Track Bars & Panhard Rods

Panhard rods and track bars center solid axle assemblies within the chassis and prevent lateral axle movement. They are most commonly used in conjunction with coil springs and trailing arms, which allow vertical axle movement and locate the axle longitudinally, while preventing fore-and-aft movement. The panhard rod was developed by the French automobile company of the same name in the early 20th century, and is generally associated with car rear suspension. Track bars are used on Jeeps and trucks to position the axle on front and rear suspensions. Watts Linkage is a more sophisticated arrangement consisting of 2 horizontal rods similar to panhard rods attached to opposite sides of the chassis and joined to a vertical rod that is mounted to the differential.

Like other suspension control arms, panhard rods, track bars, and watt’s links feature bushings at their pivot points, and when these bushings wear, the excessive play at the connection can cause noise, and on front suspensions, loose steering, vibration, and high-speed wobble. When the front track bar bushings are worn on a Jeep Wrangler and the vehicle hits a bump or a pothole at about 45 mph, it can cause what is commonly known to Jeep owners as the “death wobble”, where the front-end shakes violently and the steering system oscillates uncontrollably. This phenomenon can also be caused by looseness in other suspension and steering components.

If any of the above symptoms are observed, the panhard rod, track bar, and watt’s linkage should be thoroughly inspected. No matter what your repair needs are or what you’re working on, street machine or rugged off-roader, we have the right replacements. Our products are manufactured to original equipment specifications and will install and perform the same as original equipment, just at a much better price. They’re made of the same materials and most come with bushings or bushing/ball joint installed, according to application. In addition to panhard rods, track bars, and watt’s link arms and bell cranks, we also have a huge selection of separate bushings and brackets.

If you have a performance machine, especially one that’s been lifted or lowered, your factory lateral locating links may no longer be adequate. If so, we have the performance panhard rods, track bars, and watts linkage for the job. OE parts are typically made of stamped steel, which can twist and flex, and have rubber bushings, which can compress and deflect excessively, when you’re going fast in the turns or launching hard. When you’re driving at 10/10ths, the last thing you need is an axle that’s doing the cha-cha. Our components provide the rigidity you need to eliminate unwanted movement. They’re constructed from thick wall tubing and made from material like chrome moly steel, and employ firm polyurethane bushings, or spherical rod ends for stiffening with optimal articulation.

But in addition to the strength you need for chassis rigidity, our performance panhard rods, track bars, and watts link systems are also adjustable, which is an essential feature when you’re changing ride height and installing other than stock size wheels and tires. When a vehicle is lifted or lowered, an OE, non-adjustable lateral locating component typically can’t accommodate the change in relationship between the axle and the body. With our adjustable components, you can still keep the axle centered and prevent sideways movement, regardless of ride height. We also have a huge selection of panhard rod/track bar mounts and hardware including the beefed up designs needed for some applications as well as brackets that relocate the track bar mounting point to restore proper suspension geometry.