Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

A friend wants to install this snubber on his 36 120 business coupe. Are there any tricks to installing? Is it better to be slightly in compression or tension, or neutral when everything is at rest?
Thanks all!

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Check out articles on clutch chatter in junior cars in two service letters on the snubbers. That style snubber was a replacement of an earlier version and first mentioned in 13 #1packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/SC/SL-VOL13NO1.pdf and a follow up with more suggestions on adjusting and motor mounts etc was in 13 #14packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/SC/SL-VOL13NO14.pdf

Hi all and happy bunny day

HH56

could i add this kinda snubber or something like to my 37 115 ... I have a ton of clutch chatter ..

Thanks
David

I am not much help with info on the prewar cars but if I recall other service articles the snubber was retrofittable to those cars that needed it including senior models. That adjustable style lasted thru 42 and maybe on some models thru 47. It was replaced by a simplified version consisting of a straight rod with a couple of rubber bushings at each end which became standard on most models thru the 23rd series.

I think to add it to a car that did not have one originally you would need to find all the pieces. In addition to the snubber as shown in the photo there is a cross member and bracket. Perhaps flackmaster could help with that or provide the definitive answer as to if it could easily be done on your car and what else would be needed.

You might also select the service index from the left menu and check out all the service bulletins and articles on clutch chatter since there were other things that can cause it.

Just to add emphasis to Howard's last sentence, if you have "a ton" of clutch chatter, you've got underlying problems to solve before you think about a snubber which was never intended as a curative for major issues.

Start by checking the condition of your motor mounts and the clutch itself.

My 115C had one of those "chatter bars" as did the 21st Custom. The Custom had the simpler one Howard described. The rubber bushings on it had gone bad. I replaced them and the difference in shifting and backing up was most noticeable. They are not complicated devices and one with a little mechanical skill and some threaded rod, bracket material and rubber bushings could easily fabricate one. I did this on a 47 Ford I had in high school. The V8 Fords of that era were notorious for clutch chatter when reversing. The shop made bars (one for each side as opposed to a single one for Packards) solved the problem.

Hey David,

Not sure if you caught any of my posts on this subject last year, but as Howard points out, there are numerous other causes for clutch chatter. The Flackmaster is an authority on the different iterations of the device and can help you with replacement or rebuilding your unit should it need it. But I do think it was he, that said half the cars out there don't have them and they drive fine. With my car, I had the engine out for rebuild and thought I would get the clutch disc resintered while I had it disassembled. I took it to a proper brake and clutch house and they put new friction rings on it for me. The pressure plate looked fine so I just put everything back together. New engine ran great, newly rebuilt trans shifted fine, but I had terrible clutch chatter. I DID try adjusting the subject snubber to no avail and eventually took it all apart again and put in an exchange clutch from Kanter. After that, it was smooth as silk. In my case it had everything to do with the material they had used for the clutch discs and they were obviously grabbing too aggressively. Chris.

37 138CD. No snubber here... a place for one.... but none. Runs perfect without it. Clutch and flywheel all rebuilt.

that is a 1939 snubber. It is not appropriate for your 36. Steele reproduces the correct snubber for your 36 at a reasonable cost. You can look in their online catalog and see it...its very simple. Or you can fabricate something using about anything under the workbench. The function of the snubber is nothing more than a fore and aft additional vibration absorber. If you have that much vibration, i.e. chatter, I would agree with others that you may have more of a disc/pressure plate issue than a "normal" amount of chatter. The clutch on your car is simple in design and repair...might be time to look further than a snubber.

Thanks all,
I'll relay to Gero. Hmm, I see the "simple" snubber at steele for much much less than what Gero paid for his adjustable snubber. Honestly, I don't know if he has clutch chatter or not, or becasue of what vibrations he wants to install the snubber.

This got me thinking about my 53 clipper. When driving of "normally" or gently, my clutch is fine. If I do drive of agressivly I will get some clutch chatter. My rear leaf springs are rebuilt, and my transmission mount is new, but my motormounts are kind of old a crusty (but still intact).
It sounds like replacing the motor mounts would help smooth things out.
-Mike