someone else.

Robinhood150

I'm not convinced that people who don't off road need a panhard drop for 3rd gens. If you do a search you'll find the calculations I did on how much the axle will shift at ride height. I think it was 0.1 inch or so. It's not noticable at all and not worth the money or troubles of installation, IMO. Plus I think the potential of catastrophic failure is greater than any perceived handling loss (which I believe there is none).

If you're going to off road with it then that's a different story.

Darren

You must have missed the keyword: marginal.

You live in your little, happy world, and us CO guys will live in ours. If you're upset about that, well, we honestly don't care. I know I don't.