Road test report detailing the effects of adjusted damper loads on a car's steering and ride quality.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 11\2\ 02-page196 | |
| Date | 18th April 1929 | |
| To Hs. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} and Rm. {William Robotham - Chief Engineer} From G.W.H. Hotel de France Chateauroux(French test region) Indre 18/4/29 64 Damper Loads Changed. 100 lbs down 50 lbs up. I again tried the car yesterday and this morning over all conditions of roads and generally speaking alter my report of yesterday. The steering is certainly less inclined for joggles and shocks but I would not say by any means perfect on other than good and even cambered roads. On the Le Charte road the surface is broken up and any speeds above 40 MPH the steering is unselective the car simply taking charge. The impression is that the springs in the side steering tube are compressed, the car then dives to that side and go on continually. On a good surface even though wayy the steering is good and selective. The riding of the car over the same route in the rear seat is good at any speed over 40 MPH, below this speed it's just like a truck. At 20 and 30 MPH the dampers prevent the springs from working at 40 MPH they just allow a slight movement of the springs, but there is a continual tendency to lift the rear passenger. The front of the car is almost the same. We have now definitly got too much downward damping and too little upward. We are this afternoon changing the dampers back to their original setting. We are also fitting the new Telegauge and the starter motor bush. It will be late before these are finished therefore a report will follow on the results. G.W.H. Roy {Mr H. Royce - Buyer} /SS. {S. Smith} | ||
From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).