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).
Faults, specifically vibration and noise, observed during the testing of Balloon tyres on different car models.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 39\2\ Scan170 | |
| Date | 28th May 1924 guessed | |
| contd:- -2- With the Balloon tyre tyres it is there to a considerably increased extent. The actual complaint is that there is a vibration somewhere between 20 and 15 m.p.h. On the 40/50 HP. car with the Torque Tube Control for the rear axle, we can feel this vibration right up through the Gear box. In the case of the 20 HP. car where the Axle Control is on the rear springs, it is more noise than anything that can be felt. In our tests we chose a road where there were granite sets in the centre and macadam road at the sides - as we ran on and off the sets so the vibration or noise came on and off. These are the only two faults we have been able to notice on the Balloon Tyres and in both cases we can demonstrate these same weaknesses with the standard cord tyre if we run with sufficiently low pressure. We have tried to find loss of efficiency with these tyres but have only been able to appreciate it when we have gone to extremely low pressure such as 10 lbs. We think there value with regard to the life of the car is immeasurable because if they are fitted to a car which has had considerable use, they immediately get rid of the "secondhand" feeling. I trust you have a successful visit to U.S.A. - and we are hoping that the standardisation of the rim and wheel will be brought about so that we can offer customers these tyres. I have written to our Mr. Olley at Springfield telling him of your contemplated visit and asking him to examine your wheels and tyres because we think they are a better proposition than those they have been trying. Yours faithfully, | ||