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).
Complaint detailing design flaws and failures in the Phantom II's shock dampers and central lubrication system.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 19\3\ Scan318 | |
| Date | 5th May 1930 | |
| IMPORTANT COMPLAINT. X7772 Ds. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} ) FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} RV. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} ) (At Le CanadelHenry Royce's French residence) R3/MS.5.30. C. to SE. Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} X.7772 X.3806 X.7520 CAR WORK - L.H. and R.H. PHANTOM II SHOCK DAMPERS - CENTRAL LUBRICATION. The scheme where the above is carried to the shock damper on its way to the ball connection of the shock dampers is bad in principle and in detail - (1) Because the scheme may cause loss of oil from the shock dampers. (2) The thick oil of the central oiling may get in the shock dampers. (3) The detail of getting out of the shock dampers spindle to the lever pipe is not practical, and may lead to much trouble. Since we are now getting the central oiling right on to the axle we may just as well lubricate the joints from the axle. There is a pipe close to the lower ball joint. Then we can cancel the whole of the defective scheme. It appears necessary to do something at once with the present production, but probably it will be simplest to connect up the oiling to the axle. The front vertical pattern damper appears to be worse than the back ones as regards fault (1). Probably the damper oil in circulating flows or splashes or squirts over the spindle and enters the hole intended for the lubricating oil only. Even more serious is the risk of failure of the serrated end of the spindle to be strong and tight. At once this should be altered. I imagine that the hollow set screw might have been put in the end of the shaft. There is also a fault of insufficient clearance for the nut which pushes the lever on to its serrations. This is a production detail. The nut should be capable of following the lever for at least .100". The lever on 18-EX I now learn, became loose during the last few months, and the lubrication set screw or/and the clearance | ||