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).
Aluminium brake drum failure, attributing the cause to an incorrect proportion of front braking.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 83\2\ scan0205 | |
| Date | 1st February 1938 | |
| 200a also 1028 Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}8/R.1.2.38. Aluminium Brake Drums. 6.B.IV. Replying to Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}19/E31.1.38., we have now had a reply from Waller on the brake drum failure, copy of which we attach. You will observe that the linings on the drum which failed had worn down to the rivets in 2,500 miles. Ordinarily in France, we should not expect this to happen under 20,000 miles. It is obvious that the proportion of braking was wrong and there was too much front braking. This is confirmed by the fact that the cast iron drum fitted in place of the aluminium drum has started to crack after only a few hundred miles' running (see last paragraph of Waller's memo). The proportion of front rear braking has now been altered by modification to the leverage, and we do not expect any further trouble. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||