Panhard Rod removal and replacement

Getting a bit over confident after successfully changing drop arm (conversion), drag link and tie rod recently on 2.4 TDCI so needed to check before I get stuck...

Just about to take panhard off and re bush (not lifted at all). Some say that you just unbolt and then after re bush may need to lever slightly to get bolts back in on re fit. Others say that the chassis will move away from the axle and to get them to align for the bolts to go back in needs strops / levers and a lot of effort from more than one person.

Before I pull the bolts would be grateful for your experiences.

I centered the drive wheels so not under pressure.
Undo bolts & lever out.
Re bush & put axle end back first.
If the chassis 1 does not line up slowly move the steering a bit. Not much & it will line up.

It can take longer to press the bushes out Than to remove & refit.
Good luck

+ 1 to the above and do the job on level ground.

Thanks guys

Get hold of a heavy vice and a suitable socket to push the old ones out and shove the new ones in.
Makes it a lot easier.

Oldseadog said:

Get hold of a heasvby vice and a suitable socket to push the old ones out and shove the new ones in.
Makes it a lot easier.

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Or set 'em alight with a blowtorch....don't 'alf annoy the neighbours!

If you find the bolts are stuck/turning in the bush tube the job can be a barsteward. A smal thin cutting disc can cut the head/nut off the bolt shaft and the bracket bent out enough to free the rod.

ogb said:

Or set 'em alight with a blowtorch....don't 'alf annoy the neighbours!

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^^ this one, You will be very very lucky if you will be bale to press them out in a vice, I have failed to press them out sing a press! Burn the centre out, then carvully cut through the outer with a hacksaw and then knock it out with a small chisel. Clean up the holes with some emery paper and fit a new bush. I use poly for things like this purely due to the ease of refitting and future replacement, but that is whole different question!

I have just put poly bushes in so I can change them easier. So what if the could fail earlier I can now change them quicker.

Hicap phill said:

I have just put poly bushes in so I can change them easier. So what if the could fail earlier I can now change them quicker.

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Don't see why they should. The many I have fitted always last well.

Turboman said:

Don't see why they should. The many I have fitted always last well.

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They can last well but seem to fail about mid way through a week of off roading. I Can never find a press in a field

Hicap phill said:

They can last well but seem to fail about mid way through a week of off roading. I Can never find a press in a field

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What, you don't carry a press in the back of the pickup?

And put copper ease on the bolt when it goes back in.

Hicap phill said:

I have just put poly bushes in so I can change them easier. So what if the could fail earlier I can now change them quicker.

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I would agree here, they do not seem to last me more than a couple of years, but they are cheap enough and easy to change when the do fail. I managed to change them in about 10 min on the side of the road in morocco earlier this year, poly to poly, hate to think how long that would have taken me with originals fitted!

dag019 said:

I would agree here, they do not seem to last me more than a couple of years, but they are cheap enough and easy to change when the do fail. I managed to change them in about 10 min on the side of the road in morocco earlier this year, poly to poly, hate to think how long that would have taken me with originals fitted!

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If you want to use them for expeditions on very hard ground and with a heavily loaded vehicle, it might be an idea to use the harder heavy duty grades. The Polypro ones are red, IIRC, and sold for trialling and heavy off roading.
I used to use the orange medium grade ones, off road mostly on farm work, but the terrain was more slippery than rough, and my vehicle was a light hard top Ninety.

I have superpro tomorrow ones on mine, but more expensive than britpart offerings but they are lasting well so far

Turboman said:

If you want to use them for expeditions on very hard ground and with a heavily loaded vehicle, it might be an idea to use the harder heavy duty grades. The Polypro ones are red, IIRC, and sold for trialling and heavy off roading.
I used to use the orange medium grade ones, off road mostly on farm work, but the terrain was more slippery than rough, and my vehicle was a light hard top Ninety.

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Mine is a daily drive, it is not set up for expedition work, so everything is a compromise when I do use it to go away. I tend to use the Bripart ones, which I believe are medium duty. They last long enough and handle well enough on the road that I am happy. The reason for fitting them was not to upgrade the suspension but to improve ease of replacement. I still use oem rubbers for things like shocks, and suspension arms to chassis, it is just the press-fit metalastic bushes which I dislike replacing.

Also remember to fit new bolts. The old ones are stretched and you'll assure proper torque when refitting the panhard rod.

Western Slope Rover said:

The old ones are stretched

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and if you are lucky, nicely shouldered where old bush has worn it away as it becomes loose

Just to add my experience, I've not found the panhard rod too difficult to get back in after it's been out. The axle does drift sideways in relation to the chassis whilst it is free, but can be levered back into position. I replaced all my suspension bushes as well as the springs, shock absorbers, spring mounts and a few other things in the autumn of 2013 (goodness me, that's five years ago) and fitted a Superpro bush kit and new bolts. Everything's fine, and neither I nor (most importantly) the MOT man have detected any slack yet. The suspension is getting more of a workout now that I'm using the Land Rover as transport on my smallholding. So we'll see how it lasts.