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 the phenomenon of high-speed wobble, potential solutions, and American front brake practices.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 29\1\ Scan195 | |
| Date | 23th February 1926 | |
| ROLLS-ROYCE OF AMERICA, INC. SPRINGFIELD, MASS. X457 Oy6-E-22326 February 23, 1926. Mr. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} W. Hives, Mickleover, near Derby, England. (Personal) Re High Speed Wobbles Dear Hives: Many thanks for your large bundle of reports on high-speed wobble. Have studied them with the greatest care. I now regret exceedingly that I was prevented from attending the S.A.E. Annual meeting at Detroit, where I could have found out something of other folks' troubles. I know that all front brake cars have this trouble and are struggling to correct it by balancing wheels, adjusting toe-in, adjusting the amount of "centre-point", putting shock absorbers on the cross steering tube joints, etc. But judging from the development of Watson's ideas which I wrote you on February 10th and your own Michelin report, I think it evident that your own reports contain the first real full explanation of the phenomenon. If any concern in this country had arrived as far as you have they would have published it at once. It is an open question whether we should not get most benefit by publishing your results at once as an S.A.E. paper and so promoting discussion, but of course this would be contrary to all our practice. Do you think R.{Sir Henry Royce} and C.J. would consider it advisable or otherwise? American front brake practice. I don't think any American car has increased the criss-cross moment of inertia of the front axle as much as we have done, in fitting front brakes. Some of them do not appear to have altered their axle sections at all, and the usual external-wrapping front brake on the Lockheed or Buick systems must be very light. | ||