Rear Axle alignment

[Barry153]

Hi all,
I have a 1964 Mk2 3.8 litre fitted with a get rag 5 speed box. It drives well and feels normal on the road.
I have recently moved home and have had to find a new garage to service my car. They have just serviced it and reported that when examined on the ramp they noticed that the prop shaft was not in line and on examination they felt that the rear axle was out of line.
My question is, can the axle be adjusted using the panhard rod?
Can everything be slackened off, lined up using the panhard rod and then locked up in position?
Grateful for any thoughts,
Barry 153.

[oldtimer]

Oh Ya,
So what is the evidence to suggest any misalignment ? Careful examination by someone who is familiar with the model needs to take a look.
The panhard rod is not there to drag the axle laterally.

Does the car drive in a straight line ?

Our friend Martec who is familiar with this model may come along and give some pointers !

[piman]

Hello Oldtimer,

that is not quite correct, the panhard rod should be adjusted such that both rear wheels are equidistant from the frame, Certainly the angle of the propshaft is not the reference when doing this adjustment.
Within limits, having a propshaft out of line is not a real problem but it would be worth checking why, possibly the gearbox support member is the cause due to the modification?

Alec

[Barry153]

Hi Oldtimer and Piman, thanks for your replies.
I spoke to the fitter who brought up the alleged misalignment and what caused him to investigate further was that the off side rear wheel is closer to the body spat than the near side spat. I had noticed this on washing the car but assumed that the spat had become distorted over time.
The fact that he reported that the prop shaft appeared to be out of line naturally raised the issue.
Any further comments gratefully received
Barry153

[PPV]

Hi, inthe service manual, section N pages 29, 30 & 31 it gives all the main body dimensions to check for alignment. Then in section K page 8 it gives the setting dimensions for the panhard rod. This says that you use the rod to ensure that the dimension A is exactly the same on both sides of the car, previously checking of course that the same wheels and tyres are fitted to the axle.
Hope this helps,
Regards,

[piman]

Hello all,

I have always thought that the MK 2 Panhard rod is a poor design as it is so short, there must be a measurable sideways movement of the axle when it moves up and down although I have never actually felt it when driving? Aston (DB4,5, and 6) used a Watt linkage on exactly the same axle, obviously far more expensive but one of the best sideways axle locating systems.

Alec

[Barry153]

Thanks to all for your comments. I will investigate further using the dimensions in the manual.
With regard to the gearbox mounting, the bracket was purchased from a well known company who supply and fit 5 speed getrag boxes and is made for the job.
Again, many thanks,
Regards,
Barry.

[340jag]

If I was you I would measure the distance between the 2 back spring location points on the body , half it , then see where the prop lines up to that , that would give me a idea if it was out , and by how much !