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).
Tests of hydraulic shock absorbers to eliminate high-speed steering wobbles.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\O\2January1926-March1926\ Scan72 | |
| Date | 9th February 1926 | |
| Expl: Report. Expl: No. Ref. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/RmS/LG9.2.26 To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. to CJ. BJ. c. to RG.{Mr Rowledge} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} CY. R-R HYDRAULIC SHOCK ABSORBERS. V235 78320 2457 We have carried out a series of tests to determine the benefit we are likely to obtain from the new R-R Hydraulic shock absorbers when used as a preventative for high speed steering wobbles. We find that with high pressure tyres, the hydraulic shock absorbers will eliminate all high speed wobbles likely to be encountered under the prevailing system of balanced wheels. We have a car which is singularly bad for wobbles, and with the well-base wheel and tyres could not be driven without this phenomenon being experienced unless the front tyre pressures exceeded 50 lbs/sq.in. With the hydraulic shock absorbers, however, the tyre pressures were lowered to 30 lbs/sq.in. without wobbles being set up. When the shock absorbers were disconnected violent wobbles took place with these tyre pressures. Though the new hydraulic dampers would appear to make the use of the semi-balloon well-base tyre quite practicable, we should like to point out that from our experience so far, this type of tyre is definitely more susceptible to high speed wobbles than the straight-sided Dunlop XXX cord, the two main reasons being that it has a more effective non-skid tread and is a larger section. We carried out further tests with 6.25" balloon tyres inflated to 25 lbs/sq.in. We found that the contd :- | ||