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).
Test drive report on an experimental car, focusing on the performance of its brakes and clutch.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 73\3\ scan0409 | |
| Date | 21th February 1924 | |
| X.9680 X9946 To HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} RG.{Mr Rowledge} FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} SECRET. E.A.C. 111. R1/M21.2.24. c. to CJ. BJ. Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} PN.{Mr Northey} RE. PN{Mr Northey}'S EXPERIMENTAL CAR. X9946 X.9680 BRAKES. I drove this for about 16 miles over extremely bad, soft, and dangerous roads here, on its way to Nice. The reverse pinion had seized while PN.{Mr Northey} was getting it out of a ditch on its journey here. I suggest it was too close a fit and ought to have a floating bush. has EAC.1V? I think too much oil was in the box and getting on to the servo, resulting in variable braking. If this could be avoided there seems very little really wrong with these brakes since removing the ferodo from the servo, the adjustments and wear all round being extraordinarily little for the 1000 miles including much mountain work. They are as intended about twice as effective as the ordinary 40/50 brakes, and much safer than the approximate 5 times as effective as in the Hispano case. I do not believe there is much to complain of for an attempt to use existing cars, except the difficulty of the oil on the servo drum. Before setting out I had a front and back wheel jacked up to test the proportion between front and back, and found the back definitely a little more at light braking. CLUTCH. This is too heavy (inertia) which HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} has tested. It is to be reduced 3 times somehow. We ought not to fit a clutch brake unless we cannot do without it: otherwise the clutch is extremely good. contd:- | ||