Steering: Adding Power Steering to a 1958 Packard Hardtop ??

[go-studebaker]

Hi Guys,
I have a 1958 Packard Hardtop with manual steering and I have the possibility to add power steering from a 1958 sedan.

Have any of you done this operation before and have any advice on what to look out for??

The power steering type is Saginaw, on the steering box.

Besides the obvious things, is there any difference in the steering wheel spline set ?

My Hardtop is a nice car, but would be a lot better without the Armstrong Power Steering it has on it currently.

Thanks
Greg Diffen

[clarkwd]

I did this to my 56 wagon. You'll need the Saginaw frame bracket that goes with the sedan and the steering column assembly that goes with a Saginaw box. Good luck finding the steering column to firewall seal.

[JoeHall]

I have done this same swap in several 56Js, ASSuming both cars have same transmission (FOM or standard), it should be 100 percent doable, all parts should be swappable, with no alteration whatsoever. Only possible glitch may be different steering column lengths, but the parts specifies the length of each, and it's likely same. Be sure to include the mount bolts and spacer with the PS gear box. While the PS gearbox is on the ground, replace the side gasket, and [it-arm seal. There's a common, modern seal available for the goofy factory seal; it's easy to install, and you can look it up here in the archives (I am too lazy).

With the swap, I'd also replace the column rubber boot seal, on the inner firewall, if needed. Also, completely disassemble, clean and lube the column while it is out (don't just paint the outside to make it look purdy). The result will be that is shifts much easier. Also, if the shift lever pivot pin hole is wallowed out, replace it with a later style that has a lot more 'meat' around that pin. For the horn ground ring, clean it up and lightly sand, and use a scrub pad to remove any brass residue from the rubber washers. If possible, replace those rubber washers new.

The result will be lock to lock steering, with palm heel, even sitting still, at idle and with radial tires. The Saginaw PS is far superior to Bendix, in every way you can measure. Going to the Bendix system was obviously a cost cutting measure by Studebaker. IMHO

[go-studebaker]

Hi guys,
thanks for the tips. Yep the firewall seal will be great to find and replace...... I think I will have to invent something there as any NOS one will be as hard as a rock anyway and wont last very long.

I was looking at it today and pulled the steering wheel in the sedan off to check it with a 58 Packard Wagon that I also have the steering box out of.

They are the same, but with a difference with the brass plate that is for the horn electrics. My Packard wagon has the bend valve and is a transition unit so all the hoses are different to the 1959 to 1966 cars.

I've had the Saginaw PS on a Packard Hawk I owned in my mid 20's that I drove the living daylights out of when I was living in Toronto in the early 1990's so I am familiar with how nice the feel is with that type of system.

Regards
Greg

[6hk71400]

Greg,

My hat is off to you. You have covered all the 1958 Packard Models in owning some of the lowest production number cars in 1958. As you know total 1958 Packard Station Wagons was 159. Last one I saw was on the streets of Phoenix driving around 1975. You probably have the only one in the UK. Sedans were a whopping 1,200 made, the hardtop 675, and off course the Packard Hawk was 588. You could probably write a great article on all the 1958 Packard vehicles.

When you can, post some pictures on your progress and some pictures of your cars, past and present.

Bob Miles
Great looking 1958 Packard Hardtop

[go-studebaker]

Hi Bob,
I drove that Packard Hawk (aka The Chick Magnet) 31k miles in just over a year when I was 27 in 1991/1992 and ended up selling it in LA and bringing a 63 R2 Avanti back that my wife now owns. I was on, what turned out to be a 3.5 year Walkabout tour of North America, living in Toronto, as we Australians tend to do. That Californian car was driven by just about every nation on the planet as many times I was too drunk to drive.
I've never had so much fun in a car as I had in that one. But that's what you're supposed to do when you are young.
Owning another Packard Hawk has always been on the radar, but not really high on the priority list, as I can never replace the fun times I had in that car in what is now a closed chapter in my life.

There are at least two Hardtops here in the UK. The other one was in Scotland and a low milage example, but it has disappeared for now.

I'm not sure on Packard Hawks here in the UK, but think there are at least 4 or 5. One was the Queen of Greece's car.

No idea on the sedans or the wagons.
I really did not need another car as I have 15 other Studebakers and Packards from 1933 to 1988, but a friend of mine told me about a Packard coming up for sale. I could not believe it was a wagon. So I just had to have it. Both the sedan and wagon came out of Kuwait. Both these restored (if you could call it that) State side. The guy who did the Packard wagon must have lost a lot of bolts and minor detail parts, so the sedan is helping with trying to get it back together correctly and pointing me in the right direction as a guide.

On Saturday I finally had the Sedan out of the garage for a quick test drive around the farm after some light re commissioning.

The wagon is taking a lot more time as the front end and steering box is out of it as it had a grumbly bearing. I bought a NOS column to fix that problem and am just waiting on the seals and bushings before I can get that back together.
The restorer installed new springs in the wagon, but did not replace the warn outer pins. So it has new A arm bushes and pins in it now, but not installed in the car.

Regards
Greg

Mike Myer, Bob Bax, Gus Rhunke, Drew and I decided over a few beers to make some choice modification to my Packard Hawk and enter it for judging in the 1991 National meet in Springfield Missouri. A Packard Hawk, definitely had it coming.

Abuse of a Packard Hawk continued in Toronto on a bridge deck trying to cure concrete in a test pit we had created to check re bar continuity. The quick set concrete was not setting at 0 degrees, so I had the bright idea of using heat from the exhaust to do it. The PH was the only car with the right sized tail pipe to do it. So we could get of the 401 on time.

Last picture just says it all.

[skyway]

Greg,
Did I give you that first photo & is the right side cropped? Here’s a screen shot of my original.
Gary K

[go-studebaker]

Hi Gary,
it was probably you. I thought it came from Matt Burnett on a different forum.
Regards
Greg

[RadioRoy]

I remember seeing the chick magnet at an international meet some years ago. You guys were having a lot of fun!

[skyway]

Greg,
?Dunno if I’ve shared or posted mine before or not? That “catfish” was & still is a great look!
Gary