question about panhard bar

[jlaird]

I'm shopping around for a panhard bar. First time I will be installing one. Suicide doors universal panhard looks self-explanatory. One end to frame, one end to axle. But I'm trying to figure out the ART panhard. Which end mounts to the axle and how?

I have a second unrelated question. This might sound dumb but i'm gonna ask anyway. I'm assuming the gas tank in the cab needs to be removed to notch the cab for the driveshaft when our trucks are slammed. So where can I look for a new fuel cell? I've heard people talk about fuelcellguy, and jegs. Anywhere else? And what do I need to know about fuelcells before I buy?

Thanks for any help.

Josh

[el curioso]

ebay.com and it's the same concept one end to axle and the other to the frame.

[gringoloco]

Same deal on both bars. Get the longest one you can fit- this will cause less side-to-side movement of the axle throughout suspension travel.

Look for the Blazer tank FAQ to do a rear mounted tank on the cheap and easy.

[mbgmike]

you can get any gas tank made. wHY DO YOU NEED A FUEL CELL? WHATS WRONG WITH A GAS TANK. YOU CAN MOCK UP ANY TANK YOU WANT AN GET IT FABBED UP.

[jlaird]

whats the difference between a fuel cell and a gas tank?

[67Fleet]

Originally Posted by mbgmike

you can get any gas tank made. wHY DO YOU NEED A FUEL CELL? WHATS WRONG WITH A GAS TANK. YOU CAN MOCK UP ANY TANK YOU WANT AN GET IT FABBED UP.

? Huh ? umm, isn't getting a "tank fabbed up" really a fuel cell anyway? I'm not seeing your point.

[action]

A fuel cell should be dual walled to prevent rupture.
Jack

[craig@ridetech.com]

Jlaird,

On the Air Ride Panhard bar, the bracket on the left side in the picture bolts to the frame rail, the bracket on the right side welds to the axle tube. In the picture it is hard to see but the axle bracket is notched to sit on the axle tube.

[jlaird]

Thanks LSC71. Thats what I needed to know. The Suicide Doors panhard looks a little more stout than the ART one and I just noticed the joint at the axle is different on each one. Is one better than the other?

[67Fleet]

just about everything SD makes is super beefy. They really build some top-quality pieces for the money. You can't go wrong w/ them.

[jlaird]

no you can't. In fact I've got one of their bridge kits and their 4-link. Like you said, super-beefy and priced right.

[craig@ridetech.com]

Jlaird,
I have only seen the Air Ride panhard bar in use and have yet to see one fail. Since I work for Air ride I would probably be a little biased as to tell you which one to buy so I will let you make that decision. I will tell you however that we do offer rearend specific brackets that you can bolt on if you would rather have that instead of a welded piece. Also, Suicide doors is a great company to deal with and they are one of our largest customers so I have nothing but good things to say about them as well. If you need any more information please let me know.

[Chops_by_Chase]

Originally Posted by gringoloco

Look for the Blazer tank FAQ to do a rear mounted tank on the cheap and easy.

The only problem with the blazer tank, is if you are going low enough where you may have to notch your cab, the blazer tank will sit too low. I didn't notch the cab, and I have a 29 overall diameter tire on back and my blazer tank from cpp is about two inches from the ground when my bags are fully deflated.

[jlaird]

Good point chase. I was thinking about that once I saw pics of the blazer tank. I am concerned about the height of the tank because I do not want to see it sitting below the rear bumper. I will be pretty close to laying frame. To anybody this low, where is your tank if you ditched the stock tank? Pics would be great.

[Tony@AirRideTech]

If you need a tank just have Rob over at No Limit build one to your specs..... a little spendy but man.... they are nice!

[thekid54]

This won't work for you because I widened my frame rails behind the notch to avoid having to deal with a crooked notch, but I used a 22 gal. '70 Mustang tank behind my notch. Don't limit yourself to GM parts, I'm sure there's something out there that will meet your needs.

[entourageguy]

how about running a panhard bar like this...............


Brian ....

[Musclerodz]

Originally Posted by entourageguy

how about running a panhard bar like this...............


Brian ....

That is not a panhard bar. It is a diagonal brace. A panhard is connected to the frame and parallel to the rearend. Not a very close up pic, but most diagonal links will inherently bind with enough travel.

Mike

[XXL]

Originally Posted by jlaird

whats the difference between a fuel cell and a gas tank?

Tomāto v. tomäto

[XXL]

Originally Posted by chase@ridetech

The only problem with the blazer tank, is if you are going low enough where you may have to notch your cab, the blazer tank will sit too low.

My truck is what I would describe as fairly low... and when I was using a stock (repop) Blazer tank, I had no fears about it hitting the ground. 1) it's not that low in the first place, and 2) you probably aren't going to be driving very much with the bags dumped. In the case where you are, rest assured that, since there's no suspension travel at that point, you're not going to hit any bumps and bang the tank. All that's left is running over something... at which point, you've probably just ripped a hole in your oil and/or trans pan, so what's a little fuel on top of that

[entourageguy]

Originally Posted by Musclerodz

That is not a panhard bar. It is a diagonal brace. A panhard is connected to the frame and parallel to the rearend. Not a very close up pic, but most diagonal links will inherently bind with enough travel.

Mike

Found that pic on the ART site for a 55-57 chevy airbar system. They don't list a panhard bar to go with it so I figured it was instead of a panhard.
Brian ...

[jlaird]

For the guys that are notching your cab, what are you doing that requires the cab notch? Is it a Z? Wouldn't the whole tranny need to be moved up to require a cab notch.

[XXL]

Originally Posted by jlaird

Wouldn't the whole tranny need to be moved up to require a cab notch.

Not necessarily. Because the driveshaft yoke is under the cab, when the rearend is severely lowered, the driveshaft pivots up and hits the back of the cab. My truck is not Z'd and I'm a-bangin

[IvelDesigns]

for the SD panhard bar, what length is needed? when i add it to my cart, i'm asked to give two sizes.

i don't have my truck here, so i'm not able to go out and measure it.

[jlaird]

iveldesigns, that depends on your frame. Is your frame stock or have you possibly widened it? You want the bar to be as long as possible. Let us know about your frame and then we can give you a good guess.