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).
Wheel arch clearance issues and fouling on 'WJ' series cars, with test results and proposed modifications.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\T\March1929-December1929\ Scan197 | |
| Date | 4th September 1929 | |
| ORIGINAL. SECRET. DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EVL/W4.9.29. -C&T- } FROM DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} Copy to Mr. CY/HNG. " " JG. " " HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/RM.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} WHEEL ARCH CLEARANCES. "WJ" SERIES. x7380 7830 At several of the coachbuilders in London the rolling test has been applied to partly completed cars of this series, with a view to testing the wheel arch clearances. It has been found that if the clearances are to our instructions, with no passengers or weights in the car, the brake drum shield fouls the wheel arch panel when the body is rolled from side to side, and to obtain contact on the rubber with each side is impossible. If the car is loaded with 6 people and then rolled, the fouling is very much slighter. When loaded still more the fouling can be made to almost disappear. We are at a loss at the moment to fully explain this phenomenon. (1) We agree that similar tests on the Phantom do not produce any fouls. (2) The track of WJ. series is approximately .5" more than Phantom. The wheel arch clearance is exactly the same as that for the Phantom when the maximum roll condition is considered. (3) Several cars have been 10,000 miles tests in France, and have run many thousands of miles in England, under town running, light running, and high speed running conditions, and we have not received a complaint. (4) We have examined 18-EX. and made tests. There were slight indications of contacts between the wheel arch and the brake drum shield, the car having covered altogether just over 2,000 miles. We tried rolling this car with no-one in it, and could only get a slight thumping. We then went out in the car with the back lightly loaded (one passenger) over a rough field, with mounds a foot high, and rolled the car about, cornering at the same time, for some while. We could only once get a contact. One would describe these conditions as those to be encountered on mountain tracks, or driving through open country without roads. IMMEDIATE ACTION - BODIES UNDER CONSTRUCTION. For those bodies already under construction we suggest that the wheel arches be modified if possible as indicated in fig. 1. The coachbuilder cuts out the wheel arch, and chisels and files away the top flange of the subframe. As far as we can (1) | ||