Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Hi everyone,

Well, after the unseasonable warm Chicago winter, I finally opened the garage and got back to stripping down the rest of the front frame, steering and suspension to be prepared for paint. I pulled the center link (or is it a drag link?) and tie rods to prepare for paint. The tie rods are shot, so they will be replaced. Is there a service/rebuild that should be done on the center link where "inner tie rods" would be? I know that there are not inner ties, but I'm not sure how those pivot/rotations get serviced..

...and last question... both of those shafts are bent. ...and both shafts don't appear to be bent equally. Is that correct? I have included a picture.

Thanks,

Mark

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if the ball end are not warren it is a take apart and clean. the right outer link looks bent,it doer have a slight bend but yours looks excessive. dell

Sometime in the past someone bent them to set the toe-in?

(o{}o)

I didn't look closely... But how does that come off of the center link??? Is there a cap on there that needs to come off that covers the bolt? Is that part considered an "inner tie rod"? I don't see one listed on a vendor's site. I assume that I will need to hunt down a straighter replacement off of a junker?

Thanks,

Mark

It sure does look bent. According to the parts manual both sides use the same piece and are almost straight. It comes apart by removing the screw plug at the ends of tube and then removing the individual cups and associated parts retaining both the idler lever and the bar assy. If the threaded plug is tight then it may need a drag link socket to unscrew.

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take the cotter key out of the ends and unscrew the plugs, it all comes apart. just lay out parts as you take apart and take a picture or draw a map. it not to hard and i think the parts book has a blow up. it should not be hard to find a replacement end. dell ps looks like howard posted the picture for you