Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

G'day James, the worn ones are the lowers. The reason I asked about polyurethane bushes was because they are more "rigid" and I was thinking about how well they would compress under load. However, I didn't think about the potential for fracturing of the trailing arms or mounts and for that reason alone, I'll be sticking with rubber. The ones I fitted are from Steele so I don't know how well they'll wear compared to Kanters, but I'll watch this space with interest. I'm still thinking I'd like to try polyurethane for the rear stabiliser bar though. Their rigidity should perform better for the purpose by helping reduce the movement that might otherwise develop with wearing rubber. Cheers, John

Thanks for the clarification JP.

I don't have any substantiation but it may be beneficial, when thinking about TL rear bushing wear, to think in terms of the entire suspension system rather than individual bushing wear. For example, perhaps excessive slop in the Watts linkage bushing promotes more rapid wear in the 8 rear torque arm bushings and those things in turn may promote more rapid wear on the torque arm pivot bushings. My suggestion is not to consider it as a piecemeal job but view it in its entirety and not individually.

I could not agree more it is best to replace all while you are in. Do it once Do it right.

James

I'm starting to do my homework regarding the possibility of using polyurethane bushes for the rear stabiliser bar. However, I've come up with a quandry and need some expert advice. When I refurbished the bar on my Patrician a few years ago I actually had two bars, one of which came on the car and one which I was given as a spare. Unfortunately I can't recall which one I recoe'd but I think it was the one which came with the car. At that time I didn't realise '55 and '56 bars had different part numbers ('56 = 6480534 & '55 = 445831). So the question is, what's the difference between the two bars? Is it something readily identifiable? If I'm going to run with polyurethane I want make sure I do it on a '56 bar. Cheers, John

With the depth of the where this thread has headed and all the great information that has been shared from personal experience. I felt it may be beneficial to share some of our insight on additional things to look at and consider when servicing the rear portion of the suspension on the TL car.
As mentioned in a previous thread, there is the possibility of a fractured reinforcement plate inside the trailing arm. This is the result of continuous use of the vehicle with badly worn bushings. The bushing being worn out allows the shock plate to slam against the reinforcement plate upon acceleration and braking (picture a seesaw) which results in the fracturing of the reinforcement plate(That will need to be repaired). The symptoms that are exhibited when either the bushings are bad or the reinforcement is fractured are:
? The car leans to a side
? Excessive movement of the rear up and down going from drive to reverse
? In severe cases vibration under acceleration due to improper pinion angle
We have also seen over the years with the various cars in our collection, and others that we have serviced in our restoration shop, evidences from previous repairs where only the lower bushings were replaced because of the ease of replacement. But it is best to replace all the bushings at the same time because of the torsional twist exerted during braking and acceleration from the rear to the bushings on a diagonal from one of the upper bushings to the opposite lower bushing and vice versa.
Using the OEM type rubber bushings with the correct durometer, you should easily be able to obtain the same life span of the ones that Packard originally designed. (Lasing between 60-70k miles and still have that ride quality that Packard are known for.)

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They will facture along the welds on the side or in extreme cases down the middle of where the bushing mount.


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James,

To clarify, is your insight for 56 only, or for both 55-56?

Quote:

for the fracturing of the reinforcement plate it would be for 56. Sorry for not clarifying. Good catch.

thanks

James

Just read an interesting article re TL suspension by Dwight Heinmuller with contributions by others in the Nov issue of the PAC News Bulletin. He goes thru some of the common maladies many have been discussing here the last year or two such as shocks, ride height and continually wanting to level.

In consultations with engineering types they have come up with some some interesting tidbits about rubber and polyurethane bushings and how they all interact to cause the issues. Gist of which is condition of rubber is extremely important, poly is superior to rubber and, as O_D proved earlier in this thread, durometer or hardness of the rubber and poly bushings is very important. There is also a bit on the shocks with a specific recommendation of a modern replacement and the reason why.

I am not shilling for him but since some have asked about availability of poly bushings before, Dwight mentions a poly kit for the rear that he and the engineer consultants developed that he is going to carry (or is already but I didn't see them on his website yet).

Looking into the rubber condition and maybe changing it out might go a long way to reduce some of the problems. The front bushings in poly are apparently superior to rubber but problematic in mfg to be cost effective but he does offer a rubber type.

H.

Only thing it lacked was torque specs.

I called him...sells as set..