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How hard is it to find front shocks and other suspension parts? I think i should replace the front shocks because during my first drive noticed the it seemed as if I was on a boat in choppy water on the country road’s especially in cornering. Not sure if this is normal as I haven’t a clue what normal is!😂
Also figured out how the overdrive works, and that clutch button on the dash, and what it’s for.
Do the brakes use self adjusters then in ‘49? Noticed I have the left rear brakes lock up before the others causing an unexpected veering condition to the left.
Any advice on when and how to pack wheel bearings?

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A bad ride or difficult steering isn't normal.

Worn or dry shocks usually show up as excess bounce and body roll, and overall ride and handling will be degraded on rougher roads, especially washboards.

Greasing the car may improve ride.

Any loose or worn suspension parts, front or rear, including any and all rubber parts, will negatively affect ride and handling, as will weak springs and incorrect wheel alignment.

The type, size, condition, and inflation pressure of the tires will have a marked effect on ride and handling.

Squeaks and rattles will make any car seem to ride worse. Find them and fix them.

Some steering parts can be adjusted to improve their function and offset any wear.

My 37 would do that boat in choppy water action on the front every time I hit a bump or bounced the front bumper. I added jack oil to the front absorbers and it greatly improved all that dipping and diving from the front. It took about 1/3 of a bottle between the two front absorbers so they must have been pretty low. I'm almost certain that I got the inspiration for doing that from this site so there may well be a thread out there about that.

This vendor may also be of some help to you.https://www.applehydraulicsonline.com/collections/packard

Ok will check it out, good place to start.

Once in my 1940 Packard when going on a ramp at speed from one highway to another, the right front tire hit the edge of a storm drain where the tire bounced like a basketball! Never drove it again until the shocks were replaced with rebuilt ones and what a difference even on smooth roads.

'49 - no self adjusters or 'shocks' per se. They use lever arms aka dash pots. Might be dry or otherwise impaired, worn parts.
Springs might be a bit soft/set after all these years if sat long time.
Don't expect it to drive like a GT Ferrari, they don't call them "bath tubs" for nuttin but shouldn't make you sea sick either.

Ok gotcha but also heard that you can replace the oil in shocks, if the are empty then they do nothing, but if you fill them with hydraulic oil, they will work more properly. Anybody???🤔🧐

The fill instruction and fluid question is answered at the post you added to the 41 shock absorber thread.

The shocks are double acting with a piston that forces oil thru calibrated metering valves for up or down motion so yes, they do need to be full of oil. In the day the valves could be changed out for some with a different calibration to more or less customize the ride for a stiffer or softer response than the combination chosen by the factory. Today you mostly get yours rebuilt or if you get rebuilts via exchange, get the shocks that are available from the rebuilder and just be happy there is something.

Lever shocks will usually work if you refill them with shock oil, but they will probably leak. The solution is to exchange them for rebuilt units. If they have been dry for a long time, they may not work at all even when refilled. The solution is exchange. Soft sprung cars are not safe to drive with bad shocks, and the ride and handling will be very poor.

I agree.