Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Every once in a while I see a '55 Super or Panama with conventional spring suspension. Has anyone had experience with this setup? I suppose it would be close to a '54 model of the same wheelbase, only with a V8, or is that really an apples-to-apples comparison? Any tweaking on the suspension of the '55 conventionally sprung Packards?

Many think a V8 Packard without Torsion Level is an ugly duckling, but never having driven a conventionally sprung model, I would be curious about how they ride and handle.

As many miles my dad drove the TL models, he always said that the ride, especially at high speeds, was harsher and noisier than a lot of conventionally sprung cars. Maybe he just drove fast enough to get continuous U-joint "roar", which was very noticeable at speeds over 75 or so. He maintained that the handling was the big advantage of the TL, not the ride. Some auto magazine reviews direct most of their praise to the handling, but I've never seen one that said it came at the expense of smooth, quiet ride.

I'll ask my uncle and see what he says. the "flying dragon" was a 55 super sedan. the "flying dragonII" is a 55 panama. however "II" is a long way from road worthy so i couldn't say what she rides like

I have a conventionally sprung 55 Panama and the ride is very firm but not at all noisy.

clipper374 wrote:
I have a conventionally sprung 55 Panama and the ride is very firm but not at all noisy.[/quote]

Thanks, clipper, that's the first word I've heard on how the non-TL suspension feels, and it's interesting that you find it a firm ride. Does it handle corners well? And if you've driven a TL-equipped '55 of '56, how do they compare with your Panama?

greendragon (great nickname for a car btw),
I'm assuming the Super is a non-TL car, but is "flying dragon II" TL equipped? Packard made the Torsion Level suspension available on Supers in '55, and I believe Panamas as well, because it was such a popular, almost universal, option on the Custom/Constellation. The customer cost was only $150! Way less than air conditioning, for example.

Still curious on how the two compare. I reckon any of the Reinhart-bodied cars would be fairly similar to the non-TL V8s in models of comparable weight. Of course there might have been many suspension tweaks through those years.

My 55 Panama without tl rides like a truck. Of course it has very stiff springs in the rear. Handling is rough as it doesn't have power steering. I think power steering would make a huge difference. It has considerablle lean on corners. I installed radial tires on it about a year ago and it did help the handling a lot. I would recommend the radial tires as the are much safer. I feel better at 80 or 90 with the radials and the car grabs the pavement much better. No more tire howl around corners. I can't understand the stupidity of not allowing these tires on cars for judging at the National Packard Meets without getting a huge point discount. If they justify this as not original why don't they discount if the tires are not manufactured by the original suppliers. They don't knock down for Coker for instance. Radials are much safer.

Yes, I had a Clipper with tl. The ride was very soft and the cornering was great. It was very moody though. The leveler kept correcting all the time at highway speed as the wind lifted the front end. When stopping at a light, the rear would lift in the air and sit there until it leveled. Then when you started moving the rear end would go down and then have to level again. The only way around this was to find where you want it and turn off the switch.

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<p>That's pretty much the way it is with all of the T-Ls. Although, there is some, there's not enough anti-dive in the front and not enough anti-squat in the rear suspension geometry, IMO.
</p>
<p>Keeping all suspension points well lubed does help, though.</p>
Craig

both "dragons" are panamas "flying dragonII" is a 55 with springs. "green dragon" is a 56 with t/l. both are 4speed cars. "II" is under construction. "green dragon" is a running survivor that i'm working on putting back to as raced condition. Not sure where the original "flying dragon" is. she was a 55 super sedan. i would give anything to find her and bring her back to the family. i believe uncle said her last know location was the new braunfuls tx area around 1957 or 1958. She's prob. long gone

Thanks for the replies, everybody.

Craig, good to hear from you. Any more thoughts on the TL's quirks would be most welcome.

374,

Interesting how stiffly sprung your Panama is. I wonder if this is a common experience with "sprung" V8 cars. I can't imagine that the '51 - '54 models were stiff riders. I wonder what changed, since they had similar body shells and frames. The V8 was a bit lighter than the straight 8's. Maybe they didn't adjust the coils enough to allow for that. But you also say the back springs were the harshest.

I never experienced the TL ride as particularly "soft," but in comparison with how you describe the Panama, I'm sure it was. I don't remember any problems with unwanted leveling at high speeds (90+) and, being in the back seat I would've noticed it. Also, the delay feature seemed to work fine during braking. Sometimes the Clipper Custom would be sitting in the garage and lift its tail in the air, but that was a malfunction that was repaired. Eventually, as you point out, the leveling was done manually with an override switch. The '55 400's TL worked flawlessly the whole time we had it. I drove that car the most of the two, and I loved the cornering but never found the ride all that great at speed. It didn't seem to have any advantage in ride quality over springs on gravel roads, which I drove a lot.

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Dragon,

Good for you for hunting down those cars. I'm still puzzled about how you managed to put 4-speed transmissions in them, and I bet others wonder too. That setup would really put the power of the V8s to good use. Pics would be nice. Or do you have a blog or thread going on that I've missed?

I wish you luck finding that Super. I only know the city where the 400 went, and its doubtful it would turn up. It could even be on a roster, but, dammit, I lost the last registration tag with the number. I found it in my dad's papers after he passed away. He didn't throw out much. I took it to work (no internet at home to search on) and it plum disappeared.

According to contemporary road tests the Packard ride was comparable to other luxury cars like Buick, Cadillac or Chrysler. The Packard was particularly stable at high speeds which is more than you can say for Buick or Caddy.

Standards have improved since 1955. However, if your springs shocks etc are in good shape your Packard should have a very acceptable ride.

One thing that gets overlooked is the age and hardening of rubber bushings and rubber body mounts. I don't know how much effect this would have on making the ride harsh and noisy but would expect it to have some effect.

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The TL Packards were great highway speed cruisers, no question. Your point about upkeep is well taken. "Care and feeding of the Torsion-Level Suspension" is a great topic. What it really takes to keep them maintained and "tuned," including the leveling system.

Any thoughts about the reported harshness of the conventionally sprung V8 Packards, and/or comparisons with '51-54 suspensions?