edinmass
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Posts posted by edinmass
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Having the car set up to return the wheel is generally what I try and do on the mid 30's and later cars............makes driving the "Big Iron" much more user friendly if one is taught to take advantage of the wheel return. Having set up our late series V-16 to 1 1/2 degrees it returns well. You can get death wobble from too much positive castor, espicially on the solid axel cars. To be honest....I usually experiment a bit when doing our collection cars.....but time isn't an issue and I will often spend a few days playing around with them to get the best driving experience I can find. On your Packard:
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UNDERSTANDING STEERING WHEEL RETURNABILITY
To get an idea of how the steering wheel returns to the centre while driving, we have to understand the contact patch area of the wheels and the pivot point.
Patch area is basically the area of the wheel in contact with the road. The area is the only link between road and wheel. The pivot point is the meeting point of the steering axis with the road.
This is where the physics of caster angle comes into play. Without the caster angle, the contact patch area will be aligned with the pivot point. When the steering axis is at a caster angle, depending on the positive or negative caster angle, the pivot point will be away from the pivot point.
The positive caster refers to the angle with the steering axis tilted towards the driver. When you tilt the axis away from the driver, it is referred to as a negative caster.
The physics of the caster angle plays an important role in determining the steering wheel returnability
With an understanding of contact patch area and pivot point with respect to caster angle, we can now take a look at the exertion of different forces leading to the returnability of steering wheels.
IMPACT OF FORCES ON CASTER ANGLE
When you rotate the steering wheel on a turn, it generates reactive forces at the wheel. These frictional forces at the wheel contact patch area provide the centripetal force required to make the turn or a circular motion. At a positive caster angle, the patch area is behind the pivot point. When we release the steering wheel, a restoring torque helps align the wheel automatically.
To understand better, consider the zero caster angle where the pivot point aligns with the patch area. Since the centripetal force is acting on the pivot point, there won’t be any restoring torque and your steering wheel will not return automatically.
CASTER ANGLE IN WHEEL ALIGNMENT
During the wheel alignment of a vehicle, a positive caster angle allows the steering wheel to self-centre and increases the directional stability of the vehicle. On average a caster angle can vary between 2 to 8 degrees, depending on the manufacturer requirement.
For wheel alignment, adjustments might be needed for camber and toe angle as well
Apart from the caster angle, when we talk about steering wheel alignment, adjustments might be needed for camber and toe angle as well.
Camber angle is usually visible from the front of the car and impacts the cornering performance by adjusting friction and traction of wheels. The toe angle impacts the sensitivity of the steering wheel for safety concerns.
You don’t have to dwell much on the science behind the caster angle. All you need to understand is that the steering wheel does not return to the centre through external means but just due to a difference in angle. This results due to the manipulating reactive forces on the wheels. Also, find out all the signs of a failing steering system to take timely action.
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Johan.........you are correct on the air silencer and to be honest, it's probably a faulty memory causing my incorrect information. The carburetor covers had a slot cut out on them in 31, I think 30 did not s memory serves me.(Cover missing in photo.) Also the mixture knob on 31 is solid, and the 29-30 were dished out from memory. The compression numbers are absolutely asinine....as the difference is so slight it's ridiculous. Taking into consideration the very poor carburetor design..........0.10 difference on the heads is a zero starter.........hell, head gasket thickness and surfacing the blocks and heads would be more productive. And the pre heat chamber for the intake was a very bad idea also. Early Cadillacs while nice cars are very tempermental to set up and make drive correctly. Most hobbyists today are not up for the challenge. I put 200 miles on our V-16 three weeks ago in an afternoon. They drive well, when set up correctly. Personally I find the 8's too under powered for my taste today........and will no longer own them. Even the 12 is a bit doggy. I probably have 50k miles on 1931 V-8 Caddy's over the years............
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1 hour ago, zepher said:
Yup, but I didn't want to put your name out there.
Thought I'd let you claim it on your own.
Guilty as charged! I learned that from one of my car mentors from Maine.........credit goes to Mr. John Lee........a true car guy.
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A bit long in the tooth to be a driver and left as is.........and the price is steep, even for a very rare Buick coupe. Looks like a small series car.
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Rivke....did you buy the 41 that was for sale at the lawn mower shop last year in town? It was a coupe.
Yonkers has had many streets removed and renamed, just last week I was researching an address for a company there in the 20's and 30's. The book was assembled decades before on line information became accessible and it literally was the Bible of car history for decades, and still is. Entire new companies have come to light with local historians posting the details that would have been impossible to find source material anywhere else at the time. Knowing both the authors of the book, I can assure you they were the best automotive historians IN THE WORLD AT THE TIME IT WAS WRITTEN. I have published articles with Bev Kimes back in the 80's and 90's. Her knowledge of the automobile we second to NONE.
PS- Im from Ludlow......
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The car has a torque tube drive line.......which means you need to pull the rear springs and rear end out or back to get the clutch out of the car. It's not a big deal. Just nuts and bolts. It is more work than a drive shaft set up. The Buick is fairly light weight and simple compared to many other cars. If you need a clutch disk or pressure plate rebuilt there is a company called Fort Wayne Clutch........best in the business for getting any clutch done.
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On 4/30/2024 at 11:57 PM, zepher said:
Overheard at a Pierce Arrow Society meet - Whenever my wife asks me, 'How many cars do you really need, I always reply - Just one more'.
That was me saying........Just one more!
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LOOK AT THE WHEEL WEIGHTS ON THE RIMS..........tells you EVERYTHING you need to know.
We won't comment on the hood and body fit...........
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Poorly made front end bushings are a huge problem today. Many people have stuff made and have no clue what they are doing. I just did a Caddy front end that when the bushings didn't fit correctly, the SHOP replaced them with cut up heater hose, and gave it to the customer. That is the state of the world today. I find almost no shop that services modern cars had people who are qualified to do an actual alignment. Most .........set the toe and go.........A proper alignment on a 39 12 would take many hours..........and almost no one wants to pay a shop rate of 150-300 per hour to have a truly correct alignment. Making shims and adjustments could easily take 6-12 hours of time. Also, spring sag, ride height, air pressure, worn parts, and loading the seats with weight are all part of properly aligning the car. As to how you set it up, I don't use specifications from back in the day........I set them up like modern trucks from the 60's. I would also be suspect of the equipment you are using. I don't like the magnetic units most people use........I work off the rims..........Ed
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Unattractive body, poor restoration, and a RHD Gemmer steering box............run, don't walk.
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9 hours ago, sagefinds said:
I read one time what that HC stood for,some think it's High Compression but I'm pretty sure it's something else,anyone know for sure?
Correct.......but it was not "high compression" it's just a marketing tool.
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A 1930 V-8 Series 353 didn’t use the fake covers. And the 1932 V-8 Series 355B didn’t either. There are a bunch of other things…….but the cover is most obvious. I have owned more than a dozen 1931 Caddy Series 355A cars over the years.
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Give up all my secrets? 🤔
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Great car……too bad about the color.
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It’s absolutely a 1931 Cadillac Series 355A engine, produced from September 1930 to March 15 1931………..give me the serial number, and I can give you the day it was assembled.
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A printed gear will fail………
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Hi……pm me with your phone number……..Ed
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Bloo- I agree that I don’t like all that resistance and heat in the circuit on a car this early. Ultimately using three Optima 6 V batteries is really no different than the original set up and just grabbing a tap off of it to run six or 12 V really isn’t a big deal. Keeping everything hidden as well as done in a safe and workmen and like manner is the biggest issue. For my particular car I did what I thought was best with 11,000 miles and it being totally original except for the tires and hoses I didn’t really wanna make any changes to the car. It has the original 1917 valve gaskets on it. The definition of original. Ed
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Well…….I would guess it’s more than ten percent under low estimate. Apparently no interest in it at that venue. Crazy how one venue is hot, and another isn’t. It’s rare for ANY Stutz to sell below market numbers.
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Pfitz - great explanation of the brake system and how to get correct contact and function……two thumbs up for someone who actually knows what they are doing! 👍👍
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ABear....I think your response was fine and spot on....no need to qualify it. I would install three 6 volt optima batteries, and pull 12 volts off the set up so I could install better bulbs than 6 volt. My 17 White is 12 volt from the factory, so I converted to 12 volt halogen bulbs in the front and led bulbs in the rear........BUT my conversion left the factory lights alone......I made a quick attachment light bar in the front and tail lights in the rear so they come on and off with only one bolt. The lights plug into a custom harness that hooks to the battery and completely eliminates any alterations to my 100 percent original car. Only drawback to my system is the light switch is under the car next to the battery shut off......no big deal as I only drive at night with the added lights here in Florida at night when its too hot in the summers. Best, Ed
Photo shows the quick attach headlights.......of a 1920 Chevy.
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They were sim cad or nickle brush finish on MOST cars......not all.
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Help on Packard Twelve alignment issue
in General Discussion
Posted
I would set Castor at 1 degree positive, and see if you get a wobble. The instructions say to "keep the V-12 tight to the specs." But with todays roads, pitch, and speeds, playing around with it is worth the effort. I would go 1/8 toe in as well. Be sure all air pressures are at 45 in front, 40 in rear. Check your ride heights..........