Car instability issues due to broken shock dampers and unresolved problems with the slipper drive.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 11\2\ 02-page180 | |
| Date | 10th April 1929 | |
| To Hs {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} From G.W.H. X7941 Hotel de France Chateauroux(French test region) Indre 10/4/29 We have wired you today as follows:-"SPARE SHOCK DAMPER FITTED TO N/S FRONT CASE BROKEN STOP SEND NEW CASING." and/- CAR TOO UNSTABLE TO RUN SEND FRONT N/S DAMPER OUT IMMEDIATLY. The braking of the shock damper makes it impossible for us to carry out the instructions received in your letter Hs {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} /Rm {William Robotham - Chief Engineer} 2/LG 8/4/29. I have been out on the car this afternoon and find that it is so unstable without the front shock dampers that any further tests for the time being is useless. The steering at low speeds and medium speeds is very bad and at high speeds the car is wobbling all over the road. We have not cured the slipper drive rattle or the crank period. Further work will be required on the slipper drive. We should like to point out the inaccessability of dismantling the the slipper wheel. This cannot be taken off without first removing the front cross member, without the slipper wheel is taken apart on the engine. This of course makes it unreliable for resetting the slipping lead. We are of the opinion that the original slipper wheel as fitted to the Phantom will have to be fitted on the S.S. or else a lot of work will have to be carried out at Derby getting the ratio of the slipper lead right the spring drive and the damping of the spring drive. We are still in trouble with the galloping knock which has not been cured by altering the lead of the slipper wheel. Therefore you will see that as stated a considerable amount of work has to be done to get these things right. [Handwritten in margin: galloping knock] In the meantime we are altering the rear shock dampers to the instructions sent out but reliable tests cannot be taken until we receive the new dampers. It would appear that the fouling of the cross steering tube is important. The spare damper fitted had been fouling the tube considerably. G.W.H. [Signature] | ||
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).