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).
Spring friction, shock absorbers, and potential suspension improvements for a post-war chassis.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 19\2\ Scan050 | |
| Date | 1st October 1916 | |
| X.762. X.2565. Post-War Chassis. -8- R6/W3.10.16. Contd. with very little oil, or preferably with paint only, and that the car will be run long enough so that the springs, are in a normally average state. It will be found that 7-CA as received at Peterboro', with, I understand, the springs throughly lubricated, had not sufficient friction in the springs to keep the back of the car steady. Recent experience had shown that it is anadvantage for the road springs to have as little friction as possible, and that the move- ment between the axle and the chassis frame at the back shall be restricted as little as possible for move- ments of small distances, but should the oscillation grow into a larger one, the resistance of the damper should be X.762 more and more effective. This appears to have been carried /out in the recent shock absorbers of Trauffault, but the fitting is so excessively heavy that we think, on that and other accounts, it is prohibitive. We are, therefore, on the look-out for some device which will have the required effect, perhaps more thorough ly without this excessive weight, but as a means of experimenting I suggest that two of the Trauffault pattern be fitted to the back axle, to see whether this type, which has a certain amount of slack, is effective, and has no objectionable features. You will remember that many years ago we had a hydraulic one which had some features, but there was difficulty to make it maintain full of oil. I have a scheme for fitting such a hydraulic damper which I believe can be made to fulfil exactly the conditions we think are required. I will let you know further about this in the course of a few days. | ||