Sent a PM. Thanks, Scott

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The youtube short posted by Joe has a caption that indicates his parts came from a place called LEDlights.com. A quick trip around their site shows that both lights and 6V+ flashers are available.

I'm not sure that Autozone will have what you need. You want to find something heavy duty to remove those drums from the tapered axle shafts without damage. I used an old Blue Point puller like this:




Even with the right tool it's a bear. You'll have to beat it like it owes you money. If you run into trouble (or just get tired of pounding), keep the axle nut loosely engaged on the axle threads and leave the puller under tension overnight. It will eventually let go usually with a (literal) bang.

As for the centering block in the differential: if you do the job right and service only one side at a time, you'll not need to learn anything about it. If you pull both axles simultaneously it can rotate out of position and you'll learn more about it than you probably want to know.

Lastly, just for future forum users, you might consider editing your thread title. The 1954-55 axles are similar in their use of tapered axles and shims. The 1956 axles are of a more contemporary design that share nothing in common with the older units and they do not require the service you are about to perform.

-SG

I replaced the rear seals and bearings on my '55 last spring and didn't require anything special other than a brake drum puller. Although I didn't need a slide hammer I could see how a car that has seen limited maintenance over the years could use the extra "bump."

The only special tool needed for inspection is used to determine the bearing end play. There are a number of threads on here that demonstrate how to build one of these tools at home. I chose to use a dial indicator instead. Either way, it's not much of an obstacle to overcome.

I seem to recall the manual has a pretty good explanation of this service. Just remember to only pull one axle at a time so that the centering block in the differential stays put. Also, keep track of your shims as you go if you're keeping the existing roller bearings. If you're replacing them, you'll likely be starting from scratch in regards to end play so which side they came from isn't important.

-SG

Edit: You can find forum member JWL's inspection tool in this thread.

Also, if you find yourself needing to add shims, know that making your own is relatively easy. Just ask.

Sent you a PM.

Thanks, Scott

Radio tuner light only illuminates when the radio is turned on.

I just looked at the copy of Packard's "Information on 1941 Cars" brochure in the Literature Archives and it does not indicate that there were any colors unique to the Clipper.

Your best bet is to find the production sheet that is often stuffed in between your gas tank filler tube and the vent tube. That paper build sheet should include the factory paint code. My '47 Clipper, which was in much worse shape than yours, still had its completely intact. If you can locate yours, use extreme caution removing it as the paper was jammed tight in between the two tubes. I successfully removed the very brittle sheet by gently prying the tubes apart and slipping it out. Had I tried to pull it straight out it would have disintegrated for sure.

Good luck.

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No neighborhood, in any city, could survive the level of financial and social disinvestment that the former Packard plant represents. The factory didn't fall apart because the neighborhood became dangerous. Indeed, the neighborhood suffered because of the deterioration allowed to beset the plant.

Certainly, historic preservation is an absolutely critical part of creating thriving communities and maintaining our shared cultural heritage. But when we allow our cities to become museums...little more than destinations for tourists seeking the ruins of America's industrial past...we fail in creating a livable future and succeed only in crafting an eloquent epitaph that locks future generations into a perpetual state of social and economic stagnation.

It's beyond time to tear down what remains and give the residents a chance (and a lot of real estate) to create something positive in their community.

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If you have the correct paperwork to transfer ownership in Connecticut, I would think that would be sufficient to transfer ownership in most other states. I recently purchased a car in Maryland which, if I remember correctly, requires only the current registration and a bill of sale to transfer ownership for older cars. When I brought the car home to Ohio (a state that demands a title for all vehicles) the local BMV was well versed on the requirements in force in other states and accepted the Maryland paperwork and issued an Ohio title with no questions asked. (Of course, they couldn't figure out what a Packard Clipper was...but that's a whole different issue...)

Good luck with your sale.

Thanks to all that have thus far offered both your expertise and your insights.

Since hitting something was mentioned in David's post, I'll say that while I've not run into anything with the car, I do live in northeast Ohio where finding a smooth road is often a challenge and bent suspensions are pretty common. That said, a straight edge confirmed my suspicions that the backing plates were not damaged.

Nevertheless, the thought of something being "tweaked" has stuck with me and, thinking back to Ross' suggestion to look for a twist in the shoe, I took a closer look at the pair on my car. As I mentioned earlier, I took some measurements and found that the friction material was worn no more than 1/32" at its worst spot and a visual inspection confirmed that there was no twist in the shoe frame.

However, the measurements did indicate a wear pattern from side to side along the length of the shoes was unusual. Without trying to explain my very rudimentary attempt at modelling my measurements, I came to the tentative conclusion that something was causing the friction material to wear in a twisted pattern. Taking the theory a step further, I guessed that the "twist" worn into the shoe linings might be just enough to cause them to ride in and out along the drum contact surface and scrape along the underside of the drum.

With that in mind, I returned to the shop that turned the left drum and had him turn the right drum. (Like the left drum, he found that the right drum was in good shape and needed a minimum of material removed.) I then picked up a set of NAPA TS10A shoes and put everything back together.

Although rain curtailed a lengthy test, I did get out and around the block a few times with no noises. The hand brake is still disconnected and a lengthier test drive is needed, but I feel like I'm narrowing this down to a positive outcome. If things go well, I'm going to attempt a post-mortem on all of this to help the next guy that bumps into something similar.