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

Evening all,

On my travels today I went into a pothole really hard, it slammed the bump stops against their stops and the steering wheel 'jerked' sideways with the impact.

I knew I damaged something at once because the steering felt heavier and was difficult to turn to the right while it fell easier than normal to the left.

Nothing is obviously loose, strained, or out of place, but someting has changed, any thoughts on what has happened and the solution to the problem.

I presume 'potholes' is a World wide name for potholes!

PS;
Around here they say its not going into the pothole that is the problem, its who you meet thats coming out of it that is the problem!

Slan,

Pat.

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Baby has grabbed the wrong seat. That is where you put the mothers-in-law, riders that stiff you---or anyone that wants to back seat drive.

Anybody................?

Have you checked for a bent tie-rod or anything like that?

Jack up the front of the car to take all the weight off the front end and the check all the suspension and steering for anything loose, bent, or binding.

I would say an alignment shop should be your first stop.

Ditto Kev's comments, but also check for a broken spring leaf; if not the main leaf often the next one down.

Must have been one helluva pothole! Our roads here in the NorthEast US are just terrible after a tough winter, and I must have clobbered quite a few myself a few weeks ago on an 80 mile jaunt. But fortunately, no consequences, no shimmy, just jarred my brains and spine.

You might also want to check your wheel spokes.

You might also want to check your wheel spokes.

Terrific observation and recommendation, Tom!!

Years back while tooling along in the 34 after a violet pothole I had a violent shimmy, thought a tire was flat. Got out and looked, tire was OK and continued along a few hundred more yards. Got out to look again and noticed the hubcap was no longer in the center of wheel! Once the 2nd or 3rd spoke snapped (at the hub), I presumed the rest began to fail in rapid succession as there were no longer enough to distribute the load over. I had completely forgotten about this incident, though I still have the wheel, or should I say the remains of the wheel.