I have posted a couple of forum entries on the removal of the steering box on my '39 Packard Six. The sector shaft or cross shaft was the obvious problem as the side thrust bearings had disintegrated and the roller wheel was rotating on the pin! The 'play' was ridiculous. I had an excellent local machinist rebuild it and it now rotates like silk with no play. My question is: I have gone from about 14" of play in the steering wheel to about 2" and I presume the 'last 2%' can be tweaked by adjusting the shim count. Can anybody give me some guidance on what to do here? I presume I will have to have the shims machined and need to know what kind of procedure to follow to know how much to add. And that is if I am correct that you ADD shims and don't take some out!! Thanks to any who can help and for your time to respond.

I hope I am not misusing this forum to try and locate parts, but after removing and disassembling the steering box from my '39 Six, I have discovered that the cross shaft needs replacing and after trying the 'normal' Packard parts sources, I find this is not an available part. The side-thrust bearings have disintegrated and the play in the roller wheel is extreme; the obvious cause of my steering woes. Everything else in the box is fine - the worm gear, bushings bearings, spacers, etc., are all good, I just need to find a cross shaft. Does any body have, or know where I can get one??? I did press out the center pin of the cross shaft and if I could find new thrust bearings, I could reassemble it - problem is, there are no numbers on what's left of them and because they 'mate' with the roller wheel, I suspect they are non generic. Any help here would be hugely appreciated.... Thanks

I am some impressed with all of the info that people are willing to share; many thanks! In as much as this is a 2-way forum and others may be looking at it to glean info, I thought I would post a 'progress report' and add some of my findings: As far as I can tell, the steering box will not come out the bottom, through the cross member and steering linkage. I thought as I was disassembling everything that there was enough of a hole there to guide it through but now that I have it completely loose, it just doesn't fit. My only other option seems to be to free the steering column tube and back it into the vehicle cabin until it clears the shaft in the engine compartment, and then lift it out the top. That's where I am at now and will post the outcome in case anyone else is trying to do this. It is a fairly comprehensive task and were I to have a garage perform it, the bill would be quite high, so the DIY approach is economic providing one has the place to work and the tools/basic mechanical knowhow. A 77 year old vehicle sure presents some challenges with frozen nuts and bolts and fragile old parts though!!!

Thank you Howard (Forum Ambassador) - I appreciate you taking the time, especially the photo. It answered another question as when I took the steering wheel off, The little stub pin and wire clip were floating around inside the column casing and I wasn't sure where they went. That picture shows it perfectly. My biggest problem seems to be, now that I have it all disassembled, the steering box will hit the floor before it clears the column casing. Another tow bill!!!

Hi Ross, (Home Away From Home)
Thanks for the good info! The box is so bad that the steering actually locked up, luckily not while I was on the road, or it could have been a disaster. I have it on stands and have everything undone re the steering box, except the Pitman arm from the steering link (nut is off but am having trouble freeing the splined joint) and the steering column shaft. You say the two are integral and I presume to be able to get the box out with the shaft, I will have to have the car on a hoist? Is it possible to shore the front end up high enough to clear the shaft from the column tube, or am I stuck towing it back to a garage? (with the steering locked or undone, it is difficult to move it anywhere.
Thanks, Chris Goodfellow.

I have just purchased a '39 Packard Six that is in very good shape, other than the steering is atrocious. There is at least a half-steering-wheel-revolution of play. I had it in to a garage and they informed me that the steering box needs to be rebuilt or replaced and with the time gap in parts availability, they suggested I tackle the job myself. I have everything apart but cannot figure out how to disconnect the steering column shaft from the steering box. Can anybody help by walking me through the process? I also posted in the owners club, so if you see the same query there, it's mine. Really appreciate any help from someone who has fought with this. Also would like to know what the best approach is for repairing the unit once it is out. Are full rebuild kits available? Or would the box itself be too worn to make rebuilding viable? What does one look for to ascertain this?
Thanks in advance for any help.

Thanks to all who replied, furnishing all the invaluable info. I am amazed at the 'Packard infrastructure' out there and truly look forward to working on my car and rendering it as flawless and original as I can. Really appreciate your help.

Thank you so very kindly for the comprehensive reply. I can see that in comparing the numbers ranges that you provided, mine would appear sequential. One thing I am not aware of, is the anti-theft numbers. Where are they located? I presume that is what the '5' series numbers at the end are, correct?
And no, I was not aware of the font anomaly you mentioned re Packard's 1's looking like I's.... thanks for setting me straight on that.
Best regards,
Chris Goodfellow.

I just purchased a 1939 110, VIN I282-I5760, Engine B23002A. I am told it is the original engine and I know the 'B' denoted '39, but how can I tell if the numbers 'match' as I understand Packard's numbers did not match exactly, but if they were 'close' it was likely an original engine. Can anybody help me here?? Thanks for your time to read and post an answer.