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 to Mr. Hives discussing the technical advantages of a three-point body subframe support system.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 14\8\ Scan287 | |
| Date | 26th January 1931 | |
| ROLLS-ROYCE OF AMERICA, INC. SPRINGFIELD, MASS. Btn-1 January 26, 1931. [STAMP: POST RECEIVED FEB 5 1931] [STAMP: RECEIVED FEB 18 1931] [HANDWRITTEN: 87380] Rolls Royce, Ltd., Derby, England. Attention: Mr. Hives Dear Mr. Hives: Re: Body Subframe While you were over here, I meant to discuss with you some aspects of the Subframe proposition, but you kept us all so busy we never got the chance. On the question of the subframe I want to say definitely you are missing the best advantages of this system by adopting the three point support you now use and that this cannot be corrected by leaving out the center support as you tried on 24-EX. Doing this puts an excessive bending load on the center portion of the body. What you really want is a support about 15" back of the dash as at present coupled with another support of the same nature about 10" forward of the rear axle. The advantages of this support are: 1. All bending deflections of the chassis frame are completely insulated from the body and the coachwork only has to carry the loads imposed by its own weight (and of the passengers), whereas with a three point suspension (at each side) some frame bending distortion must necessarily be carried by the body or else the third support is not doing any work. 2. The body is comparatively rigidly attached to the chassis at the dash only. It will be subjected to torsional distortions which it can stand, but which, however, will be a little relieved by the rubber mounting. (Continued) | ||