Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

The frame on my car has about 3.5" of clearance (see photo), which seems to be a little low. The TL systems seems to work fine, but on some driveways I must be very cautious in order to ensure that the frame doesn't bottom out. What is the normal clearance between the the bottom of the frame and ground when the car is level? I've looked in the on-line manuals and can't seem to find any mention of the distance.

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Packard didn't give a frame to ground dimension but they did specify a body to ground clearance in bulletin 55T-1.https://www.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/STB/55T-1.pdf The proper dimension, how to measure and a possible fix is detailed.

Some have speculated the bars might sag with age and others have mentioned installing radial tires as a reason for a lower riding height. Convertibles with additional reinforcement or cars with a full load of accessories caused the car to ride lower and sometimes could not be corrected with links alone. For that problem Packard issued a different set of bars with more of a twist which would raise the car an additional amount. Finding those might be hard today but different front links are available or can be fairly easily made if yours are not already at the maximum length.https://www.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/STB/56T-1.pdf

There are adjustable front links made for 56 models but since you have a 55 it has a different link geometry and the two years are not interchangeable. Craig made a set of adjustable links for his 55 so you might check out his Panther site and see his solution.http://www.1956packardpanther.com/Panther/adjLinks.html

Howard as usual you are a wealth of information. Thanks for the info it gives me a lot to ponder.