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 testing and modification of suspension damper settings for a 22.G.V. model.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 101\2\ scan0206 | |
| Date | 9th December 1936 | |
| HOTEL DE FRANCE CHATEAUROUX. Indre France. To. Hon. C.S.R. RE. G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} V.{VIENNA} SUSPENSION. We are of the opinion that we have arrived at a satisfactory damper setting on 22.G.V. which gives a comfortable rear seat ride on full minimum position and a fairly controlable car on full maximum position. We have tried the car with the dampers that were sent to us and understand that by fitting them our results would be similar to the car you have in Derby fitted with low rating front springs and roll-bar. Owing to the enormous variety and conditions of roads, which cannot be compared with the English roads, we consider that the car when fitted with these dampers is too soft and caters too much for the better class roads and town work. On realy bad pot-holed surfaces, the car is apt to jump about in a most unpleasant manner and gives one the feeling that there is not sufficient control over either axle. Even when taking a corner at reasonable speeds, considerable rolling takes place, making the car difficult to handle and one has to continually allow for bad road holding. On the other hand the rear seat ride has much improved and is the best we have experienced up to 45 MPH., but over that speed, find that instead of quick up and down movements taking place as was previously the case, the movements are now comparatively longer and more gentle, which tend to make a sensitive rear seat passenger feel ill. We have attempted to modify these faults without spoiling the rear seat ride and have arrived at a reasonable compromise. The dampers you sent us have been untouched. The four dampers which were originally on the car were re-set to give an intermediate loading between the softer dampers received from you and our original damper setting which was considered to be too hard by Sr. The result is that with the hand control in the soft position, the rear seat ride and controlability is very similar to that produced by the softer dampers, and is very near to what a customer would expect, and in the hard position gives the driver a fair degree of controlability over the worst conditions, but at the same time does not make the rear seat ride objectionable, although the effect of the hand control can be readily noticed. We are of the opinion that the present setting would be more suitable to Continental conditions in the event of the low rated front suspension being adapted in any particular case, particularly if the car is going to be used for fast touring. | ||