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How do I get the new front coil springs installed in a 53 Patrician?

The new and old ones are 18" long and of course need to be compressed.
But the clearance between the top coil tower and the bottom arm is only about 12" when the lower arm is released by removing the pivot pin assembly.
There is no clearance between the outer side of the spring and the spring tower wall to get an external compressor set on the springs.
Putting an internal compressor inside the spring to get it small enough to fit in doesn't allow any way to get the internal compressor out once the
spring is installed.

How is a new spring compressed enough to fit in the tower area and then the compression means removed to allow the shock to go back in?
How did they install the front coil springs in the factory?

Pushing up on the lower arm doesn't help at all as the floor jack merely starts to jack the car up off the supports. The spring doesn't get compressed enough.

The service manual just says to install the new spring without any detail as to how to do it.
Any help would be appreciated.

Can you post a photo to help demonstrate why an external spring compressor would not fit?

Packard often did not republish in much detail a service procedure in a newer service manual if it was substantially the same as was done on an earlier model. That being said, you might download the front suspension and steering section of the 46-50 SM and give it a look. That possibly could be the way to do it.

Except for the 46-50 shock absorber being different and forming the upper A arm in those years, the lower arm is substantially done the same way 46 thru 54. On the 46-50 models they have you disconnect the lower arm at the inner frame end and let it drop down which looks like it might allow a bit more space.

The spring goes up into a the top spring column that is about 3" high and has only about 1/2" clearance between the spring and the metal column all around the spring.
This is a metal 'cap' that covers the top of the spring and seems to be part of the top stamping that makes up the spring support that ties to the frame.
I don't have a picture at this time but the issue is there is no clearance for the external compressor parts. They are too big.

Once a spring is in place, the spring is covered for the 3" length and the coils are not clear at all for access.

An internal compressor can't be removed even through the shock absorber hole on the bottom. It is jammed in place in the compressed spring.
Thanks.

Thanks. I have the service info from 48 on and the 53 manual.

It really won't do any good to drop the A arm as the spring goes up into a 3" deep 'cap' that seems to be part of the steel stampings
that provide the strength needed for the spring support to the frame.
There is only about 1/2" of clearance between the outside coils and the inside of the 'cap'. There is no room for a compressor's parts.

Basically the spring is not accessible for about 4" on top and the ridges of the bottom A arm prevent any tools from being within 1" of the arm.

They must have done something in production to get around this clearance issue when a spring is properly compressed for installation.

They made it very difficult to insert an externally compressed spring.
The A arm doesn't drop very far as the arc it swings being pushed down is very small.
thanks for any help.

I don't believe Packard ever used a spring compressor -- at least I didn't find any front spring compressors listed in the factory tool catalogs. Once the brake hose and stabilizer was disconnected to allow full motion, believe they relied on jack stands to have enough distance above the floor to provide clearance for a floor jack to lower the A arm enough to kind of use the two outer pivots on the knuckle to "fold" the arm outward for clearance and allow the spring to relax and come free. When going back together the spring went in the pockets and weight of the engine and front metal had enough mass to keep downward pressure to allow the jack to push the arm back up and compress the spring.

Put the front of the car on 2 jackstands on the frame about even with the back of the engine. Once the outer lower pin is removed and the inner control arm bushings are loosened, and the sway bar is disconnected, the lower arm will drop very far. You must place your floor jack at the very outer end of the arm and I recommend having the body of the jack under and parallel to the arm. I hook one of the prongs on the jack pad into the gap at the end of the arm. And then you just let it down. And then you put the new spring and pad in place and jack it up and put your outer lower pin back. I have never needed a spring compressor for this, just my good old Craftsman floor jack.

I have done all that to remove the springs. They came out okay. The lower A arm will not go low enough to allow the new spring to be seated at top and in the A arm groove.
I did try to install a partially compressed spring in the top and A arm but when I tried to use the jack to raise the A arm, the car started to lift up off the jack stand.
And yes the jacks are located next to the end of the engine as the service manual states.
The springs are 18" long and the A arm doesn't rotate far enough to allow the spring to be caught in the arm groove.
There is plenty of clearance to the floor under the arm but the arm rotation doesn't allow for enough spring clearance room.
Measuring from the top spring tower to the A arm shows only 15" of clearance to the locating depression in the A arm groove.

It all just doesn't add up at the moment.
Thanks.

It is not OSHA approved, but I have a friend that has used a ratcheting tie down (or two) to compress the spring enough to get it in there and then use a Jack under the lower control arm. There is enough room for the tie down.
It is always a little sketchy fighting with a partially conpressed spring and a car you think might slip off the Jack stand. -be careful.