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).
Testing chassis 12-EX with altered road springs and hydraulic shock dampers for Australian conditions.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 16\7\ Scan016 | |
| Date | 26th May 1927 | |
| To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Pt. c. to EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} c. to BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} +7410 Pt2/LG26.5.27. SPRINGING. X8410 This afternoon I tried chassis 12-EX with Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} in connection with suggested alteration to road springs for Australian conditions. This car was fitted with springs 15% stronger than English standard all round, but neither front nor rear were of the so-called stiffer type. It was also fitted with hydraulic shock dampers fore and aft. We tested the car on the roughest road we could find also at low speed on very good road, and at high speeds over the Burton Rd. hump-backed bridge, and under these conditions I found the springing extremely good from the point of view of suitability for Colonial road conditions. I am now inclined to think that anything in the nature of 25% stronger and 25% stiffer springs at the rear, which you will remember was the alternative suggested by Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}, would be something in excess of our requirements and this I attribute largely to the hydraulic shock absorbers with which we have not up to date had any experience in Australia. However I will reduce the camber 25% on the springs now fitted to 47-AU. and will let you have my opinion of same in due course. In the meantime I would strongly press for Hartford shock absorbers at the rear in addition to hydraulics as it seems most important to me that we contd :- | ||