Broken chassis end eye of panhard rod

[Collins]

Has this happened to anyone else? Everyone says they've never seen anything like it. The eye has obviously been broken for some time given the patina on the broken ends. It's broken in a curved shape round where the rod is welded to the eye. It looks like the eye has then stretched over time until it has finally snapped on the other side. The first break wasn't visible because it was on the upper side of the eye hidden in the bracket. Needless to say, it was a bit scary when I lost steering but I was lucky to be on a quite straight bit of road going slowly!

According to Suzuki this is "normal wear and tear" at 55,000 miles and 7 years! I have only done very light green laning because I drive this every day - so it's had a pampered life really.

I'll put some pics up if someone tells me how - can't figure it out.

[Munkee]

Er, Assume this is a jimny?

Sounds pretty horrible!

[Collins]

Yep - got it new in January 2004 so I know exactly what has happened to it in that time and nothing that would do this!

[Tom Majeure]

If it's been loose then that will have accelerated the wear. Perhaps something that should have been picked up at MOT/Services?

[duke]

think there was a topic few months ago jimny with similar prob.


anyone remember who posted

[Collins]

Nothing was picked up on MOT or service on January - guess what? I'm going back to doing the servicing myself. Don't know if I would have found it since the break wouldn't have been visible buried in the bracket and nothing seemed to have been loose but I'll be giving everything a good poke.

The bush was in good condition except where th broken end cut into it.

Would be really interested to know if this happened to anyone else.

[Darrell]

I've never heard of that before either. That does look like some very thin metal (p*** poor more like). I think it's very disapointing of suzuki not to be slighty interested as thats not wear and tear at all, yes the bush will wear but not the eyelet snap.
I thought bigjimny would be a good place to ask so went and had a look to find you have already posted there. So nicked your pics, as a new member you may not be able to add photos yet..

[*matt]

Holy cow that fault is a serious mash up waiting to happen, Suzuki must just have the blinkers on for this one then because that's totally unacceptable on any car let alone a 2004 Jimny

[Collins]

Thanks very much for putting my pics in Dudleydo. I'm putting it everywhere so that people know to check the eyes for fractures or stress cracks. It could be fatal if it goes on a bend or in traffic at any speed.

This what Suzuki had to say "Whilst we acknowledge your concerns, taking into the account the age of the vehicle, this type of failure would be considered natural wear and tear."

So people need to know. Not many people will be aware that a panhard rod is disposable item. I know you can bend them off road but not snap the eye like that in normal use. The only way to check the eyes poperly is to ftake the rod off the vehicle - that's not something that's usually done at service or MOT. Although, it will be on mine now!

[scut44]

Collins,
I wouldnt call that a 'patina', thats RUST!!.
Just rotten rust.
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patina

i am amazed at the corrosion on the part in the picture.
Never ever seen anything like that on a Jimny. (from Scotland or North of England)
There must be some reason or cause for it being that bad.

I have seen many Jimny's from 1998 onwards, & i have owned a few & one 2003 Jimny since new, which is used every winter in the worst of conditions & salted roads.
It is still like new underneath.

How & where is your Jimny used?
ie
Is it at the seaside, going onto beaches, or the thing thats worst for any vehicle,
being driven on cut/mowed grass?

Has your Jimny had some kind of treatment underneath or been painted in the past?

You say,"according to Suzuki.", was that a 'Suzuki Dealer' or 'Suzuki'.?

Get that picture off to Suzuki GB & to Suzuki HQ & see what they say,
dont just ask a dealer.

george

.

[Collins]

s44gtw,

That was Suzuki GB's response. Local dealer has never seen anything like it. Neither have my Landrover-driving friends or local independent mechanic.

My Jimny has been used on road, inland in North Yorkshire. It has never been in salt water (except roadsalt) and I wash under th car in winter to get it off. Our local roads don't even get salted. Don't think it's ever been on cut grass. It's been greenlaning a few times but not serious off road stuff becasue I have to drive it every day and can't afford to break it! It's been very well looked after. I think the corrosion in the pics looks worse than it is - the shaft of the panhard rod is barely corroded at all. It's not enough to have caused it to break like that.

[Collins]

When I said "patina" I meant the inside the break. If you look at the curved break you can see that it's been broken for some time and the faces of the other break are all shiny and new.

[scut44]

That being the case i would get back onto Suzuki GB by phone, by written letter & by Email.
& get them to arrange collection of it for inspection & testing.
(If they rubber you, send copies of the Email & pictures to the Publicity Department of Suzuki GB & to Head Office)

Its clearly a Sub Standard part on a 2004 vehicle.

Get good pictures of the piece,
& send them to every 4x4 magazine if Suzuki do not replace a new part with a goodwill gesture of free fitting at a local dealer.

Your post here & on Bigjimny will get picked up on anyway by someone that matters.
Email the links from the forums to Suzuki GB.
The tinternet gets amazing responses from Multi Nationals when they know that a Google search can show if they dont respond well to customers/public complaints.
good luck.

george

.

[Collins]

Thanks. Hadn't thought of sending it to the mags. I told Suzuki I don't even want anything from them - I already have a new panhard rod, thanks to KAP Suzuki, and it's fitted.

I just want everyone to know that this can happen when you least expect it and it could kill you.

Suzuki weren't intersted in collecting the rod or having a look at the vehicle, given that it couldn't go to them minus a panhard rod!

[minimog]

wow now thats bad just look at the corosion on the rest of the panhard (that should of been picked up on the mot)
was the bush(that was originaly in there)seized to the bolt or mabee the bolt was over tightened causing the bush to be traped so rather than the bush moving the panhard was trying to move(because the bush is a pressed in unit causing the fracture)
it still shouldent happen on a newish car but like you said its better to bring it to poeples attension

[scut44]

Collins,
do you or somebody Power wash or Steam clean it,
or use some chemical cleaner?

george

.

[Collins]

No nothing like that at all.

[Collins]

I was wondering what else hadn't been picked up and have been over it (well under it mostly) very carefully. I know the front one might pick up more road salt etc but the back panhard rod isn't in that condition.

[Collins]

Hi minimog,

The bush seems to have been working ok and both the bush and the bolt were in good condition when they were removed. Apart from a cut in the bush where the broken end had cut into it.

[scut44]

Darren will have seen as many of them as anyone,
& is the probably the person that can pass comment on the condition of yours & how common it is to see one looking like that..

I usually use Clean Finnigan Waxoyl to protect underneath in winter & let dirt build up,then clean off and recoat & regrease etc in the spring.

here this one is covered in Black Finnigans & grease as a temp measure
& it is a bit messy,
but it was going to be getting stripped cleaned & repainted anyway..
My road Jimny just gets some Silicon spray applied after being washed & i never use detergent.

george

[Collins]

Thanks very much George. I'm familiar with Finnegans. Hadn't thought of using silcone speay on it though. I'll give it a go.

[parrotveasey81]

as has been said already part of it has been snaped for some time now.
did you not notice the steering was getting lose as it was starting to let go??

[Collins]

No, the steering felt fine. It was cornering no problem right up until it came apart.

[Collins]

It looks like there has been a fault in the eye from the beginning and the fact that it held together for so long on other side says a lot for the quality of the part - as long as it doesn't have a flaw in the first place.