Customer feedback on a new chassis regarding stiff springs, steering issues, and clutch adjustment.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 47\1\ Scan154 | |
| Date | 8th October 1925 | |
| COPY. JOHN SUMMERS & SONS, LTD., HAWARDEN BRIDGE STEEL WORKS, SHOTTON, CHESTER. G.S.17/B. 8th. October 1925. Dear Sirs, Chassis No. 117-MC. I have just returned from a thousand miles tour in the North of Scotland, on my new chassis No. 117-MC. I am entirely satisfied with the whole car, with the exception of the springing and the steering. I am of the opinion that the springs are too stiff, both at the back and the front. My total car, without passengers, but filled with petrol, oil and water, weighs 44 cwts. I cannot help thinking that your springs are designed for a much heavier car. With regard to steering, the jerking of the steering wheel on bumpy roads is very tiring to the arms. One does not feel this on the ordinary main roads of England, but the Scotch roads north of Inverness are a very different proposition, and I feel sure that if one of your staff were condemned to drive a Rolls-Royce car over the roads of Sutherland for a fortnight, day in and day out, he would consider that there are many cars more suitable for the job than a Rolls-Royce. Is it at all possible that with lighter springs on the front axle some of these steering shocks would be absorbed by them? I always thought that my old car was bad in this respect, but the new one is considerably worse. I find the lack of an instruction book rather a handicap and hope that you will be able to forward me one very soon. I should like you to give me full particulars as to how to adjust the clutch stop. When the oil in the gearbox is hot and thin, it takes an abnormally long time for the clutch to settle down when changing up. As I frequently like to use my gear box, and often change from third to top, at speeds approximately 60 miles an hour, you will understand that for my own particular requirements a rather fierce clutch stop is desirable. I understand there is an adjustment, but I do not care to touch it until I hear from you exactly how it should be done. ENCLOSURE Nº 472 "JUSTSO" | ||
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).