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

Howdy fellas,

Been a nice few months since I've posted, been busy getting familiar with my '54 Clipper over the past year. With car season right around the corner up here in the north, I fixed up a majority of my cosmetic and engine issues minus rust belt body rust, however I'm now in the market for a complete set of sway bar bushings. It drives fantastic but the front end rattling and tremendous amount of body roll around corners is beginning to make my boat of a '64 Pontiac feel like a Ferrari; tightening up the front end just a smidge would be fantastic.

I see Steele Rubber offers OEM replacements for a decent penny around $160 combined, though I'm curious if anyone has had luck with alternative parts. Originality is my #1 goal, though I've lurked the forum and other sources and have seen some fantastic alternative solutions and improvements. Admittedly, I am a college student on a budget, though I have access to a friend's shop and a welder-always open to cost-effective solutions. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Call Bob's Packard Parts.

Directory to your left.

I cannot suggest the best place or type of bushings but will suggest you duplicate the proper tool to replace the bushings at the ends that are under the metal clips on the A arms. The clips are hard spring steel, very brittle, and can be a real pain to get them to snap onto the arm. Because they are brittle it is also very easy to have them slip or twist and then break one of the top retaining tabs off which makes the clip useless.




Check out the article on the J-4654 tool in this service counselor You can duplicate the tool with an ordinary C clamp but without the face of the pad being shaped a bit so there is somewhat of a concave surface resting on the rounded clip it will want to slip off. A piece of scrap metal or even a couple of flat blade screwdrivers inserted in the slots will keep the tabs stationary in the slots so all the action will be at the bottom when snapping the edge over the A arm rim.

Ross has some trick with those. I'll have to ask him again as I bought a spare last year.

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Very good to know, I appreciate the tip. I was wondering how difficult it'd be to snap those clips off and on after taking a peek under the car on Sunday, wasn't aware they were so brittle. Hopefully they stick around in one piece, she's got her fair share of rustbelt's worst on her. I have so many of those clamps lying around though, might be worth taking a stab at fabricating something up.

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Thanks very much, I'll definitely be in contact soon.

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The flat portion of the clip is OK and acts like any other hardened spring steel. The part that breaks off is one or both of the small retaining tabs at the top that stick in the slots in the A arm. Those break at the sharp 90 degree bend if the clip happens to get twisted. They can also break if the tabs are suddenly forced while in the slots and slide to hit the back of the slots hard while you are trying to get the bottom retaining portion of the clip to slip under the edge of the A arm. The shim or some screwdrivers in the slots keep the tabs from moving so they stay forced to the front of the slots while the C clamp is pushing the rounded top of the clip inward and down simultaneously compressing the rubber bushing and lowering the bottom of the clip enough to snap over the A arm edge.

I didn't have much trouble.

That clip is arched. So you lift up and flatten the clip to expand it

I may have used 2 C clamps. And a big screwdriver to lift clip and pry. it may fly...

These clippers have a lot of body roll. My 53 coupe has rebuilt stock suspension and original front bar and bushings. It rolls a lot. You could add a rear sway bar like Ross has done. It is an addco sway bar I believe. Another OEM option would be to get a rear panhard bar like used on some of the senior models. I dont know how hard they are to find.
My Carib has the rear panhard bar, and feels a lot more flat than my clipper in the curves.