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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).
Road test report for car 32-EX in France, detailing a metallic rattle and suspension issues.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 91\3\  scan0023
Date  26th May 1936
  
To Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}

X300 a

42-1

Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/FD.{Frank Dodd - Bodies}15/KW.26.5.36.

32-EX in France.

Leaving C.W. Hancock in Paris, we left on Friday afternoon the 15th inst. for Chateauroux, arriving at 7.0 p.m. (Dodd and Waller).

Saturday, Sunday and Monday were spent in the garage and testing the car on the local rough section in an effort to locate the metallic rattle which has been so predominant during the test run with Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}

In running over the rough road we found that the rear spring leaves had an excessive scrubbing action, the edges of the leaves hitting the sides of the supporting clips. Thinking the rubber mounting of the axle may have something to do with this movement the rubber pads were removed and the axle tried solid. These conditions showed a slight improvement to the scrubbing action but did not affect the knocking.

During this test we found that the rear spring shackles to the frame had .016" side movement; this was the cause of the metallic knocking. The rear spring shackles have since been re-washered in Paris to cut out all side movement, this being an 100% cure. The rubber pads were afterwards refitted to the axle.

It was an extremely slow job removing the rubber pads owing to the inaccessibility of the spring clip nuts nearest the brake drums. Using a jaw spanner was impossible, a ground box spanner having to be used at an angle, making sure tightening a gamble.

It was noticed that the rear brake drums had marked the chassis frame in rolling on corners or badly cambered roads.

The offside front shock damper was leaking badly at the end cover to the frame flange. We were able to tighten up all the nuts, but this was not a complete cure and attention will be required later.
  
  


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