Track Bar
YZS: Your Professional Track Bar Supplier
Taizhou Yongzheng Automobile Parts Co., Ltd was established in 1997. It has more than 20 years of experience in manufacturing automobile chassis suspension parts and is one of the drafters of China's anti-roll bar manufacturing standards.
Professional Team
YZS is committed to the R&D and production of anti-roll bars and accessories, key components of chassis suspension. As a modern enterprise, YZS has a complete R&D, production, sales, and service system as well as a strong technical and management team. The company currently has 110 employees, including 75 production line personnel, 15 technical personnel, and 5 sales personnel.
Complete Production Line
We have 4 special pipe bending machines and 4 high-efficiency heat treatment equipment. The complete equipment ensures stable product quality. The entire production process from forging, cutting, forming, heat treatment, fabrication, shot blasting, powder coating and QC inspection is taken care of by us.
Quality Assurance
As an IATF 16949:2016 certified enterprise, YZS has strict management and control from raw materials to finished products, and has obtained many product patent certificates. All products are manufactured from high-quality spring steel to meet high-performance requirements. We conduct regular internal reviews of key processes to ensure we deliver perfect products to our customers.
Quick Response Service
We provide one-to-one customer service, all communications and questions can be responded to within 24 hours, and can help you choose products and answer technical questions. We will also track the order production progress and new product development status and communicate with customers promptly to keep you informed of the latest production status.
A Panhard rod (also called Panhard bar, track bar, or track rod) is a suspension link that provides lateral location of the axle. Originally invented by the Panhard automobile company of France in the early twentieth century, this device has been widely used ever since.
The Panhard rod is a simple device designed to prevent lateral movement. It consists of a rigid bar running sideways in the same plane as the axle, connecting one end of the axle to the car body or chassis on the opposite side of the vehicle. The bar attaches on either end with pivots that let it swivel upwards and downwards only, limiting the axle's movement to the vertical plane. This does not effectively locate the axle longitudinally, therefore it is usually used in conjunction with trailing arms that stabilize the axle in the longitudinal direction.
Types of Track Bars
Standard
This type has a fixed length between mounting holes at either end of the bar. It does not move or change its position during use. Because of the lack of flexibility it provides, this version is usually found on smaller vehicles with limited suspension capacity.
Adjustable
Many newer vehicles use this type of track bar because it makes the ride smoother and more stable for passengers. This type features two mounting points instead of one, with each end attached to a sliding bracket that allows the length of the bar to expand or contract during use. It effectively changes its position depending on the weight and speed of your car to maximize performance.
Heavy Duty
Manufactured from larger materials than adjustable types, heavy-duty versions also have additional support in key areas where stress is likely to break the part apart. Rolling resistance and extra shock absorption keep your Jeep running smooth no matter what obstacles you face up ahead.
The Panhard bar is a bar connected to the chassis of the car on one end and to the rear end housing on the other end. The purpose of the trackbar is to control the left-to-right offset of the rear axle. The attachments at the left and right side of the trackbar allow for up and down motion, but not side-to-side motion. A trackbar has two mounting points - one on the frame and one on the rear-end housing. The position of the mounting on the rear-end housing is usually fixed during assembly of the car. I’ve drawn a slot in the right-hand side of the chassis mount in the rear-view drawing to indicate that you can adjust this position during a race. By raising or lowering the right side of the trackbar, you move the rear axle left or right with respect to the car’s centerline.
Each stock car has three places where a wrench can be inserted during a race: two places in the right-hand side one on the left-hand side. Two of those are for wedge, but this third is a threaded rod that raises and lowers the trackbar mount. Usually clockwise turns lower the track bar while counter clockwise turns raise the track bar. If you raise the trackbar on the right-hand side, you move the rear wheels to the right. This makes the car looser when accelerating and tighter when braking. Conversely, moving the trackbar down on the right-hand side pushes the wheels to the left, tightening the car under acceleration and loosening the car during braking. Moving the rear axle left/right is essentially adding stagger (“rear steer”) to the car because the distance between the front and rear wheels isn’t the same on both sides of the car due to the offset.
Bad Track Bar SymptomsWhat is Track Bar
Vibrating Steering Wheel
If your steering wheel vibrates, then a faulty track bar is the likely cause. Its bushings wear over time, which can cause the track bar to loosen. Loose parts in the suspension system can cause the steering wheel to vibrate. This can negatively affect your vehicle’s driveability and cause bigger problems down the road. It’s best to bring your vehicle to a mechanic as soon as possible when this happens.
Wandering Steering
You might notice your steering wheel “wandering”, which causes your vehicle to drift from one side to the other. The reason behind this might be a worn track bar. A worn track bar will make your steering wheel feel loose, causing your vehicle to dangerously wander on the road even if you didn’t mean to. This increases your risk of getting into a traffic accident, especially when driving in heavy traffic. For your safety, replace your track bar as soon as possible.
Vehicle Pulls to One Side
If your vehicle starts to pull to one side while driving, then there might be an issue with the track bar assembly. In some cases, one end of the track bar wears out faster than the other side. This can cause the vehicle to pull to one side, making it hard to steer. Ignoring the issue can also damage your tires, brakes, and suspension, so be sure to fix it right away.
Noisy Track Bar
Another sign of a bad track bar is a clunking or popping noise whenever you’re driving at slower speeds and turning the steering wheel. This usually happens because the mounting bolts are too loose, causing the bar to vibrate and make noise. In some cases, you only need to retorque the bolts to fix the issue.
How to Replace a Car Track Bar?
Step 1: Remove the bolt on the frame mount end. Using the appropriate sized socket and wrench, remove the bolt holding the solid end of the track bar to the frame/chassis mount.
Step 2: Remove the bolt on the swivel mount end. Depending on the swivel mount end of the track bar on your vehicle, a socket and ratchet may work best here, or a box/open end wrench may work best. Use the appropriate one to remove the nut holding the swivel end to the axle.
Step 3: Remove the track bar. The frame/chassis end should come right out with the bolt and nut removed. The swivel end may come right out or may need some persuasion. Insert the pickle fork between the track bar and mounting surface. A few good taps with the hammer should make it drop out.
Step 4: Install the chassis side of the track bar. Install the chassis/frame side of the track bar first. Leave the bolt and nut hand tight for now.
Step 5: Install the swivel side of the track bar to the axle. Install the nut hand tight to keep the track bar in place. Tighten both ends of the track bar, preferably using a torque wrench. If a torque wrench is not available, make both sides snug with hand tools and not air tools if you choose to use them. Once tightened, lower the vehicle off the jack stands.
Tip: If torque specs for your vehicle are not available to you, torque the track bar around 45-50 lb ft on the chassis/frame mount end and around 25-30 lb ft on the swivel end as a rule of thumb. The swivel end can break much more easily if it is over-torqued.
Which is Better: Panhard Bar or Watts Linkage?
A Panhard bar is good at reducing side-to-side motion of the body over the axle. But if it’s not very long (i.e. more parallel to the ground), the excess movement can throw off handling. The roll center and track centering can change, leading to less predictable handling.
An alternative system to stabilize the rear axle is called a Watts linkage. It was created by inventor James Watt in the 1700s to be used in his steam engine. Today, it offers an alternative to the Panhard bar. A Watts linkage set-up eliminates almost all lateral motion. It uses a total of four points of connection for better symmetry, but is also more complex.
The balance of a Watts linkage means there’s less side to side motion, which is beneficial for overall handling. The downsides are weight, cost, and an increase in center of gravity when the axle moves. The Panhard bar is light and simple, and keeps the center of gravity lower.
So, are Panhard bars or Watts linkage set-ups better? That depends on the car and how the system is engineered.
If you’re adding a stabilizing system to a car that doesn’t already have one, chances are you’ll end up with a Panhard bar. They do the job nearly as well as a Watts link, but at a much cheaper price and with easier installation. A Panhard bar is the way to go unless you’re an ultra-serious racer who needs the precision of a Watts linkage.
The bottom line is that, in the real world, the differences are so small they don’t really matter. Therefore, there’s no need to switch up whichever system you have. Just be sure to get an adjustable Panhard bar if you change your ride height.
Our Factory
As a modern enterprise, YZS has a complete R&D, production, sales, and service system as well as a strong technical and management team. Our products have a complete range, excellent quality and reasonable prices. Products are widely used in North American, European markets and other markets to meet OEM needs and performance requirements. Our fast delivery and excellent quality have won high trust and appreciation from our customers.
Our Certificates
We have IATF16949:2016 certificate and multiple product patent certificates. We have strict management and control from raw materials to finished products, and the products we manufacture can meet customer requirements. YZS products are widely sold all over the world, and it has established good business relationships with giants in the global automotive market over the years.
Common Problems of Track Bar
Q: What does the track bar do?
Q: What does lowering the track bar do?
Q: What happens if your track bar breaks?
Q: Are track bars necessary?
Q: What does a bad track bar feel like?
Q: Does track bar affect steering?
Q: Can you drive without a track bar?
Q: Does track bar affect alignment?
Q: Will a track bar help death wobble?
Q: Can I drive my truck with a broken track bar?
Q: What is another name for the track bar?
Q: How do I know if my track bar ball joint is bad?
Q: What causes death wobble on track bar?
Q: Do track bars have bushings?
Q: Is it safe to drive with a broken track rod end?
Q: What does a track bar do on a Dodge truck?
Q: What does a track bar do f250?
Q: What causes track bar failure?
Q: What is the purpose of the adjustable track bar?
Q: What is the difference between a track bar and a steering stabilizer?