General HELP! Part snapped, not sure what it is!!!

[edmundhill685]

To all Fiat Panda owners. Help wanted! (Saturday June 26th 2007).
I am a fan of fiat pandas, am new to this forum as i have just created myself a massive problem.
I am a student. I have bought some panda bullbars, and in an attempt to fit them, while undoing the bolts that hold some adjustable bar in place (between the chassis at the front, and the steering) i managed to snap this bar. The bolt seemed seized on, and i put so much force into undoing it, it bent and snapped.
I need to find a new one of these bars, but first i need to know what it is!
Urgently need information on this, it is my main form of transport!
Please respond or better still email or phone me, 07985 950 530, or [email protected]
Any help hugely appreciated,
thankyou, Ed.

 

[Alan.D]

It's the tie/bar dealers call then strut? they are about £20 from the motorfactors. Thety are very easty to replace BUT you have to ensure you put the correct ammount of washers back as they position the wheel.

What I can't figure is WTF were you removing it for a bullbar?

 

[The co-driver]

The only thing it can be is the steering tie bar as Alan points out. Installed it's this thing in the picture.

Like Alan says, not sure why it got removed. Problem now is getting one before Tuesday.

You will need to fit it before you drive the car to have the tracking and wheel position checked at a garage.

Where in the UK are you? someone may be close enough to help.

 

[edmundhill685]

Thankyou for replying so quick! Will phone fiat and ask for tie-rod/strut.
The reason i was removing it, is because the bullbars attatch to the component part marked number 1 on your diagram. This part on my car doesnt have the welded-on bracket for attatching the bullbars, but the bullbars came with component part #1, with this bracket. So i had to swap them over, removing the 3 bolts that hold it to the chassis, and the one bolt (that never came undone) that held part#1 to the tie rod bar.
Or were you questioning why i was fitting bullbars at all!?

 

[edmundhill685]

The only thing it can be is the steering tie bar as Alan points out. Installed it's this thing in the picture.

Like Alan says, not sure why it got removed. Problem now is getting one before Tuesday.

You will need to fit it before you drive the car to have the tracking and wheel position checked at a garage.

Where in the UK are you? someone may be close enough to help.

Wow, 2 replies, you guys sure are very helpful! I am in Caterham in Surrey (J6 of M25). Anyone around here who could help? Where could i get hold of one of these parts? Cant find many panda parts on ebay at all! Do fiat still sell them? or can i get them cheaper elsewhere?

 

[Alan.D]

Or were you questioning why i was fitting bullbars at all!?

No not really, the panda bullbars fit onto the sump gaurd through the bolt holes you see at the top of this pic. These are normally only fitted on the 4x4's although I never asked what model it is you have.

 

[edmundhill685]

No not really, the panda bullbars fit onto the sump gaurd through the bolt holes you see at the top of this pic. View attachment 28808 These are normally only fitted on the 4x4's although I never asked what model it is you have.

My Panda is a Panda "parade" K-reg. Not a 4x4. Have taken a photo of the bullbars to show what i mean...

 

[Alan.D]

Ah! now, I see those are 4x4 suspension/tiebar units that the guard is attached to, they have an extra piece of metal accross them with the screw holes that the sump gaurd and bullbars bolt into.

 

[edmundhill685]

Ah! now, I see those are 4x4 suspension/tiebar units that the guard is attached to, they have an extra piece of metal accross them with the screw holes that the sump gaurd and bullbars bolt into.

Thats what i was trying to describe. Didn't describe it very well! My last panda had these extra metal plates allready fitted, which wouldve made fitting the bullbars hugely easier. Damnit.

 

[Alan.D]

It's been a while since I've looked under that bit and couldn't place what you were trying to do but hey ho we got there now, those parts are available from most motorfactors, Motoquip, ECP etc, maybe worth calling ECP as they may be open over the bank holiday for mail order. Fiat will have to put it on stock order as i very much doubt it will be in stock and that may take a few days.

 

[lightweightmick]

Wow, you managed to shear the tie rod! that's got to be at least 15-20mm dia!
You must have some hefty bar there... nice one...
How about breakers yard tomorrow?

 

[edmundhill685]

Wow, you managed to shear the tie rod! that's got to be at least 15-20mm dia!
You must have some hefty bar there... nice one...
How about breakers yard tomorrow?

Yea, i was pretty amazed that the rod snapped, but that nut just wouldn't undo! used plus-gas wd40, spanner, hammer, prayer..everything.
It's strange because it wasn't even rusty. Yes i was turning it the right way! So im wondering if getting one from a scrapyard would have similar problems? Im willing to spend more on a new one if its going to go back together again nicely without pulling every muscle in my back again.

 

[lightweightmick]

I removed both of the front mounting brackets on 'A' last year to fit towing eye brackets - had no problems undoing the tie rods at all... I would think your problem is a one-off
you must have felt like I felt when I sheared the nut clean off my balljoint when replacing drive shaft gaiter recently...
... then head gasket went...