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).
Defending the Experimental Department's handling of tyre pressures and addressing issues of steering wobble.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 28\4\ Scan319 | |
| Date | 21th August 1925 | |
| To BJ. from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} To CJ. from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to EY. +451 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}4/LG21.8.25. STEERING. +S430 With reference to BJ17/H20. 8. 25. The Experimental Dept. take great exception to the 2nd. para. in this memo. as regards tyre pressures and the inference that no thought is given to tyre pressures on cars run in France. We should like to point out that the tyres are given far more attention and far more accurate records are kept of these tyres than have ever been kept of any cars run by the Company. There is a specialised Tyre Fitter at the Chateauroux Dept. whose chief duty is the care of tyres. We are in a position to show records of hundreds of thousands of miles, the exact tyre pressures, and mileage of all tyres used on each test. We see nothing in EY's memo. EY8/H20. 8. 25. which suggests that high tyre pressures were used in France. Standard tyre pressures are used in France except on special experimental tests. What we feel upset about is that, without any explanation, it is assumed that we are fools. The Expl: Dept: recommend that the minimum tyre pressure, until we have a better solution for wobbles, should be 35 lbs. As regards steering wobbles, we have realised the risk of this complaint for nearly 12 months, and because of this we actually made in the Experimental Dept. a damped pendulum lever, and this was actually on test before we received the W.W. design. It must be remembered, however, that we have had numerous other problems in connection with 'Phantom' and 'India' cars. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||