EATON Detroit Spring

The leading manufacturer of leaf and coil springs for the street rod and restoration automotive industries

We Help Maintain American Icons by Manufacturing Leaf and Coil Springs Right Here in America

Phone: 1 (313) 963-3839
Fax: 1 (313) 963-7047

MENUMENU
  • Home
  • Products
    • Suspension Parts
      • Leaf Springs
      • Coil Springs
      • Shocks
      • Attaching Parts And Hardware
      • Installation Kits
      • Leaf Spring Shackle Replacement Kits & Parts
    • Street Rod Suspension Parts
      • Mustang II Front End Springs
      • 48 Inch Truck Springs
    • Allstate - Chrysler
      • Allstate
      • American Motors
      • Bricklin
      • Buick
      • Cadillac
      • Chevrolet
      • Chevrolet Truck
      • Chrysler
    • Daimler - Ford
      • Daimler
      • DeSoto
      • Dodge
      • Dodge Truck
      • Edsel
      • Ford
      • Ford Truck
    • GMC - Jeep
      • GMC
      • Honda
      • Hudson
      • Hudson Truck
      • Hummer
      • International
      • Jeep
    • Kaiser Darrin - Nissan
      • Kaiser Darrin
      • Kaiser-Frazer
      • LaSalle
      • Lincoln
      • MAHINDRA
      • Mercury
      • MG
      • Nash
      • Nissan
    • Oldsmobile - Rambler
      • Oldsmobile
      • Plymouth
      • Plymouth Truck
      • Pontiac
      • Rambler
    • Sterling - Willys
      • Sterling
      • Studebaker
      • Studebaker Truck
      • Toyota
      • Willys
    • Request A Custom Quote
    • Search For Parts Here
  • Spring Tech
    • Learn About Leaf & Coil Springs
      • Spring Tech Articles
      • Tech Questions
      • Spring Tech Videos
      • Featured Elsewhere
      • EATON Detroit Spring Podcast
      • Buy Ford Manuals
    • Spring Tech 101

      We have been manufacturing springs for American vehicles for over 80 years. Our process and expertise has been continuously refined and improved over the century and our Spring Tech section reflects some of that specialty knowledge.

      Browse our many articles, watch videos produced in partnership with AutoRestoMod, and learn all about your spring suspension here.

    • Browse By Topic
      • Leaf Springs
      • Coil Springs
      • Attaching Parts
      • Ride Height & Stance
      • Ride Quality
      • Manufacturing Springs
      • Replacing Springs
      • Modifying Springs
      • Ordering Springs
  • About Us
    • About EATON Detroit Spring
    • Customer Showcase
    • Send Us Photos Of Your Ride!
    • Free Stuff For Car Shows!
    • Facebook
    • YouTube Channel
      • Spring Tech Videos
  • Order Here
    • Lookup & Purchase Your Vehicle's Parts
    • Request A Quote
    • Email Our Sales Team
    • Dealer Information
  • Find Parts That Fit Your Vehicle
  • Click to Call Now: 1 (313) 963-3839
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • Products
    • Suspension Parts
      • Leaf Springs
      • Coil Springs
      • Shocks
      • Attaching Parts And Hardware
      • Installation Kits
      • Leaf Spring Shackle Replacement Kits & Parts
    • Street Rod Suspension Parts
      • Mustang II Front End Springs
      • 48 Inch Truck Springs
    • Allstate - Chrysler
      • Allstate
      • American Motors
      • Bricklin
      • Buick
      • Cadillac
      • Chevrolet
      • Chevrolet Truck
      • Chrysler
    • Daimler - Ford
      • Daimler
      • DeSoto
      • Dodge
      • Dodge Truck
      • Edsel
      • Ford
      • Ford Truck
    • GMC - Jeep
      • GMC
      • Honda
      • Hudson
      • Hudson Truck
      • Hummer
      • International
      • Jeep
    • Kaiser Darrin - Nissan
      • Kaiser Darrin
      • Kaiser-Frazer
      • LaSalle
      • Lincoln
      • MAHINDRA
      • Mercury
      • MG
      • Nash
      • Nissan
    • Oldsmobile - Rambler
      • Oldsmobile
      • Plymouth
      • Plymouth Truck
      • Pontiac
      • Rambler
    • Sterling - Willys
      • Sterling
      • Studebaker
      • Studebaker Truck
      • Toyota
      • Willys
    • Request A Custom Quote
    • Search For Parts Here
  • Spring Tech
    • Learn About Leaf & Coil Springs
      • Spring Tech Articles
      • Tech Questions
      • Spring Tech Videos
      • Featured Elsewhere
      • EATON Detroit Spring Podcast
      • Buy Ford Manuals
    • Spring Tech 101

      We have been manufacturing springs for American vehicles for over 80 years. Our process and expertise has been continuously refined and improved over the century and our Spring Tech section reflects some of that specialty knowledge.

      Browse our many articles, watch videos produced in partnership with AutoRestoMod, and learn all about your spring suspension here.

    • Browse By Topic
      • Leaf Springs
      • Coil Springs
      • Attaching Parts
      • Ride Height & Stance
      • Ride Quality
      • Manufacturing Springs
      • Replacing Springs
      • Modifying Springs
      • Ordering Springs
  • About Us
    • About EATON Detroit Spring
    • Customer Showcase
    • Send Us Photos Of Your Ride!
    • Free Stuff For Car Shows!
    • Facebook
    • YouTube Channel
      • Spring Tech Videos
  • Order Here
    • Lookup & Purchase Your Vehicle's Parts
    • Request A Quote
    • Email Our Sales Team
    • Dealer Information
  • Find Parts That Fit Your Vehicle
  • Click to Call Now: 1 (313) 963-3839

Panhard Bar

Sir,

I question the use or need for a panhard bar on the rear axle of a parallel leaf sprung chassis.

The application is a 1925 Ford TT, a truck with a full box over a new purpose built chassis total weighing close to 4200 Lbs. The shop that built the chassis insists the panhard bar is necessary, I suggest that the two parallel leaf springs should be sufficient to locate the axle and that what is needed is a rear sway bar to add some control and stabilize the chassis down the road.

The bracket (on chassis) failed recently and the truck handled in a very loose manner, the repair to the panhard bar returned the truck to a better managed ride.

It could be that over the two years on the road with the panhard bar constantly pulling and pushing the axle the spring shackles have loosened up giving the added looseness when the panhard bar failed. The panhard bar is long, from chassis across to almost the opposite side on the axle.

In closing, I would add the following to help perhaps with your answer, the springs, when loaded are almost straight front to rear, no arch and the leaf springs are approx. 2″ wide with enough leaves to support the truck.

Thanks for whatever thoughts you have on the subject, I drove a 1940 ford Tudor for 18 years with parallel rear leaf suspension, the rear swaybar proved to be the one element that earned its keep every one of those days. I didn’t seem to need a Panhard bar.

Cheers, Lesseps

Lesseps,

Wonderful question. Let’s see how well I can answer it.

I would stick with the panhard bar over a sway bar any day. As you have found out already, without the bar the truck gets squirrelly. While the springs will keep the axle in place, it does not stop the side to side movement. The bar does. Unless there is a good reason why the panhard bar goes all the way across the truck, I would have it go from the frame to the pig.

Sway bars do as they are called, reduce sway. They do not tie the body to the rear end like the panhard bar does.

I had the bracket on our ’47 break and we readjusted it with the truck at curb height and have had no trouble since. I believe setting it up while on the hoist caused a bind. When the bracket broke I knew right away there was a problem for the handling went way south.

Panhard and Sway Bar? I would not go with both, do one or the other only.

As for the springs being flat, as long as the truck sits well and rides well the position of the springs does not matter. Springs do not care if they are smiling or frowning.
-Mike

Filed Under: Tech Question Tagged With: Ride Quality

Find Parts For Your Vehicle

"*" indicates required fields

 

Can’t Find What You Need?

If you can’t find your vehicle in the above search form, be sure to call us! We are in the office every weekday. Call 1-313-963-3839

Sign Up For Weekly Newsletter

Every Wednesday we send spring tech videos, articles about classic cars and hot rods, and feature customer vehicles in our showcase.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

OEM Replacement & Custom Springs

  • Classic Cars Springs, Hot Rods, & More
  • Over 24,000 OEM Spring Blueprints
  • 166,000+ Stock Spring Applications
  • Design Staff Available For Custom Applications
  • Spring Experts Since 1937
  • Made in Detroit, Michigan
  • Made in the U.S.A.

How To Order Springs For Your Vehicle

To find the correct springs for your vehicle, you need to provide as much information about your car as possible. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all spring.

We try to make this easy by providing many ways to order your springs and send in as much information as possible:

  1. Call Us at 1 (313) 963-3839
    For Quickest Order Completion
  2. Fill Out Our Quote Request Form
    To Spell Out Details
  3. Browse For Parts Online
    To Browse By Make, Model, Body Style, & Engine Size

Quick Spring Tech Videos

Listen To Our Classic Suspension Podcast

Top Hat John, Classic Car Appraiser Extraordinaire

Subscribe to the EATON Detroit Spring Podcast

Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsAndroidby EmailRSSMore Subscribe Options

Need Spring Wisdom?

Just ask the Spring Guru!
We love helping with any leaf or coil spring problem.

WARNING:

This product may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
www.P65Warnings.ca.gov

  • About EATON Detroit Spring, Inc.
  • Custom & Replacement Leaf Springs
  • Custom & Replacement Coil Springs
  • Consumer Policies

Contact EATON Detroit Spring

  • Request A Quote
  • Order Online
  • Ask Suspension Questions To The Spring Guru

Locate & Connect To EATON Detroit Spring

EATON Detroit Spring, Inc.
1555 Michigan Avenue
Detroit, MI 48216
Phone: 1 (313) 963-3839
Fax: 1 (313) 963-7047
Email: inquiries@eatonsprings.com

Content Copyright 2022 EATON Detroit Spring, Inc.