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).
From CJ to R. summarizing the history of decisions regarding front axle control and spring arrangements.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 72\3\ scan0270 | |
| Date | 7th July 1924 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from CJ. CJ7/Ea/7/24 - 2 - difference in the length of the springs on the 360 cars already issued. You may remember that on the 27th February last Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} wrote a memo. on this point, saying that he was certain that we should not be satisfied with the inferior riding qualities of the stiffer springs and that it would not be expected by customers that the addition of front wheel brakes should make the car ride less comfortably. On receipt of a copy of this memo. which was addressed to you, I asked Miss Elias to revive it a week later with a view to seeing whether you had replied. As you had not replied a week later and as I felt you were very busy over brakes, I deferred the matter another fortnight, but on the 25th March I wrote to you calling attention to Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}'s memo., saying that it seemed to have a great deal of common sense at the back of it and asking whether you agreed to ½ Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}'s suggestion that Derby should be allowed to experiment with the control of the front axle independent of the springs. The history since then, as far as I can trace it, is as follows:- On the 22nd May at a conference you agreed that the control of the front axle by a long torque arm or by a parallel control should be put at the top of the Designing and Experimental lists. On the 26th May you wrote (R3/M26/5/24) that you would be very shortly tackling the modified control of the front axle. On the same date you wrote (R6/M26/5/24) saying it was suggested that either the springing should be considerably modified or that the parallel control arrangement with single or double radius rods is necessary. On the 29th May you wrote (R3/M29/5/24) that you had been going into all patterns of front axle control with a view to experimentally testing what is thought the most hopeful, that the best you could see was 45 in. equal ended semi-elliptic springs and that with this arrangement you proposed testing radius rods, also that you found it very undesirable to attempt torque rod control. Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} On the 26th June wrote (XDA1/M26/6/24) that you would like the Experimental Dept. to test the double radius rods indicated on a drawing sent them. Yours ever, C.J. | ||