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 lubrication of the front suspension mechanism for the Phantom III Chassis.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 95\2\ scan0242 | |
| Date | 11th January 1938 | |
| BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to RRC. c. to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Bmp 90 Nam 87° Rehu 78° Perfect O/L Book 10d G Aeo 2/3d 1/4d Hd{Mr Hayward/Mr Huddy}/SB{Mr Bull/Mr Bannister}16/HR.11.1.38. See me Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} 346 re LUBRICATION OF FRONT SUSPENSION MECHANISM. Phantom III Chassis. ------------------------- We have had several complaints of creaks from the front suspension, and these have been due to lack of lubrication of the needle bearings where the lower radius arms are articulated to the bottom of the vertical yoke piece. We have also observed when dismantling the pivots of Phantom III cars that the state of lubrication of the bottom pivot bushes is poor, and a fair amount of wear has taken place. For instance, we have dismantled the pivots on 3.AX-77, Brenninkmeyer, and we are sending herewith for your inspection the pivot bushes and lower needle bearings which are in extremely bad condition. (Mileage 13,700). There appear to be two reasons for this:- 1. The lower bearings have to depend on what oil escapes from the upper pivot bearing, and the path of the oil is very tortuous. This path is from the oil feed hole in the yoke, past the outer diameter of the plunger or valve G.81579, thence it has to fill up the ball race housing to a height of .450" before it overflows the top of the sleeve G.81590. Any surplus from this point flows past a flat on the pivot pin, through an inclined hole and down the centre of the pivot pin to the lower bush. There it has to fill up to a height of .800" before it can overflow into the hole in the yoke piece which feeds the needle bearings of the bottom articulated joint. Therefore, even under the best conditions, the lower bearings receive far less oil than the upper bearings. 2. We notice that a fair amount of grease is used by the Works when erecting the pivot bearings. This grease easily chokes the oil ways and particularly fills up the annular space between the pivot pin -continued- | ||