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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).
Comparison of road springs, rear axles, and braking systems against an Oldsmobile, focusing on weight, cost, and complexity for the 'Phoenix' project.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 10\5\  05-page069
Date  3rd September 1937
  
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The reason they can beat us on weight, in spite of these facts, lies in the road springs. The Bentley springs weigh 112 lbs. against 70 for the Oldsmobile.

Everyone agrees that the Oldsmobile is an excellent back seat ride. If they can get a good back seat ride with such a short wheelbase and light road springs, we can do the same and better on B.III. where the passengers sit further forward of the rear axle.

Therefore, we regard the development of less costly and lighter rear road springs as a high spot on the B.III. project.

Apart from weight considerations, the simplicity of the Oldsmobile rear axle is at once apparent from the photo-graphs. Also the saving in the weight of the hubs due to the semi-floating construction.

With between two and three million 'merican passenger cars being turned out annually with semi-floating rear axles, it seems wrong to condemn the scheme from long past English experience. We believe the Phoenix semi-floating axle project should go forward.

BRAKES.

We have no quarrel with the Wraith drum and shoe arrangement, though we shall have to save cost on the Phoenix.

The brake hook-up, however, is disappointing considering that it is our 'simplified' system, and it is difficult to know how to make a sound mechanical brake linkage on an independently sprung car with appreciably fewer parts.

The Oldsmobile does this job for 28 lbs, we need 52 lbs. (of which, of course, 15 are the servo), but the number of small pieces involved (plate 50. Oldsmobile compared with 40. Wraith) is the more alarming factor.

We believe that the project of getting hydraulic brake transmission to the front wheels of the Phoenix is a move in the right direction, as this will eliminate a great many pieces. It will also give us experience of hydraulic brake transmission in the hands of customers with the minimum amount of risk.

If we have to come to cast iron drums on the Wraith, however, the weight of the brake section, which is already 34 lbs. more than that on the Oldsmobile, is going to be formidable.

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