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 Park Ward Ltd. regarding issues with creaking car door hinges and potential solutions like graphite grease or self-lubricating bronze.
Identifier | ExFiles\Box 117\3\ scan0324 | |
Date | 24th February 1941 | |
1021. 24th February, 1941. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/EAG.3/RH.{R. Hollingworth} C.W. Ward Esq., Messrs. Park Ward Ltd., 473, High Road, Willesden, LONDON. N.W.10. Dear Mr. Ward, I have had several complaints of creaking hinges on the cars that we have in use. Some of them have the ordinary coach hinge which have to have the pins knocked out and greased occasionally. I am referring however, chiefly to the Beaton Self Aligning Hinge. We had a case to-day of bad creaking of two of the hinges out of three on one door. I had the door taken off and found that all the hinges were quite dry; they had probably been oiled on assembly and the oil had just dried out. I made it a practice with this type of hinge to have them assembled with a graphite grease which will stand reasonably high temperatures before flowing. As it is some years ago since I went into the matter, I am unable to remember who are the makers of this particular grease, but I found it very satisfactory in use on moving parts such as hinges, locks and sliding dovetails. Probably, you will be able to get one of your people to make the necessary enquiries and find the right type of grease so that it will be available when it is required. Regarding the hinges for the Myth, I have taken the matter up with Beaton and am asking them about self-lubricating bronze for the balls in the centre of the hinge, as I think that if this type of material is used, most of the troubles will be overcome. As you know, the method of fixing some of the hinges on the B.V. production bodies is not too satisfactory and also they appear to be rather on the weak side. -Continued- | ||