After lifting your Ford Bronco, it may be possible that your axle has shifted over to one side. This is a result of the Bronco panhard rod (track bar) suspension design. It comes from the factory at a fixed length, and when the vehicle gets lifted, the geometry changes, and the axle is now moved over to one side. This can cause the vehicle to “crab walk” or shift slightly when driving down the road, and there are no other ways to correct that geometry other than to add an adjustable length panhard rod so that you can set it straight.
Why would I need a new adjustable panhard rod? These panhard rods have been made so that you can realign the rear axle of your 4×4 after lifting it. It usually takes a lift height of more than 2″ for the rear axle to be offset to one side. This happens due to the rear suspension design, and when lifted, the axle stays more to one side due to the stock length panhard rod. A panhard rod could also be called a rear track bar. It is what keeps the rear axle centered left to right during suspension movement.
To set a panhard rod length, you would first measure your vehicle on the ground. Check with a measuring tape how far off center your rear wheels are from a fixed point on the frame. If it is pushed to one side by 1″, then you would add half that length (1/2″ in this case) to the overall length of the new panhard rod. Use the stock panhard rod length as your starting point, then add the extra length to it. That is how you would start to correct the centering of the rear axle, then adjust it from there if needed.
Note: For Off Road Use Only