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).
Mitigating high-speed wobbles through weight redistribution, tyre balancing, and a new fluid damper design for the 40/50 car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 53\2\ Scan167 | |
| Date | 8th August 1925 guessed | |
| contd :- -3- and possibly the weight of the front of the car on a given inflated tyre may affect the time and intensity, and the possibility of these high speed wobbles building up. You will remember that I have for some time been repeatedly agitating for the removal of some weight on the front axle by getting every ounce we can from everything in front of the driver's body, and in your tests one might as a means of removing weight backwards, remove both the spare wheels and put them in the body of the car. If we can detect any change due to the removal of this weight it shews how important it is to take every ounce firstly off any unsprung weight, then off the engine, and any sprung weight, and finally arranging the spare wheels, spares and tools, at the rear of the car. I think it will be very diplomatic to advise customers and tyre makers that it is absolutely necessary for the tyres to be in good running balance, but we cannot rely on them being nearer than a certain standard, which I should guess would be in the neighbourhood of 1/4 lb. at the periphery for a wheel as fitted to our 40/50 car. Mr. Hardy is at present drawing the arrangement of fluid damper which may have to be carried on the front axle, and connected to the cross steering arm by a tube and ball connection. DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} is endeavouring to find a scheme that will ho in our present 40/50 arrangement to provide more friction than will be generated by two plain thrust bearings. You will remember when discussing this matter here, that we wished you to test every strength of controlling spring in the longitudinal contd:- | ||