Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

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Agree, the Clipper uses smaller and lighter duty almost everything and usually had a different ring/pinion ratio.

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See if this guy has a diff in his parts car. He's a few hours away from me, so I can't really go and pick anything up, but I thought I'd let you know.

facebook.com/share/NRwyjRTRBnKjZgBm/?mibextid=kL3p88

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I've contacted the Facebook user with the parts car, as well as the major parts dealers. Let's see what comes up.

I have a 56 senior axle that would be suitable. I have to extract it from the pile so I can read the tag and tell you the ratio. Perhaps over the weekend.

Thanks everyone for the help. I wanted to send an update. I found a machine shop that looked at the locking diff and determined that the parts were made from hardened steel. They quoted me over $1000 for machining and hardening new spider gear axles. I went to another shop, and found someone who machined new pieces from a strong steel, but did not harden it. I was able to get the parts for a more reasonable price, but time will tell if the parts are strong enough.

I think the reason that the part broke originally was a result of the bolts loosening, so I think I should be fine.

For those interested, here is a picture of all the parts of the locking diff. It includes the two original spider gear axles (one broken, the other bent) as well as the new machines parts.

After you drive the car 10 miles I would drain the diff fluid through a coffee filter and inspect it for any wear particles. If it looks good, I would repeat this test after a couple hundred miles.

If the milder steel wears out, the particles will damage everything. It's best to know early, so you can still reuse the original parts and not be left with nothing useful.