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).
Steering and springing performance, comparing different spring and shock absorber setups.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 19\4\ Scan232 | |
| Date | 22th December 1930 guessed | |
| -2- the weaker front springs and have also added a little more friction to the steering. With the weaker springs we may still be criticised for joggles over rough surface. They point out that on our quarterly complaints we show a very large number of customers complaints on P.II steering. It is a point which we have got to keep in mind. Springing. The riding of a modern U.S.A. P.I. is very good indeed. The car which Cy. brought to England stood out as being exceptionally good for riding. They use definitely more flexible springs than we did on P.I. or those fitted to 25-EX. They work to spring stiffness and not deflection, but approx. their standard cars have 11" deflection and about 3 1/4" buffer clearance. We fitted the experimental low rating springs which I brought with me and the riding of the car on the springs was very good indeed, very little pitching and quite a comfortable ride. As regards the riding of the car on the springs it was equal or better than the U.S.A. cars, but whereas on the U.S.A. car the chassis and axle and body rode as one unit, on 25-EX one was always apparent of the axle dithering as a separate unit. This is the whole criticism of P.II steering, springing. We have tried various shock absorber settings but we have not been able to alter this effect. My latest feeling is that Springfield get a definite gain from their threaded type shackle, with these shackles there can be no side slack whatever. With our standard shackles we must get some which would hammer sideways, and I believe the discomfort is noise as well as feel. I have cabled to Derby to try this out. I am bringing back with me samples of these shackles, they have convinced me that they are a great improvement over the standard type (whatever the result of test in springing). I have got a very good idea now of what they desire and what results they obtain on their own cars. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||