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).
High percentage of front spring breakages on the 40/50 postwar chassis and communications with the supplier.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 42\3\ Scan147 | |
| Date | 6th November 1923 | |
| [Handwritten top left] R.{Sir Henry Royce} [crossed out] c. GJ. c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} [Handwritten top centre] X3854 [Typed top right] BY6-P6.11.23. 40/50 CHASSIS. FRONT SPRINGS. Whilst not wishing to unnecessarily worry you at this juncture, in view of the pressure of other work you are dealing with, it has been considered desirable that I should draw your attention to the fact that we are having a greater percentage of spring breakages on the front springs of the postwar chassis than we had on prewar. Our breakages all told on the postwar program are approximately 70 springs out of a total of 5400. The maximum number of breakages have taken place on cars which are used abroad, for which [word 'service' crossed out] you agreed to 5% increase of strength. On one car in Italy and one car in Spain we have had replacement springs break, so that it certainly appears as if we must make some slight change to obviate the trouble. The facts of the case are, that on more than one occasion we have carefully considered the heat-treatment of both prewar and postwar springs without being able to shew any definite advantage one way or the other. We have con-sistently brought to Messrs. Woodheads attention the breakages which have occurred and impressed upon them the importance of getting the very best results possible from the point of view of heat-treatment, and as a result of the pressure we brought to bear upon them in this connection they considerably modified their methods in the direction of putting down better muffles contd. | ||