Looking around at auto sales sites and found this photo on a late 30s Packard coupe for sale. The ad says it's a running, driving car but I don't see how it's possible with the rearend in that position. My only thought was that the drive shaft was out and they had loosened the u-bolts and rotated the rearend for some unknown reason. Another photo shows the shaft in place so ???. I know nothing about Packards but I can't see the thing being driveable as it sits.
Maybe that's before finding pinion angle and welding the perches Idk? Sent from my VS996 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
That is strange as f!$k!! Wow engineer musta felt smrt ( S m a r t) designing that one Wonder what the logic was?
I remember when I was young, a friend of mine's father collected Packards. I thought the rear ends were at a crazy angle then and I still do today.
Do you think it was done for added ground clearance? The roads of that time were not very good. Bones
McCauley hated paying royalties almost as much as Henry; maybe he told his engineering guys to make it "uniquely Packard"?
A side internal view of the Packard differential, from an old Motor's, looks like any hypoid gear arrangement, with the pinion center line below the ring gear center. The housing is odd, but internals are normal. Packard may have tried to use older obsolete parts, like the main housing, with a newer pinion mount. One main reason for the hypoid design was to lower the drive shaft, providing a flatter floor.
It looks like you could top off the lube just like filling a soup bowl. Maybe there were some advantages for adjusting the gear lash??
I've seen these on certain 1932 US cars..expensive brands...The big series Hupps and huge series Nash for examples. 1932 was a very tough sales year, then 33 was the bottom, so car companies had to go all out trying new sales features for those who were not hit by the Depression...like .. Very ridged true X frames, vacuum clutches, lower flat floors with a low to the ground appearance, which is why these differentials were born. .
That is strange as f!$k!! Wow engineer musta felt smrt ( S m a r t) designing that one Wonder what the logic was?
you forgot to include the Seinfeld bit in your repeat post...but we already saw it the first time.. Ray
Packard's stellar reputation for fine quality, well engineered automobiles relieves them of the burden of explaining themselves to peons...... Ray
Ebbspeed, any idea what that truly strange rearend is in? I thought the one I posted was odd but yours is way beyond that.
The 1932 Hupmobile I had had a rear end like that, tipped for more clearance. Also had a circle cut out of the floor under the back seat, with a piece of rubber over it for the rear end to hit on hard bumps. Different engineering for sure.
1938 Packard. It's the same type Packard rearend as you posted, the difference being what you posted is the view from the rear. What I posted is a view from the front side. The one that @sliceddeuce posted is a slightly different version of the Packard axle.
Yes, There is a '37 Packard in the shop I work in two days a week, it has the same rear. The design allows a lower floor and overall lower car, it is also said that the gear setup is more quiet. Bob
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