Re: 1955 Packard shocks for car with TL

Posted by fred kanter On 2011/6/14 11:56:18

To Packard V8;

Bill Allison RECOMMENDED that HD and coil over shocks not be used on TL cars. His recommendation is his opinion, individual owners are free to use what they please, just as an owner of a 56 400 can cut the roof off and "make" a convertible if he pleases deswpite what someone elses recommendation is.

From the content of your post above you bare reading wither form our general website or general catalog. We offer coil over and HD shocks along with other lines of shocks for ALL cars '37-'80 and it should be obvious to anyone who is automotive knowlegable that ALL lines of shocks are not appropriate for ALL cars. Some cars will not accomodate a coil-over in the front as the hole in the lower control arm is too small, sopme rears will interfere with exhaust pipes etc etc

If you have ever been in an auto parts store that used parts books you saw a catalog rack ABOUT 3 FEET LONG , and that was for parts from current and back 20 years. We cover 45+ years so if our catalog ahd all details of all parts it would have to be more that 3 feet thick. IN a 70 page catalog we cannot list all exceptions, details etc etc

Your question is that if certain shocks are not recommended for TL cars, then why do we list them. There's a bit more than a little acrimony in that question and I resent it. We have not built a reputation over 51 years of misleading anyone, but we do rely on our customers to be reasonable.

Packard listed HD/Export shocks for TL cars and I had a NOS set of 4 adn put them on a 55 400. It rode terribly and potholes/railroad tracks were enough to dislodge fillings.
I took them off in a day but perhaps in certain foreign countries they were advisable for ride control and safety.

If you look in our 55-6 Packard specific catalog you will find that coil-overs are listed only for conventional spring cars adn heavy duty shocks of a much less degree than orig equpt Packard HD shocks are available for all models. Some customers prefer them despite what Mr. Allison suggests.

I could give you 100 more examples of "irregularities" such as you have brought up, however in my memory no one else than you has asked such a question. If one looks for fault hard enough one will certainly find it, other things are glaringly obvious.