Rear springs, noting a squeaking issue with new thick-leaf springs and discussing lubrication, friction, and the use of leather covers.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 80\2\ scan0033 | |
| Date | 13th November 1919 | |
| To R. {Sir Henry Royce} from EH. Copy to CJ. " " BN. {W.O. Bentley / Mr Barrington} " " E. {Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} " " DA. {Bernard Day - Chassis Design} [Handwritten] X.2628. EH5/LH {Mr Haworth} 13.11.19. [Handwritten] X.3461. [Handwritten] X.3463 RE REAR SPRINGS. X.2628. We have noticed that with the new type of rear springs with thick leaves [Handwritten insertion: there is] a tendency for the leaves to squeak. 1.EX Car is a particularly bad example. We have found on therethat it has been necessary to lubricate the leaves after every 1000 miles because of the noise which they make. With the thin leave springs we never remember having this trouble. We imagine it is manifest on the new springs owing to the increased pressure per square inch on the sliding surfaces. We find that it varies on different springs of the same type, this we think is due to how the leaves bed on to each other. THE spring leaves on 1.EX are very bad for bedding, it is only on the ends of the leaves where they wear and bed hard. We suggest that we might reconsider the usse of the leather covers. In tests we have made lately, we find that a well lubricated spring does give better results over a certain class of roads. The lubricated spring is very much better on a fairly smooth road which has small pot-holes. For very high speed work and touring, it is necessary then to have friction to keep the car stable. We consider that with the new shck absorbers, to get full advantage of them, we want to reduce the friction between the leaves of the spring to a minium. [Handwritten 'm' added to 'minium'] EH. | ||
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).