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).
Progress report on vehicle repairs and road testing, detailing spring and steering adjustments.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 4\9\ 09-page021 | |
| Date | 12th June 1925 | |
| K5840 hotel de france, Chateauroux. Indre. France. June 12th, 1925. To: "Me" from: G.W.Hancock. We have received torque reaction damper bolts, springs and plates this morning. These will be fitted as soon as the car returns to Chateauroux. 93 EX is still in Paris. We have had a letter from Paris, stating that they are getting on with the jobs as fast as possible. We hope to get the car back here again this week-end. Re 9 G.III. This we finished yesterday, and I had a short run on the road last evening. The springing of the car at the front is better, but we are still of the opinion that these springs are too weak. Going at a speed of 40 m.p.h. over a rough road, the N.S. was continually hitting the buffer. The buffer clearance with the car normal is 2 1/8" on the N.S., and 2 1/4" on the O.S. We have reset spring in side steering tube with no load on ball end. This is as the car was sent out from Derby. With this setting, the car is very much more unstayable at high speeds, and is inclined to wobble more freely at low speeds. Also, I have noticed, and will verify later on, that with the side steering tube spring set at normal when one is using the foot-brake, the front wheels tend to move, or steer, to the O.S. and then to the N.S., alternatively, without any movement of the steering wheel. This is due, in my opinion, to the unloaded ball end in the side steering tube, the spring on either side of the ball being wound up alternatively. This, I take it, means that the springs are on the weak side, as in our previous reports we stated that we had adjusted the tension on the ball end one turn. This means, of course, that we have strengthened the springs up that amount. I have not got the figures of what this actually is, but the steering is certainly much better in this condition, than at the present setting. Do you consider that it would be advisable to send us out stronger springs, or a higher rated spring, to try the different effects? I hope you understand what I am getting at. In my report of the 10th inst., I omitted to state that the lubricator of the leather covers at the rear end of the front springs, fouls the undershield to such an extent that they have cut a groove in same. This, of course, is due to insufficient clearance on maximum bump. We have taken these lubricators out, and plugged up the holes. | ||