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 failure of Phantom III front suspension levers and proposed design modifications.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 95\3\ scan0203 | |
| Date | 31th December 1935 | |
| X346 To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to Nor. c. to Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} c. to Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} Phantom III Front Suspension Levers. The attached photographs show 2 levers which have recently failed on the Bumper chassis. Our bumper tests are now more severe owing to the use of 3" cams on the drums instead of the 2" cams. G.81431 is an exactly similar lever to that which failed after 20,000 miles on 32-EX in France. This car did a run to London and back with the front suspension spring guides seized previous to going to France. G.83836 is the lever designed to replace G.81431, but this example has actually lasted 10 hours less on the bumper chassis. Although the Laboratory report H1.1/AB.19.12.35 finds no fault in the material of lever G.83836, we find that the section between the added strengthening flanges is considerably less than the drawing. In fact, the area of cross section at the point of failure is approximately similar in both levers. RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} is arranging for production to check over all their levers. In view of the failures we think that further modifications in design are desirable. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Les.{Ivan A. Leslie} | ||