Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Brian,

We wondered about that too. The unit is an NOS unit that we just installed. It purrs like a kitten when it operates. No noises or clunks at all.

I still wonder about your "A" arm bushings. The rubber gives it the stiffness.

A-arm bushings were replaced less than 10k miles ago. Rear bushings were replaced last week.

The car should stay level when the system is turned off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAqcD9YrAaY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The leveling system only puts the car back to level.

This sounds really interesting problem.

I agree, the car should stay level when the T-L system is turned off. My problem is there's no resistance in the system to keep the car level.

If I use the brakes it pitches down in the front. If I turn the T-L system off, it settles down in the back. The T-L system won't keep it level because it over shoots level because there's no resistance. I'm hoping new shocks will make a difference.

Well the new shocks made no difference at all. There's still no resistance in the suspension system to hold the car at level. Even moving it around the parking lot causes it to go out of level.

I know some folks with T-L systems that say they can turn the system off and drive the car without it losing level. Other guys' T-L systems only compensates for changes in weight like luggage or gas. Mine won't hold level at all!

I don't know what to try next. Anyone have any ideas? I'm starting to wonder if I got a bad NOS compensator.

One way to check the compensator switch is to turn the system off and raise the car enough with a jack & stands so you can get to the switch. Remove the link between bar and switch at the switch and remove the two wires going to limit switch and solenoids (wires on terminals just to either side of center) which if stock will be pink and yellow.

First check the lever into switch. There should be a nice firm spring tension on either side of the center rest point. If no tension, that is a problem.

If that checks good, then with wires still disconnected so nothing moves, turn on the system. There should be 12v on center or light green wire to ground. Move the lever one direction or the other and check that you hear a relay activate after the normal 7 second delay. You can also check the empty terminals with the meter. One lead to center 12v and other to the terminal. Relay open, Ov or maybe a floating reading. With relay closed, the readout should be a solid 12v. If the relays seem OK, then move the lever to one side so one relay activates. After it does, quickly move the lever to the other side. After the usual time delay but not before, the other relay should activate. If you hear a relay chatter or activate soon after the quick lever movement, the switch is suspect.

Since it happened on two different switches, I would not suspect the switch itself but must confess to being confused as well.

My , I still think it is mechanical, and not electrical.

I apologize for not going back to the very beginning of this thread and reading carefully, but if you're convinced the problem is mechanical and the car has no "resistance" to positioning, although remote that might suggest that the T/L gearbox is stripped and thus, without it's holding the short bars in a particular position, the car body is free to just float as the center of gravity changes. When you activate the gearbox, can you actually see the short bars wind or unwind?

I may have misunderstood if you mean switch or the compensator mechanism above but one thing to look for in the compensator is the tightness of the 7 bolts holding the upper and lower halves together. The ring providing the ring gear proper for the planetaries is just a slip fit between the two halves with no locking connection. If the top and bottom connecting bolts are loose, the ring can rotate and thus provide very little holding power.

Note: As pointed out by Randy, verify the torque required for the bolts so as not to break the castings. There are two specs and are listed on page 18 below fig 53 in suspension section of SM.