Adjustable Panhard Rod issue / question

[Roy Kemp]

Hi all,

I've got an S3 Phaeton, Mk1 Escort-based rear end, and have recently fitted an adjustable panhard rod. No photos, yet. It's intended for a Defender, but was cheap :)

I've got the 15" Peugeot 205GTi 1.9 alloy wheels on the rear axle, via the combination of 63mm wheel studs, 15mm spacers and tapered-to-flat adapter washers for the wheel nuts.

Now, before fitting the panhard rod, the gap from each rear wheel to the chassis was quite different. One side, you could barely get your fingers in, the other side you could get your fingers in and wiggle them about. (Ooh, matron! etc.)

So, I've adjusted the panhard rod to even up the gap, and realign the axle relative to the chassis. I think I needed to dial in 7mm of adjustment, which equated to about 5mm of real-world difference by the time that bushes took up the slack, etc. So not a massive amount.

I've not driven the car since, however, I've noticed something while pushing it about the workshop. There seems to be a bit of intermittent rotational resistance somewhere, almost like a great big rusty patch on a brake disc, but this feels like it's at the back end. When you hit the "sticky" patch, you can see the rear bodywork wobble side-to-side.

Yes, I've got a very tight diff, but this even happens in a straight line.

Any ideas? Could disconnect the rod and see if it goes away, I guess. 

[Steve Kerswell]

buckled wheel ??

[Roy Kemp]

Sensible shout Steve, but I don't think it's a wheel catching. It's more like something in the axle / driveline "winding up" from the feel of it. Just for info, I've got a Salisbury locker LSD in there, but in a straight line there shouldn't be any binding or slip between the rear wheels.

[Steve Kerswell]

interesting to see why the body "wobbles". I would guess something is rubbing or hitting the tub.

[Roy Kemp]

Oh well, I disconnected the panhard rod and it's still doing it, so it's not that.

I think it's probably a binding brake, maybe a bit of shoe material stuck to the inside of a drum.

An autotest should get rid of it!

[James Doulton]

If the wobble only happens every so often as you push it then that might help to diagnose it. The wheels go around once every 6 ft or so, depending on your tyre size. The prop goes around about 3 times as fast, so every 2ft. I'd guess the prop if I were a betting man.

[Roy Kemp]

Thanks James. I'll drown the UJ pins in oil before the weekend, then.

Cheers!