The V8 Owners Forum -

gav, do you mean keeping the leaf springs for fitting the link kit, then binning them once its all measured/fitted? Or keeping the leaf springs full stop?

Binning them once fitted of course! Duuuuur! Saves making a complete jig up to get it all straight eh!

Here's what i mean ref the panhard rod.



Awesome piccie eh!

In reality, if the rod is long enough, side-side movement isnt that big a deal.


Say a 3 ft rod, on a car with 4" of susp travel. The arc is extremely small.


I originally fitted a diagnol link on my 4-link. This would give virtually zero side-side, but also restricts axle freedom in terms of its normal suspension motion, as it will wind up.

You could use a 3 legged link, like a Y for location. Or similarly angled top bars, as per Mustang

Or the panhard or Watts as mentioned.

There are many ways to locate an axle.

I ended up with a panhard rod....which is as long as I could make it. Side-side axle motion is negligable during normal use.

thev8kid wrote:pictures of any of the above would be good,

Ian what you got on the tina?
leaf springs? if so what you got on there to make her hook up the way she does mate?

Tony, I still use leaf springs,I think the reason is I don't want to lose the concept of the sleeper look, I have underslung radius rods mounted to the bottom of the spring clamp plate, and run forward to the underside of the front spring pivot point and fixed by a simple pair of plates bolted to the spring securing bolt, there is a stout bracket welded to the side of the pumpkin case which is fitted with a hole in a position that runs in the same vertical plane as the bottom bars, this is for mounting a third link which runs up the prop tunnel and is the same length as the bottom bars to maintain a parallelogram so the pinion angle should not change other than the give in the urethane bushes, all 3 bars are adjustable to get the pinion angle correct, I also run a panhard rod, and I agree with stevie about the negligible effect of body jacking caused by a long bar, the longer the better,although its not necessary with my set-up, it allows me to get the biggest tires under the arches and not foul the body, the rear shocks were koni top adjustable which make tuning the suspension a lot easier without climbing under the car.
If you decide to go 4 bar, stay away from the triangulated track locater, its a race set -up only idea. not practical for the street, wear very quickly and do not locate the axle very well,
another thing that will work well is a single ladder bar mounted top and bottom of the diff casing and run foreward up the gearbox tunnel to a single pivot point around the same place as the prop ends at the gearbox

cheers ian,
next time your under your car and you got a camera handy could you take a few pics mate please,
i would like to keep the sleeper look to but was unsure if i could,
but sounds like i can by doing something similar to you.