Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

From my research, I've read that my 1955 Patrician has an axle built in-house by Packard.

Is that really all there is to it? Did Packard actually design and build their own axles entirely in-house or was it a licensed design bought from another company, like Hotchkiss or Dana?

It closely resembles the axles that Chrysler used around the same time...

What is the ring gear size?

I'm not having problems with mine, I'm just curious.

My understanding is Packard designed and built it's own axles up through 1955.

macsmotorcitygarage.com/1926-packard-pioneers-the-hypoid-final-drive/

In 1956 Packard introduced the new limited-slip "Twin Traction" differentials. Presumably as a cost-saving measure, all the axles, limited-slip or not, were manufactured by Dana, though the technology it seems was developed by Packard, the patent is 2769353 "DIFFERENTIAL GEARING" - Edward L. Nash, assigned to Studebaker-Packard Corporation, documented in SAE paper 560247 "The Packard non-spinning differential" by Forest McFarland and E.L. Nash.

Seems the axle ratios for 1955 were 3.07, 3.23, and 3.54. I think mine is 3.23 by the way it feels while driving. I'll spin a wheel and check it sometime.

That's neat if Packard really did design and build their own axles entirely in-house. That would make them the only independent American manufacturer of the 1950's that designed and built their own transmissions and axles.

Nash also built their own and I'm pretty sure Hudson did too.

All the Step-Down Hudsons that I've looked under had Dana-Spicer axles. Model 41's, I think.

I come from an AMC family and own quite a few myself. AMC had their own "model 15" and "model 20" axles that were unique to them and only used by them. I've seen model 15 and model 20 axles under Nashes all the way back to the 1940's. However, I do not know how "in-house" the design and production of those axles were. Word among AMC people is the axles were produced, at least partly, by Dana-Spicer for AMC. This would seem to make sense, given that the AMC model 15 became the Dana 35 after the Chrysler buyout of AMC.

Anyway, it's just fascinating to me.