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PANHARD ROD ASSEMBLY > URGENT INFORMATION
Last Updated 08/26/01
URGENT! URGENT! URGENT!
DEAR CUSTOMER,
It has been brought to our attention that several customers have experienced metal fatigue inside the trunk well. The location of this failure is in the area of the bracket upper support plate.
We have investigated these complaints and found the following:
Customer 1. That the trunk well was rusted in the upper support plate area. On further investigation, we found that that there was prior rust present before the customer had the trunk well painted. The panhard rod was fitted after the paint job.
In addition we found that the panhard rod was adjusted to the maximum length. The alignment shop, which carried out the alignment, should have been aware that there was something amiss with the frame. Apparently, in an effort to correct rear axle misalignment, they simply tried to compensate for the problem by overly adjusting the panhard rod.
Customer 2. That the additional bolt & nut, which supports the bracket immediately above the check strap bolt, had worked loose, in fact the nut and lockwasher were actually missing.
Customer 3. That the aforementioned bolt and nut were not fitted during the panhard rod installation.
I urge you to tighten all the hardware associated with the mounting of the panhard rod assembly ASAP. Also, it is essential that this tightening procedure be carried out periodically.
There should never be a situation that allows for extreme adjustments to be made to the panhard rod length. Be aware that the rod assembly, as fitted to the wire wheel tube axle, is approximately 1/2" to 1" shorter than the disc wheel tube axle.
In closing, I would welcome any other comments regarding this product, or in fact, any British Automotive product that you may have purchased in the past.
Kindest Regards.
Douglas Jackson