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Packard sold the sway bar brackets as assemblies only. Not just pieces.

My brackets were destroyed by someone who used them as a towing point, and every parts car I looked at had bent brackets. They are a very weak design.

So I made my own. Basically made a solid spacer out of aluminum block stock, and drilled the holes to match the factory locations in the frame. The just used modern flush mount sway-bar bushings and brackets from Energy Suspension. Then I used grade 8 bolts that went through the new bracket, the spacer, and through the original holes in the frame. Much sturdier that the OEM design. This is covered in my project blog.

In this picture you can see the original Packard inner bracket portion. The spacer matches the width and height of that bracket, but using a solid block. I painted the spacer black to match the frame when I mounted it, and it is not really noticeable under the car.

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While the front sway bar "bearings" (what we all call bushings) were available as a service part (Gr. 13.114), I never found a published replacement procedure. Even if someone manages to press the old ones out, I don't believe the new bushings could be pressed in without ruining something.

Those big fat spot welds, one on each side, holding the two pieces of the front stabilizer bar bracket together can be popped by heating with a torch. However, you might want to first drill through them for a bolt for reassembly.

Next time I do this job on one of the other unrestored cars, I'm thinking I can get by with drilling and popping just one of the spot welds (one facing the rear, to hide the repair), and spreading the legs apart just enough to slip the bushing in/out. I'd clean up the brakcet before, but paint it after installing the new bushing. That might rule out powdercoating, but I personally don't use that, anyway.

Hope this helps.

thanks for the replies guys, i plan to use the old ones for originality reasons. i will try my best break the tack weld and the figure a way to weld it back. i think i know a friend that has a tack welder. if not i will come up with something, either the bolt or etc. idk.....so many ways ;0)

incase anyone missed the video on the last page, go back and enjoy. i am going to redo the video with more detail and less mistakes and bloopers. HAHA LOL!

i hope to get the rest of the valve body videos done today to. also, when i try to search in youtube my video doesn't come up in the search results....weird....oh well.

later

Hank

You could drill completely through only one layer of metal.

Although you will still have to apply a torch to release the spot weld, you could then reassemble, clamp it together, and plug-weld the hole.

However, you might want to scribe a line or file a notch across the edge of both pieces prior to disassembly, as a reference for reassembly.

here are the videos, finally got done converting them and uploading them to youtube. when you start to play the video you can change the resolution from 360p to 1080p full HD. I shot the video in 1080p

Hank

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got the transmission back from the cleaners today. they let it soak all weekend in their big vat of cleaner and then they put them into a pressure cleaning machine. i don't remember what it was called. but the really cool part was they did all that for free!! they ROCK!! thanks dudes at Burleson Powder Coating!

i power washed them off when i got home and that pretty much took all the left overs off. then i sat them in front of my big blower heater for the garage and that dried up all the water so it wont rust. i will take my wire brush to it later and clean up the little bits that are left.

the rims are getting sand blasted, then i will take them off to get them trued and straight, then back to be powder coated. then on to mount the bias plys and balance them.

the drive shaft is getting cleaned too, and then it will off to be balanced.

i spent a bunch at Max Merritt today for the trans rebuild. exciting, but i hate spending all that money LOL!

i hope everyone gets alot out of the videos, i plan to do more on the trans when the time comes. i think it will help alot of people since there isn't really much out there about it video wise.

later,

Hank

Hank,

While you are already into the transmission that deep, you should consider looking at some the improved parts that UltramaticDynamics.com makes. For example they have a beefier parking prawl mechanism that prevents the Ultramatic from getting stuck in park. I believe they also have a couple other improved parts for the ultras. Also their gaskets are top notch.

Thanks for the videos Hank! They are indeed very well done. Thanks for using a tripod, I hate shaky videos. If I had requests, how about tuning, timing, brakes...man the mind races...

Great videos!

You're a real inspiration for me. I'm trying to keep up my momentum by following your progress. Albeit at a fraction of your pace.

MORE DIY VIDEOS!!

Kev,

that is the place i bought the bands and the direct drive clutch from. i will talk to him about what else i can get from him that will be an improvement. ;0)

Carl,

Funny thing.....my wife took the video...without a a tripod. i'd say she is good camera worker. she was hovering over the top of me. i'll take more videos, i should have done this when i started. that would have been fun. ;0)

Keegan,

thanks dude! your doing great too!!

and now on to tonights progress. i got the transmission cleaned off with the powerwasher....in 35 degree weather....yes i am crazy and yes it was REALLY cold, cause i got all wet before i was done. it sucked! LOL!

check out the pics....now THAT is how you clean a transmission. i still have to finish up the top side, i just went over it quick as i was getting tired and running out of steam. and since the bell housing and tailshaft are aluminum, i don't have to worry about those rusting from the powerwasher bath i gave them.

i love these pics, clean clean clean ;0) i like shiny metal ;0)

later,

Hank

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