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).
Letter discussing suspension damping, orifice control, and ride comfort characteristics.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 170\2\ img104 | |
| Date | 19th October 1931 guessed | |
| Since the orifice remains constant and ⑤ small, one gets a very different sort of ride at the lower settings from that obtained with orifice control. As we knew on the R.R. quite low arm loads (when combined with very small orifice and adequate build-up) give remarkable stability in steering, cornering, and road holding etc. Also the high settings with low orifice, although impossibly harsh on city streets, give simply extraordinary riding comfort on rolling gravel roads, allowing speeds which would be impossible without such control. One can actually read fine print in the rear seat at speeds that, with other dampers, would require one hand pressed against the roof. You will see that this is really R's idea on damping made adjustable for road conditions, and supplemented by 2 small orifices. The drawback to this system of control, if there is one, is that the high settings are less tolerable on city streets than are the normal high settings of orifice-controlled dampers, so that the driver must "know his stuff" to avoid causing discomfort in the rear. Kindest regards Maurice Olley | ||