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).
Suspension tests addressing body distortion, frame distortion, and the effects of shock absorbers and springs.
| Identifier | Morton\M19\ img114 | |
| Date | 9th February 1931 guessed | |
| (3) and fixed to the centre of the dumbell bar. This had no effect at all, the body distortion and jiggling was as bad as with no weights at all. Secondly the two weights were clamped one on each running board midway between the two axles, this made a slight improvement, not very marked. Lastly both weights were carried in the centre of the car and midway between the axles, this had no effect at all. It appears from the preliminary tests that the root of the trouble is frame distortion. On 20-EX which is now fitted with Andre Telecontrol friction shock absorbers, the effect of additional damping was tried but no definite decision was arrived at that any difference had been made by increasing front or rear damping. Investigations are being continued. Up to the present, cars carrying two spare wheels at the front would appear to be the best type for this particular complaint. This appears rather to contradict all our previous impressions that cars with weight at the rear ride best, but with the use of low rating springs we say that the difference between cars of this type and large bodied cars with seating position directly above the rear axle is considerably less marked. On the 20/25 HP we are at present carrying out similar tests with lower rating front and rear road springs. On both cars however our scope is very definitely limited by shock dampers, with the present dampers it is not possible to obtain a good soft low speed ride and at the same time control the axles for fast work over rough or wavy roads. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Lid.{A. J. Lidsey} | ||