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).
Testing experimental cars with disconnected rear shock absorbers and the resulting effects on weight and spring friction.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 3\1\ 01-page187 | |
| Date | 10th April 1913 guessed | |
| -2- friction was then normal. We are running all our experimental cars with the rear shock absorbers disconnected and we have not been able to detect any disadvantage. We shall save 11 lbs in weight by leaving the rear shock absorbers off, it will also be doing away with a part which gives a fair amount of trouble because the ball joints so seldom get lubricated and if slack at all cause an objectionable knock, this is more likely to happen now they have increased the load on the shock absorber. I believe on most cars they are never adjusted because they are so awkward to get at and the difference cannot be appreciated if they are adjusted. The only excuse I have ever heard of for retaining the shock absorbers was that with a lubricated spring and shock absorber it was possible to maintain a constant amount of friction in the springs, the curves prove that this is not possible. With dry springs we shall not have better springing than we have at present and I believe after the car has been running say 12 months we might get too much friction in the spring and have to clean it. | ||