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).
The function and design of a roll rod, comparing its application on a Cadillac to the Spectre model.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 95\3\ scan0075 | |
| Date | 26th March 1935 | |
| -2- Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux}9/KW.26.3.35. With regard to the roll rod - The functioning of the roll rod as applied to the Cadillac has been entirely missed in the design on the SpectreCodename for Phantom III. The roll rod at the rear as fitted to the SpectreCodename for Phantom III could be dispensed with as it has no virtues in steadying the axle and is not so effective as the front roll rod in controlling the roll of the car when cornering. It can be made effective and beneficial, as was proved on the Cadillac, by the following. All the bearings, connecting links, etc. must be rubber mounted of ample size. The effect of this is friction and on the Cadillac acted as dampers for the jarring of the axle as proved in France; also as proved in the first test of this report. We should say the damping effort is equal to a 10 lbs. load on the lever. We doubt whether the Cadillac officials realised this value, as Olley has said it could be thrown away. With the control rod fitted up this way, lighter initial damping loads of the hydraulics could be used. The same applies to the front control rod. It can be made to serve two purposes by being mounted on rubber bearings. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/G.W.Hancock. | ||