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).
Feasibility and challenges associated with experimenting with front wheel brakes.
| Identifier | Morton\M1.A\ img001 | |
| Date | 4th August 1921 | |
| To Cdr{W. J. Chandler - Chief Clerk} from R.{Sir Henry Royce} Copy to RAC. HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} ORIGINAL R8/04/8/21:G 3 Extracts HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} X3323 RE BRAKES (CJL/E3/8/21.) FWB Pros & Cons X1559. I am in receipt of your interesting memo, RECEIVED you will notice I have been seriously thinking of trying experimentally a set of our own make of front brakes. I advise that we go very steady on this because we shall probably find that they are scarcely practical at present, although there is an increased demand for more braking power owing to increased speed of cars, and an increased number on the road. The desire for more braking capacity has been confirmed by my own experience. Regarding our own brakes, the mechanism and equalising of our own brake leaves little to be desired. The only thing one could possibly complain of is that the side brake drums are too small. The braking effort on the car is handicapped for two very definite reasons. (1) The torque tube is not of infinite length and this causes the wheels to dither when they skid. (2) The proportion of weight with light bodies on the rear wheels is considerably less than is usual with smaller cars, owing to the weight of the large engine on the front wheels. (3) Our back axle is unnecessarily strong and heavy for carrying a light body such as I personally use. It is not extravagantly heavy for its strength and the strength is not too great for the duty it is oft called upon to perform such as carrying large and heavy bodies, armoured cars, etc. * (4) Another reason is the use of the present resilient cord tyres definitely reduces the braking effort on greasy roads unless we take the advantage of running these cord tyres at much lower pressure. [Handwritten in margin: only partly correct] A particular point I want to emphasise is that should clearly point out that it is not advisable to hav (Contd.) | ||