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).
Front wheel braking and steering, proposing a reduction in front brake bias and servo effectiveness.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\P\2October1926-December1926\ Scan081 | |
| Date | 25th November 1926 | |
| TO HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} C. to BJ. WOR.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} (struck through) BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} (struck through) PN.{Mr Northey} (struck through) ORIGINAL (stamped) R1/M25.11.26. re. FRONT WHEEL BRAKING. AND STEERING. X8430 X9940 (handwritten) X8430 (handwritten and struck through) Regarding memo. HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/RM{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}1/LG231126.. I quite agree, and am definitely in favour of reducing the braking on the front wheels xx on all back numbers at once. You will remember this has always been my object and recommendation since we started on front wheel brakes. I take it that our new proportions will be the same as you suggest, namely, two units on the back wheels, and one on the front, which equals 66% and 33% respectively. Please let us know if you agree to this, and that it will not be necessary to go through 10,000 miles, as it is a safety reduction rather than an increase, and suggest the easiest way of doing it so that it can be included in our standard modifications to all Phantoms (back numbers), and all Silver Ghost 4 wheel brake cars. Judging from all the cars we have tested, perhaps with the exception of the Hispano, it definitely suggests that our braking is too easy in application, and in a sudden emergency our cars are likely to be dangerously overbraked. I therefore suggest that we still further reduce the effectiveness of the servo to the extent of 25%, which would probably mean that we had to exert five units of pressure on the pedal, instead of four, for an equal braking. Regarding complaints from Sales re. ineffective brakes I should expect this to be either blacklead or oil on the brakes, which we cannot cater for, and ought to be avoided (prevented.) R.{Sir Henry Royce} (Stamped text: RECEIVED 26 NOV 1926 HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} A M) | ||