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).
Letter from the American branch to the UK discussing Belflex shackles and their potential to eliminate front-end shimmy.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 4\6\ 06-page34 | |
| Date | 28th April 1928 | |
| ROLLS-ROYCE OF AMERICA, INC. SPRINGFIELD, MASS. X433 Oy7-E-42826 April 28th, 1928 Mr. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} W. Hives, Rolls-Royce, Ltd., Derby, England. Re Belflex shackle Dear Hives: Here is the latest sheet from the Belflex people. They have now had sufficient experience, to make the definite claim that the use of their shackles in front eliminates whimy. Note also the engine mounting on the Marmon and the White hydraulic steering gear which I wrote you about some time ago. Don't you think you should try out a set of springs with Belflex shackles on the road and the bump test? I think possibly our threaded shackles with the steel bushing 1/16" slack to the bolt may have some effect on shimy and steering harshness generally. It has just occurred to me that in fitting 12-NC with front springs shackled at the rear, about which we cabled on April 21st, we also fitted our screwed shackles with loose bushes. It is possible that this change, by eliminating the torsion of the front springs may have had an effect both on the riding and steering of this car. We shall know better when we have finished "WK-1", the "Tris'f" car with O.H.valve engine which will have screwed shackles with the shackle at the front. Yours very truly, Maurice Olley MO/E | ||