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).
Subframe clearance issues and required alterations for the Phantom II model.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 14\8\ Scan184 | |
| Date | 14th December 1929 | |
| X7380 ORIGINAL 87380. BY C. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} JLE.{J. Lee Evans - Chassis Test Manager} EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}3/H14.12.29. re. PHANTOM II. SUBFRAMES. With further reference to our memo EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}/Thn6/H5.1229 and EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}/Thn2/H10.12.29. and your reply BY/Cgh{W Clough}3/G12.12.29. in which you point out you do not propose to make any alterations to the present subframes to obtain more clearance until the Experimental Dept. have satisfied themselves that additional clearance is necessary - we have now gone into this matter with the Experimental Dept. It has been agreed that the tests we have given final complete cars for this clearance have been quite reasonable, and in giving Experimental cars similar tests the clearance seems to be O.K. An examination, however, has revealed the fact that the subframe of the Experimental cars are ¼" less in width than the standard now being fitted on the standard Phantom II. car, and the Experimental Dept. point out that this accounts for the trouble, and agree that more clearance is required on the present subframe than that now specified. I should be glad if you would give this matter immediate attention, as it would appear that some action should be taken at once to avoid further subframes being delivered unless increased clearance is obtained. Retrospective action should also be considered which can be applied to existing complete cars prior to being delivered to customers, and if necessary, for this point to be attended to should a complaint still exist when the car is in customer's hands. We should also like to have some recommendation as to what action should be taken to deal with subframes received by Coachbuilders and not yet used in building up the bodies. At present a considerable expense is being incurred by alterations to the body and subframe to obtain clearances, and we should like this cost to be reduced by altering the subframes prior to being fitted with bodies.. Attached hereto is copy of our routine spring clearance tests, carried out during our final complete car tests at Coachbuilders, so far as provincial coachbuilders are concerned, which we carry out from Derby. Will JLE.{J. Lee Evans - Chassis Test Manager} arrange for similar tests to be carried out on complete car tests in London. This test has been demonstrated to and approved by the Experimental Dept. and on the Experimental car on which we made comparative tests, clearances were satisfactory when this test was carried out. EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} | ||