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).
Field report detailing brake and undersheet failures on a Phantom III vehicle in France.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 91\3\ scan0163 | |
| Date | 3rd November 1935 | |
| X300A 2 HOTEL DE FRANCE. CHATEAUROUX. Indre. France. GWH{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux}/5/JAB. 3rd November 1935. To. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} From. G.W.H. 31. EX. - PHANTOM III. We have not up to the time of writing received any of the replacements for 31. EX. There is a general holiday going on in France from last Friday to Tuesday morning. We have during the enforced stoppage been examining the Car. We have found that the rear water excluder scheme for the rear brakes is a dangerous failure. We have repeatedly heard the rubbing, or crunching of the rear drums, and put it down to grit between the dust shield and the drum. The grit has got there alright, but unfortunately it has caused the drum edge to crumble and break off. On the O.S. there are several lumps out, and we found pieces cracked ready to fall out. The N.S. is not so bad but here again, lengths of the edge have been crumpled away. It would be possible from the appearance for the drum to crack across. Hand Brake Lever situated on the Dust Shield. These levers N.S. & O.S. are again jamming in the needle bearings, and will not allow the shoes to return on the stops, consequently, the hand brake is dragging. This lever gets covered with sludge which works its way in via the clearance between the lever and top and bottom bearings. We have had the caps off and cleaned them out, but naturally this will last only for a short period. Re. Undersheets. We have made some undersheets but have not tried them out as they were put on the morning the Car failed. We can tell you definately that the undersheet for the flywheel can be dispensed with. It has no value. We have fitted a flat piece of aluminum, flat on to the cross just before the gearbox & shaped out to fit the gearbox, but leaving a 1/16" clearance for movement of the box. We have fitted this only because we were afraid of the oil drain hole in the front bearing getting stopped up with dirt. We could fit an oil drain pipe and do away with the shield altogether. | ||