So I installed a J&M adjustable panhard bar to resolve an alignment issue and realized the stock bar was bent.

Ultimately the pull to one side was more of a tire issue than the bar but I've had a rattle that sounds like it's coming from the general area of the phb ever since installing the J&M piece. I've checked the phb bolts and everything's tight but what concerns me is when I'm under the car if I pull/push on the bar near the center it flexes. Is that normal?

I don't think I needed the adjustable bar because the bar is pretty much as far out as possible. I'd swap the stock bar back but it's bent - I may still do that just to troubleshoot the rattle.

Anyone have a similar issue? Shouldn't the bar be strong enough NOT to flex?

 

What do you mean by "far out"? if you have the adjustable ends screwed too far out you could have a problem. Likely something else is bent the end bracket on the frame or rear end. The adjustable ends should not ever be wound out more than half the length of the threaded section. You can see how much thread was showing when I had the J&M bar on my car. in the picture below. It was the same on both ends.

 

"Far out" wasn't really what I meant 908, mine actually looks like yours, very little thread showing. I'm perfectly aligned right to left but the problem is the rattle which started right after installing the new phb.

And like I said there's some flex which I noticed when I was tugging on the bar while underneath trying to see if anything was loose causing the rattle.

The bent stock phb is really unrelated as I have a good idea what caused that. Last winter my wife spun on some ice and did a 360 ending up off the road in some grass. Everything looked ok but I'm betting that's how the bar bent. See pic attached.

 

Holly mother methuselah thats a bent panard! I had a bent panard, but it was slightly bent out toward the rear of the car not up like that. But I had a squeaky rattle with the bent bar. The bar was binding in passenger side bracket. I happen to have a GT 500 take off laying around so I put that one on and the rattling stopped. Neither bar flexed, both were fixed length..

 

Would it be a good idea to hit the brushing in the bar with a little wd40? Might fix the squeak.

 

It's not really a squeak but a rattle, like a clunking noise. I may put the bent bar back on just for a ride around the block just to troubleshoot the rattle and see if it goes away.

 

Good luck

 

It wouldnt be a Mustang if it didnt rattle and clunk a little bit.