Packard Forum Index » Packard Parts & Misc - For Sale, Wanted, Trade

In search of 1955 suspension leveling motor for my Packard 400.

Attach file:

---

  7BC13207-6DD9-485D-9A71-B8B80CA6D2A5.jpeg (248.35 KB)

A few more symptoms might help or maybe run thru what has been done to diagnose the issue so you have concluded a motor is needed. Other than worn brushes or a stuck brush holder nothing else in the motor itself is prone to failure.

Far more often the problem is electrical and a well known issue is the stop light switch has failed or one of the fuses has blown. Other possibilities is a switch has oxidized contacts, there is a broken wire, a solenoid has failed, or in a 55 with the original control switch, corrosion on the wire terminals with a resulting poor connection. Another 55 known issue is road debris has hit and possibly moved or bent the solenoid and limit switch mounting bracket and the limit switch has been activated.

Howard,

Thanks for the info, very helpful!!

Will pass along to my husband who will be going through the vehicle.

Just purchased her from Mecum auction over the weekend. Very cool car!!

Thanks,
Debra

Just to underline what Howard said--the leveler motor and gearbox are hardly ever bad. Almost invariably it is the electrical controls that need renewing.

The suspension on my 1955 Clipper Constellation usually tilts my car in the opposite direction. No matter. I have damn near given up ever getting that accursed Torsion-Level suspension to ever work correctly. I hope you have better luck with yours, but don't bet on it. I have had mine worked on numerous times, even once by Ross Miller, but the damned thing still reverts to its evil ways after a fairly short period of time.

Quote:
If you are brand new to Packards just wanted to be sure you are aware of another feature that has caught some by surprise. It could be someone has turned off the suspension on/off toggle switch located under the left dash edge.

Also, in 56 a manual control became an option and could be retrofitted to the 55s. If a previous owner installed a factory style override switch (a knob is hanging down next to the on/off switch) that switch could have been accidentally activated. Over the years, there have also been numerous other home brew methods devised to manually control the suspension. Some are problematic and if one of those was used any number of additional failure possibilities open up.

I even saw a car recently that had the motor and short bars removed and (somehow) had air suspension fitted for leveling. Strangely the car had been purchased from the Motion Unlimited Museum in Rapid City SD in 2006 so you'd think it would have been in fairly good order but apparently not as I believe that system was outfitted by the guy that bought it. Schrader valve shown in photo.

As others have said, it's nearly always not the motor. Flip the switch under the dash the other way and wait a few mins. It will work even with the key not in the ignition and should level within about 10 sec. If not then I'm sure we'll hear back from you.

Attach file:

---

  VideoCapture_20220920-112849.jpg (93.07 KB)