Ball bearing shackle history questions

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

As I work on my 1933 car I appreciate the engineering that Pierce Arrow lavished on it when faced with free-falling sales and a deep depression. It is a tribute to the quality of their engineering staff. That is, until I think about the ball bearing shackles. I read someplace that the definition of engineering is failure analysis used to prevent repeating mistakes. In my opinion using ball bearing in a shackle is not only a huge mistake; it boggles my mind that any engineer would even consider putting such a large load on non-circulating balls.

Does anyone know the history behind the decision?

How many model years did Pierce Arrow use ball bearing shackles?

Was Pierce arrow alone or did other cars manufacturers of the time use ball bearing shackles?

If there were others, who were they and how long did they use them?

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Studebaker used ball bearing shackles on their senior cars for

several years in the early ’30’s.

I’m in charge of three cars with ball bearing shackles that haven’t

received a lick of lubricant in 80 years.They work just fine.I don’t

know how long the engineers were expected to build a car to last,but

I’ll have to applaud their results.

I do admit that my hackles are up over the shackles not having a

reasonable lubricating solution.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

If you have a copy of PAS Bulletin 1968 #4, you will find information about lubricating the ball bearing shackles. It says that it should be done every 20K miles. They have to be taken apart and cleaned and then repacked with wheel bearing grease. When I took mine apart I found that the pins were badly worn and the ball cups were less worn but between the two there was significant play even when using new balls. The problem is that the balls do not circulate and just hammer in one spot. I think about a 250-pound hammer hitting a small surface area over and over. My car has about 36K miles on it and the shackle pins were bad when I got it with 30K miles. I reason that the shackles would have been in better shape if they had been serviced more often by the first owner, but as you say, it would have been handy to have a way to grease them without taking them apart. In an effort to solve a shimmy problem I am looking for any play that could result in harmonic vibration. I have devised a bushing set up that I think will work but I haven’t tested it on the road yet. I need to drive a few hundred miles and then take them apart to inspect before I can say I have a solution.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Eddie,

You’re just about 100% correct–what were they thinking? Maybe, what would be the easiest way to chop 4 cylinders off the V-12, and come out with a “world class” V-8?

Back to your problem. I’ve never taken apart one of these shackles and saw good news–always SHOT! Even the ones that had special grease fittings installed to lubricate them.

Dave Murray sells a perfect replacement kit, and it does just that. THANKS DAVE!

Bob

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