Pan hard bar vs sway bar

Hey guys, I have a question on rear suspension for y’all.

The cobra has a rear sway bar and pan hard bar. Is this overkill? Should I choose one or the other?

Thanks
Mike

If you're lowered the panhard bar keeps the rear centered in the middle of the car. The sway bar is for handling, I would say you need both

You have to have a lateral locating device, be it the as-delivered "Quadrabind" control arms (all of them) or a panhard bar (or a Watt's link could be used too). The sway bar is to reduce body roll.

Agree with these guys. Two different things and I would personally keep them both.

Tob said:

You have to have a lateral locating device, be it the as-delivered "Quadrabind" control arms (all of them) or a panhard bar (or a Watt's link could be used too). The sway bar is to reduce body roll.

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+1 to the above. It appears that both your rear sway bar and Panhard bar are aftermarket items. What else has been done your suspension?

Thanks for all the responses! Good information, and good to know they are serving separate purposes.

As far as other upgrades, it’s got full length subframe connectors, MM adjustable control arms, strut tower brace front and rear, sway bar up front as well, MM caster camber plates up front. I think kyb shocks, not sure which springs are on there at this point.

I posted in the “what did you do to your cobra today” thread that I though my rear end was leaky. Good news is the diff was just overfilled and oil was from the blow off valve.

Bad news is I found the pan hard bar is hitting the axle, I’m assuming under heavy launch.



Thoughts? The set up has been on this car like this for over 10 years.

Double post

Seems unlikely the axle is moving that far rearward

These two shots are with the car jacked up. When its sits under weight its close. And you can feel on the pan hard bar where its flattened out as well.

Ah ok. Makes sense. Do the frame mounts weld on or bolt on?

Goindeafonmtx said:

Ah ok. Makes sense. Do the frame mounts weld on or bolt on?

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If it's an MM panhard bar (looks like it), they bolt in.

Is it possible the mount can be moved rearward on the frame rail? Seems logical so I’m guessing the OP has already thought of that.

Am i missing something or is the sway bar only attached to axle?

deadernie said:

Am i missing something or is the sway bar only attached to axle?

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The sway bar attaches to the lower control arms.

ForcFed93 said:

The sway bar attaches to the lower control arms.

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I see that but shouldn't it also be attached to the frame/body?

Never seen one mounted like that before.

deadernie said:

I see that but shouldn't it also be attached to the frame/body?

Never seen one mounted like that before.

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No, on a factory quadralink setup the rear sway bar works by minimizing the movement between both sides LCA’s.

Check the C/A bushings?

ForcFed93 said:

No, on a factory quadralink setup the rear sway bar works by minimizing the movement between both sides LCA’s.

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The panhard bar and the sway bar perform two different functions. The rear axle is centrally located (poorly) in stock form by the angle of the control arms. The sway bar might help slightly but this is not the reason it's there.

To answer the OP's question: Keep the panhard bar and the sway bar but the sway bar also needs to be mounted to the frame to perform properly.