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).
Improving ride comfort by comparing different suspension and chassis configurations on various models.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 6\6\ 06-page044 | |
| Date | 17th October 1935 guessed | |
| (2) the driver or behind a division, and who like some floor space for freedom of movement, also elderly people in particular find great difficulty in entering and leaving cars with foot wells. As a modern example of what can be done with a car of Wraith proportions the 25-HP Straight '8' Daimler is said to have a rear seat ride very superior to our 20/25 with a similar body, the coachwork in fact on these two chassis being interchangeable. This result is obtained without front independent suspension. There is, however, a complete radius and torque rod control to the Daimler front axle which may have helped them with lowering front spring rating with perhaps some sacrifice of steering control. This Daimler result somewhat suggests that we might do better on our 20/25 by keeping rear spring ratings a little higher than maximum comfort requirements and front spring ratings a little lower so as to bring the front and rear periodicities more into line and reduce pitching. Another example that comes to mind on this question is a very short wheelbase Opel we tried fitted with Dubonnet front suspension. This car on a stretch of wavy road near the works was remarkably free from pitching in the back seats. We feel that almost anybody can get good rear seat ride by building a body with the rear passengers pushed forward, but this is not a complete solution of our difficulty in increasing riding comfort, because it cannot be carried out to any great extent with the type of coachwork we are called upon to fit. In respect to the Wraith chassis, if we fitted a V.8 engine and retained the present wheelbase which is 2" longer than the 20/25 the rear seat would be eight inches further forward with existing 20/25 coachwork. Some such compromise is possible on this car where the wheelbase is not too long for modern traffic conditions | ||