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Board index » All Posts (DavidPackard)




Re: What's the best reproduction chrome wire wheel to buy for a 50's Packard?
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DavidPackard
I have two sets of wires on my Packards that were bought from Coker. Vintiques might be a division of Coker, they are in the same building in California. I only have experience using these wheels in Arizona, and they have not had any degradation of the chrome in 7 + years, and no wobble or run-out issues. I understand the issue of corrosion in cold weather climates having a set of chrome OEM wheels on a pick-up truck that degraded in maybe 2-3 years. I’ve also had motorcycles with chrome rims and those wheels did not degrade. If you drive on roads that have been treated with salt let the buyer beware when buying chrome rims/wheels.

dp

Posted on: 2021/4/26 16:49
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Re: KPack
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DavidPackard
Kevin:

I went off looking for artwork in Packard shop manuals. The only thing I could come-up with is Figure 20 in the ’48 shop manual, section 6 (attached). I also started looking at rear brake photos of other cars I own. Seem the 51 years later (1999 Suburban) the e-brake lever is still mounted behind the shoe.

I think you’ve found the reason that the shoes would not retract to the correct diameter. I know I always try to put things back the way I found them, but your experience highlights the hazard that the person before us may not have been so motivated.

dp

Attach file:


pdf Section6_Chassis Brakes Exhaust.pdf Size: 3,039.70 KB; Hits: 114

Posted on: 2021/4/22 14:25
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Re: 1939 Packard six convertible coupe—Dovetail for driver door
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DavidPackard
The following link will take you to a parts vendor that specializes in Ford/Mercury parts, and their selection covers several decades spanning the year of your Packard. If the comment about Ford parts is accurate you may find something that works.

Sacramento Vintage Ford

If the link doesn’t work the URL ishttps://www.vintageford.com/sect_main.cfm?Line=main

dp

Posted on: 2021/4/20 18:18
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Re: 1956 Packard 400 Wire Wheels
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DavidPackard
Andrew M

This afternoon I measured the diameter of the center hole in my wire wheels at 3 1/2 inch. I also measured the outer diameter of a front wheel hub at 3.450 inch. Since my Vernier wouldn’t fit in the wheel I made both measurements with calipers, and then measured those on the bench with the Vernier. After trying that a few times I’m pretty confident in the accuracy of the values, but once the wheel was re-installed I couldn’t resist trying a feeler gauge between the wheel and hub. I was able to slide, with some force a 0.024 inch gauge into the gap, confirming at least the difference quoted is pretty close.

The only remaining question is the diameter of a hub on your car.

dp

Posted on: 2021/4/17 19:56
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Re: KPack's 1954 Panama
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DavidPackard
Kevin;

Since the dual master cylinder design was introduced well after Packard had ceased production there would not be a warning light in your car. It looks like the folks that installed the dual master cylinder ‘grabbed’ the distribution block as a matter of plumbing convenience. One of the tenets in my profession would be that latent failures must be detectable by the person operating the equipment, especially if redundancy is used to improve the reliability of the product. The dual master cylinder was introduced to add redundancy, and hence reliability in the braking system, but if the average driver could not detect that half of the braking system had failed the accident/death rate would not be reduced to the extent possible. Enter a bright red light on the dash to help the average driver. Now we use lights and fault codes . . . not so much back then, just lights. Speaking of lights, where is the brake light switch mounted?

If you asked 10 Packard owners whether converting back to a BTV was a good idea, I’m sure you would have 20 or 30 opinions on the subject. Normally when a dual master cylinder is installed there are issues in mounting and pedal linkage geometry. Your MC looks like it is mounted considerably ‘higher’ than the OEM location. May I assume the pedal geometry has changed, and if so one of the variables in your decision is whether that change was accomplished in a professional manner? If the pedal linkage looks ‘bullet proof’, and the car has adequate braking performance after you get it back on the road, then I’ll be glad to add my 2 or 3 opinions on the subject.

dp

Posted on: 2021/4/14 13:21
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Re: KPack's 1954 Panama
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DavidPackard
This is an off the wall comment/question about the total shoe diameter.

What if the Packard ‘star wheel’ adjuster is too long for the shoes that you are using? I’m not saying the adjuster is too long, but the shoe itself has too much material in that area. We know the thickness of the shoe’s web was too thick for the stock Packard adjuster, and you took care of that be thinning the web. If there was also too much material facing toward the adjuster, then the net result is a shoe diameter that will not fit into the drum. In that location of the shoe we need about 1/8 inch ‘more adjustment, that’s about 1/16 inch on each shoe, but 1/8 on each shoe would allow a bit of extra slack.

On to the photograph of the master cylinder plumbing entering and exiting the distribution block. I think that’s all it is, a distribution block with a ‘brake system malfunction’ switch. If either side fails a piston under the switch shuttles to one side and a dash light comes on. I think the geometry is such it will not automatically reset, but others may fill-in details. If the light is hooked-up it makes bleeding the brakes a pain.

dp

Posted on: 2021/4/14 1:07
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Re: 1956 Packard 400 Wire Wheels
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DavidPackard
Andrew M

My experience with these wires is not exactly in-line with Ross’s comment, but then again garages in Phoenix are not noted for their excessive humidity. I wash the wheels, off the car, about once a year when I do the whitewalls . . . otherwise they are wiped with a moist microfiber cloth. I have not waxed the wheels, but I suspect an annual coat would help in corrosion protection in other climates.

I put a set of wires on both my ’54 and ’48, while I was buying new tires. The whole mess came from Coker, but before you point-out that’s not the same as Vintiques consider the following. Coker ships to Arizona from a California location. When you type the address of Vintiques into Google Maps the building is marked as Coker Tire. On Google Maps street view the building has many ‘Coker Tire’ signs, and ‘Coker Tire’ 18 wheelers outside, but nothing identifying ‘Vintiques’. By the way the name ‘Vintiques’ is not featured on the Coker website, but there is a statement that the wires are made in the USA . . . and the ‘Vintiques’ website states the wheels are made in City of Industry, CA. There is no claim as to the location where the chrome plating is done . . . my bet is 120 miles down the road. They do point-out that its triple chrome plating like there is a different, and lesser, process for chrome plating.

All of those things taken together my bet is ‘Vintiques’ is a subsidiary of Coker . . . in fact the Wikipedia article about Coker Tire states that there are six companies in the Coker Group, but does not specifically state the six company names.

I was told that the wheels are basically tubeless, but may need tubes after 5 years (leakage at the nipples). The ’54 wheels are 7 years old and have not begun that process as yet.

I know from my chrome plated wire wheel experience on motorcycles the chrome flakes off the spokes in very short order. When stainless spokes became available the problem pretty much went away. The ‘Vintique’ wires have stainless spokes and nipples.

If you need the diameter of the center hole I’ll measure it this weekend, but perhaps knowing the wheels fit a ’48 Deluxe, and a ’54 Cavalier the fitment on a ’56 could be inferred.

dp

Posted on: 2021/4/13 18:50
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Re: KPack's 1954 Panama
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DavidPackard
Kevin;

If I remember correctly there were two designs in the routing of brake lines for dual master cylinders. One is the fore/aft plumbing, and the other is diagonal. I believe they were considered equally acceptable. If the replacement master cylinder does not have a residual pressure check valve then that part is frequently mounted externally. A system with 4 drum brakes would not need a proportioning valve. Now if that valve you have is really a residual pressure check valve then it is plumbed to service all locations that have drums, not disks . . . in your case with all drums there is no need of a proportioning valve, but there should be a residual pressure check valve. Remember that may already exist inside the master cylinder. Do you know what master cylinder you have . . . meaning original application?

dp

Posted on: 2021/4/13 14:23
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Re: KPack's 1954 Panama
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DavidPackard
Kevin can you describe what ‘warped’ means? Perhaps the NAPA technician that observed the drum/hub on the lathe could be helpful. Now that you’re all ‘buttoned-up’ with respect to the bearings, you could mount the drum/hub, and spin the drum to assess the radial/axial ‘run-out’ if it exists.

I think for at least in the short term you will be reinstalling what you have and get the car back home. The question then becomes which set of shoes should be installed while you hunt for a replacement drum/hub. Also just because you know that at some point in time that side will be disassembled do not skimp on the guidance pertaining to proper torqueing of the axle nut.

I can’t believe there isn’t a new drum part number out there that after some machining could be riveted/bolted to the Packard hub.

dp

Posted on: 2021/4/12 13:22
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Re: KPack's 1954 Panama
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DavidPackard
Kevin;

You can cross the passenger’s side seal lubrication issue after you have an idea of the bearing clearance. As long as you didn’t wash the gear oil off of the axle then I would think you’re OK . . . some amount will get there in very short order.

dp

Posted on: 2021/4/9 17:34
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