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

The primary shoe is the shorter one and should be to the front of the car. Ross talks about the springs and shoes at 5:41 on his video.

I had a 1937 120C that developed a sharp pull to the left while braking. I checked the front brake system thoroughly and found no cause for the condition. It turned out to be worn kingpins. You might want to have yours checked for wear.

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I'm assuming because it completely screws up the toe-in on that wheel during acceleration (starting or stopping), right?

A loose kingpin will affect all steering settings.

A failing front wheel bearing will cause a pulling condition as well.

The final thing I checked was the spring size. Both front and rear spring on each wheel are so close they seem to be .017 each.
The from wheel bearings are in good condition.
The king pins are solid and tight
The only thing that may cause a problem is I had a hard time centering up the brakes.
I will continue researching the problem
I will be gone over the 4th weekend but keep at it when I get back
Thanks to all that got involved.

The spring rates may be different even if they are the same size.

PGH, I don't know what was going on but I had to hold the wheel tight with both hands when braking or the car would make a sharp left turn. The brakes would grab and the tires would also squeal if I was going fast enough. The car was sold with that condition duly noted, and it was picked up by the owner of a restoration shop that the buyer contracted to fix the problem. As he roadtested it, he kept saying it had to be something in the brakes, but a few days later he called me and said the kingpins were shot. He replaced both and the condition disappeared.