What a great forum this is.

I understand more now about steering boxes, for a start. I was able to adjust my steering box (Thanks, Eric) for minimal play in the shaft, and now almost all front end noise is gone. No more banging noises on rough spots. It eliminated entirely all play in my front wheels, which had been substantial when pushing and pulling at 9 and 3 o'clock.

I re-lubricated and couldn't believe how much grease the fittings accepted. Thanks, "Owen". I see what you mean about needing it redone until it is sufficient.

The front shocks were indeed down on oil. I've refilled them. I haven't done the string thing yet, but it makes perfect sense and will do it next weekend. I'm having some surgery on my knee today and it's going to have to wait.

Overall, the car rides substantially better now. I think I'm going to replace the rear shocks when I can afford it, though. They're original.

Thanks to all. What a big improvement!

Owen,

I finally got out there and did as you suggested. I wore my 12 yr old daughter out though before we got to the steering wheel part

The major movement I see is on the shaft coming out of the steering box, to which the pitman arm is attached. There's probably 3/16" movement in the shaft in and out of the steering box, and it accounts for almost all the play and noise.




You can see the movement in this video.

I had taken the pitman arm off in the past when I dropped the suspension enough to remove my oil pan. Is it on far enough? I confess I don't know now if it should be all the way down on the splines or if it is correct as is, and maybe have a steering box problem. I should mention, if it's not already obvious from the picture, that the steering box leaks.

Jay

I installed my own headliner (pre-cut, of course, from Fry's Auto Uphostery) last year.

The very best advice anyone gave me was "Get your wife to help you." She provided the attention to detail that I needed.

Most of the work was removing the old headliner and cleaning everything up. Mouse nest, rust, etc, etc. Yuk. I wire-brushed and painted everything I took out, and glued foil-backed insulating panels up onto the sheet metal roof. The glue may let go, but the bows still hold them up quite well.

The job turned out OK. Not the best one you'll ever find, but I find it acceptable for a first timer.

I was scared to death to do it myself. Now I'm glad I did, and feel confident I could do a second much more quickly, with better quality.

Jay

I'll check tonight and see how much hydraulic fluid is in them now.

If the shocks leak, or if they don't work well, does it make any sense to fill them with something thicker like STP or something like that?

I really cannot afford to spend that kind of money with Apple. I read (at their website) what they do, and it sure looks great. I just can't do it.

When checking for front end looseness, should I also be grabbing the various rod ends and trying to move them? If so, should I do that with the front end on or off the ground?

My '49 has mushy suspension. Going over railroad tracks or moderately rough roads, the front end vibrates like a machine gun. I can look at the original, rusty shocks in the rear and understand that part of the problem. However, the elbow-style shocks in the front are another matter.

I filled them with hydraulic jack oil last year, but didn't get much improvement. I see rebuilt shocks for a couple of hundred dollars, but spending anything near like that kind of money for front shocks is out of the question right now. Maybe ever.

I don't know, of course, what the suspension should feel like. I've never ridden in a (new) or fully restored car of this type. I'm just betting the original ride was a lot different than mine.

Is this a situation others also have to deal with? Are there any lower-cost solutions?

Jay

What an extremely helpful reply. I think you've told me exactly what I need to do.

Great information about GM bushings and pins, too.

Thanks (to everyone) for all the help.

I'd like to recommend you also consider Earl Scheib. Like you, I am on a budget.

Scheib did a great job on mine, and treated me very well. The whole job was only $400.

See SCHEIB PAINTJOB on my server.

Good luck however you do it. It sure does make a difference. Plus, a paint job will make your car run faster and perform better. Seems that way, anyhow!

The lower hinge on my driver-side door has developed enough play in it that the door no longer closes "square". As a result, the strike plate (I guess that's what you call it) is getting worn from the door hitting it too low. You can hold the door with two hands and move it up and down when it is open.

I'm thinking that I need to pull the door off and put a bushing in there or something. Has anyone done this? Any pointers on doing it right?

Dave,

Regarding Olcar Bearing, I'd not have known about them had someone not told me (Dick B). I just checked our PackardInfo vendor list and Olcar doesn't show up there, either.

So I think that's the problem... how would people know? George Bachelda at Olcar will be my first choice for bearings and seals from now on, but up to now I would always think

*** EBAY
*** Kanter
*** Max Merritt

for those things.

Since you mentioned it though, I'll make a point of seeing what it takes to get Olcar listed in the Vendor List on this site.

And yes, you're so right... I'd be doing those handstands if I wouldn't tip over and hurt myself.

I've been fighting a problem with leaking pinion seals for two years. I've done the job six (yes, Virginia) times and I am really, really good at it now. I finally became convinced that the underlying problem was not the seals, or how I put them in. The problem was a bad pinion bearing that would allow the pinion shaft to not spin true, with the effect that it was constantly wearing out the new seals about as quickly as they were installed. A very good friend gave me a new differential carrier to install in place of mine. Mine was a 4.10 gear ratio, and the new one is 3.90, but that is the only difference. Fine with me! Repair of my old differential was really not an option, given the cost (a thousand dollars or more).

Last Saturday morning (June 13, 2009) I got a friend to come over to the house and we put the new differential carrier ('pumpkin', 'hogshead') into the Packard. It is a 1949 22nd Series Deluxe Eight (2262). I had already pulled one axle and done much of the prep work so we were ready to go. I needed some help though, because I've been having enough trouble with my knee and shoulder that I wanted an extra person around.

The new pinion seal was one from Kanter. Inasmuch as I had it already and didn't want to spend any more money I decided to use it. If I could have used the old companion flange (that came with the "new" carrier) I would have, but it was not the same as what my driveshaft required, so no luck there. Then I could have experimented with just leaving the original pinion seal in place.

Everything went well with the swap-out. I already had the new seal and flange mounted from their time on my bench, so we were done in about 90 minutes. Actually, I've gotten really good at putting in pinion seals, but I can't quite rise to the place of feeling proud of that.

The seal started leaking immediately. Drip - drip - drip. Well, I'd been through this enough times that I was past discouragement, but I knew what I was going to do. I ordered a new rawhide seal from George Bachleda at Olcar Bearing Co.

Note: I think the older-style rawhide seals are far superior to the newer variety. I will say frankly that the first pinion seal I tried (from Max Merritt) disassembled itself on installation. When I called about it I was told that "We make them here and there's nothing wrong with them." That was the end of that. The next seal I bought was from Kanter, and the quality was noticeably better. But they still leaked. That may have been from using the Speedi-sleeve at the same time, and not having it lined up right. I'm not entirely sure. But I do know that the sealing lip surface on the Kanter and Merritt seals is quite thin and would tolerate less movement and imperfection on the shaft surface. The rawhide seal's sealing surface is substantially wider, more flexible, and to my mind superior.

I had that new rawhide seal by Friday, so Friday night I pulled the companion flange back off and removed the Speedi-Sleeve from it. I figured that the sleeve had not done what it had been intended for, and I may in fact have driven it too far along the flange shaft. I feared that the sealing lip might be riding on (and over) the end of the sleeve causing a problem. I then took the flange and oiled the shaft up, and slowly put the seal into place on the shaft. Then I soaked the joined pair overnight in 20 WT engine oil, thinking it might settle into shape.

Success, finally! I reassembled everything on Saturday afternoon and for the first time ever nothing leaked out. Still no leaks tonight. I was really happy. I took the car for a drive (sans hood) and what a difference! It was like driving a different car. It is quiet, smooth and even seems more responsive. You'd think it had just been washed, it was running so well (that's a joke).

The old Packard is as quiet now as my Toyota or Sebring. I am absolutely thrilled. No howling from the underside (I had not realized how loud, and how accustomed to that noise I had become), and no "rocking" sensation when the rear end floats between acceleration and deceleration.

So, to sum up my experiences with my leaking pinion seal, it pretty much came down to the fact that no matter how many new and different seals I put in the car, with a bad pinion shaft bearing there was just no way that seal was going to hold. The fix was to replace the carrier (of course, I could have fixed the old one but for more $$$), and use a rawhide seal. That did it.

For those interested in replacing their "pumpkin", here are the basic steps.

1. Remove the wheels (do this first, you get more room to work)
2. Unbolt the driveshaft (4 bolts to the companion flange), and bungee it out of the way.
3. Start draining the differential.
4. Remove the big nut/washer (and cotter pin) from the axle ends.
5. Remove the brake drum. It won't come off very well if you leave the emergency brake engaged
6. Remove four bolts holding the brake plates to the axle housing. Don't lose the bolts out of the back. Keep track of the order all the parts are in, particularly the shim(s). You'll want to replace the inner and outer oil seals while you're doing this. No special tools are required, just attention to detail and reasonable care. I got my set from Kanter, with the diff seal, for about $90 with shipping.
7. Remove (and plug) the brake lines from the wheel cylinders. Yes, you have to do this.
8. Leaving the parking brake cable in place, move the brake backing plates to one side.
9. Using some (but not much required) force, pull the axles straight out. Don't let the right and left axles get switched around. Pack the bearings while they're out.
10. Remove the (eleven?) nuts from the studs holding the differential carrier to the differential housing. Don't lose the little copper rings on each stud.
11. Clean up the mating surfaces of the diff housing and carrier.
12. Install the new gasket on the housing.
13. Carefully mount the new carrier onto the housing. This thing weighs about fifty pounds, so you'll need a big stomach to rest it on (assuming you're working on your back) or if you're lucky you have a nice little jack for the purpose. I had the stomach, no jack, and a good friend.
14. Bolt the carrier up tight to the housing.
15. Since you have to refill the housing with gear oil you may want to consider doing it now. Remove the top plug (where you fill it) and set it aside. Pour the gear oil (GL-4, 140W) into the ends of the axle housing. So much easier! (I didn't do this, but only because I was all excited and forgot). When it starts coming out of the carrier fill hole you know you're done.
16. Having installed new seals (replacing the old ones), and having cleaned up everything you can with your wire brush and other tools, replace the axle shafts.
17. Rap them on the end to make sure they seat properly both inside the carrier and also the bearings into the axle housing.
18. Now just reassemble.
19. Make sure you have .004 - .007" free end play on the axle shafts when you get to that point. That's what the shims are all about.
20. When everything is back together you'll need to re-bleed those two rear cylinders and probably readjust your brakes.
21. You're done.

It would not surprise (or bother me at all) for some to add their advice to what I have written here. I truly am a novice at this sort of thing. I'm just very thankful for the help I've gotten along the way from others on this forum and other places (notably, Dick Benjamin).

(Re-edited on 6/25 to correct the spelling of Mr. Bachleda's name)