1949 Cadillac series 62 sedan real axle alignment question

[carguyblack]

I am asking this on behalf of a friend of mine who restored his 1949 Cadillac sedan. His car chassis fit well over his frame after the body-off restoration but his rear axle is moved way over to the passenger side, so much so that he can't put the fender skirt on that side and even experiences some tire rubbing. He has been told that what he thought was a stabilizer bar connected to the rear axle  is actually some sort of rear adjuster. He can find nothing about adjustment of this in his service manual and can't figure out how to pull the entire axle back over to the driver side to split the difference. Like I said, the body itself appears to be centered. He had messed with this stabilizer a bit but wasn't able to pull it off when he did his frame cleanup so he just tightened it up.
Apparently, he upset something when he tampered with this but doesn't know how to undo the problem. Before the restoration, the axle was just fine.
Can anyone help him out with this predicament?

[Richardonly]

This is on a 1948 Fleetwood.

If this is the bar you are writing about, although I have NOT had to do this, but have moved it with no problem DUE to a bend in it and its rubbing against the rear end housing, as can be seen. At this time, I loosen it, rotated it and retightened the bolt.  No problem.

I would suggest lifting the car by the frame.  (BOTH sides in the air, off the ground.)  NOT the rear axle, thus giving it the ability to move from side to side.  I would believe extending the length of the bar, by moving the nuts on the threads should push it to the driver's side.

This is all I can offer and this has to be the adjusting bar as the U bolts can only go in one way. Right?

Richard

[carguyblack]

This all makes sense to me and I'll forward this to my friend. Thanks so much for your input! It has to be what's going on with his car.
I'll keep you posted as to how he progresses. Much appreciation.
Chuck

[Richardonly]

Chuck,

Good luck to your friend and you're welcome.  It HAS to work.  It couldn't grow.  Someone else had a problem like this a short time back, but it was on both sides.  That one didn't even seem possible unless someone switched rear axles on him.

Richard

[Jeff Maltby 4194]

Richard. I'd say you have a serious problem with your bar, as it shouldn't be anywhere near the housing, less above the carrier housing, as yours looks severely bent in the picture.

Chuck. Are you sure your buddy located the rear end housing properly in the spring perch locator pins, one on top of each spring before tightening down the bottom u bolt pad nuts ?

The pan bar is to be tightened with a full tank of gas per the shop manual, a page I'm looking for, which I assume means the car must be on the ground ?

I'd highly recommend this very rare 1949 200 page manufacturing spec book that Jay made copies of to sell, a must have for every 49 owner.

[Steve Passmore]

I agree with Jeff, that's a severely bent stabilizer bar. I have an axle where the bar was rubbing like that and eventually made a hole right through the casing.
If the pins on the springs are located properly as Jeff also suggests the bar has to be disconnected while the car sits on the deck with fuel and than do up the nuts but only take up the play, do not over tighten.

[Richardonly]

Jeff & S. Passmore,

Agreed that the bar in the photo shows the rubbing against the rear end housing.  This is a pic of the car before I bought it and was only posted to verify which rod Chuck was referring to.

A repair shop did strighten it quite a bit and as further prevention, I rotated the bar away even further from the housing as I have previously mentioned.

The distance from tires to skirts are even, the car tracks beautifuly and there has been no further rubbing for the last two seasons.

Thank you both very much for trying to correct and prevent damage to my vehicle.  It is what makes this forum so great.  I read and post, without fail, almost every day.

Richard

[Jeff Maltby 4194]

The squareness of the axle to chassis using a "Special Fixture" confuses me, as once it's all bolted down, there's no adjustment that I'm aware of, so what did the factory know that we don't ?

[carguyblack]

All good stuff that I am forwarding to my friend. Many thanks all! Would you please let me know how to get a hold of Jay to purchase that manual spoken of?
Chuck

[Jay Friedman]

carguyblack,

If you'll email me at jaysfriedman@yahoo.com and I'll give you the information.

Jay

[Jeff Maltby 4194]

Good info here on setting a pan bar for newer cars but doesn't apply to a 48-49 as per page 41 in the shop manual.


http://www.ehow.com/info_12196483_panhard-rod-vs-sway-bar.html
http://ls1tech.com/forums/suspension-brakes/1153193-panhard-bar-install-gone-wrong-how-fix.html

[Tito Sobrinho]

Interesting is that after many years I found out after reading Manufacturing Information I bought from Jay that the hydramatic throttle valve was missing a washer + a spring washer. The TV only had a cotter pin as the rest was lost in the past by mechanics working in the carburetor..

[MB49Caddy]

Same thing just happened to mine. Mechanic got a new bushing set and removed the rod, straightened it and reinstalled it. I had the same problem with the rear axle having slipped to the point where the passenger side rear had started to rub on the skirt...