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).
Experiments with drilled valves in shock absorbers to improve riding quality and comparing a Chrysler to a Phantom.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 16\7\ Scan175 | |
| Date | 14th May 1929 | |
| To OY. from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} X7410 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}5/LG14.5.29. RIDING QUALITY. X7410 X235 With reference to your note of the 11th. ult. The best way I can answer some of your queries is to tell you what we have been doing on the subject. In the first place we have done no general experimenting with drilled valves because R.{Sir Henry Royce} considered that they spoilt the action of the shock absorber. We wanted to use them badly on the rear of the 20 HP. car to overcome the difficulty of knocking. However R.{Sir Henry Royce} has now agreed that possibly drilling a high pressure valve does produce a beneficial effect with regard to the life of the wearing parts and so we shall carry on with our experiments with regard to the way in which they improve riding comfort, and fit in with our ideas of road holding. We think that there is no doubt that your American conditions differ very widely from those for which we have to cater. As an example of this, the Chrysler which we are running in the Expl: Dept: is the most objectionable car to drive above a genuine 55 m.p.h. If its speed was of the same order as the Phantom we should say that there would be a very real difficulty in steering it at all at 75/80 m.p.h. As a matter of fact it only appears to do a genuine 65 m.p.h. with a speedometer speed of about 73 m.p.h. Presumably the Chrysler is sprung for American conditions but contd :- | ||