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).
The non-skidding properties and performance of silent tread tyres compared to other types on English roads.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 45\2\ Scan250 | |
| Date | 26th March 1930 | |
| W/S. To Cr.{Mr Cra???ster / Mr Chichester} From Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} c. to H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson}4/MJ.26.3.30. Handwritten: 14050. 14678 Y4050 SILENT TREAD TYRES. We thank you for your letter of the 24th.inst., on this subject. We have been going into the question of the non-skidding properties of various tyres recently. We do not suggest that the silent tread tyre is as good a non-skid as the triple stud, but by various tests we have proved that on typical English roads there is less than 15% between the distances in which one can pull up with these two types of treads when they are perfectly new. As the tread becomes worn the difference become less. For over half the life of the tyres, when the tread has been largely worn off, we should say that their resistance to skidding is identical. Therefore, though we emphasised when London insisted upon straight ribbed tyres that they would have to sacrifice road holding qualities, we think that the silent tread tyre is in danger of establishing a reputation for skidding which cannot be substantiated by facts, and is largely due to the psychological affect produced on the customer by the tread pattern. We would amend our remarks by saying that they only apply to English types of roads. If unmetalled roads | ||