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).
Test report detailing an attempt to destroy hydraulic shock dampers by driving a car at high speed over a hump-backed bridge.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\O\2April1926-June1926\ Scan152 | |
| Date | 26th May 1926 | |
| Ex.1. Report. To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} c. to BJ. Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to Rg.{Mr Rowledge} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} Ey. c. to Ov. ORIGINAL Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Tnl/T26.5.26. HYDRAULIC SHOCK DAMPERS. X235/X4429 X967 Tests have been carried out to try and smash the rear shock dampers by running over a hump-backed bridge at speed. The setting on the rear dampers was 60 lbs. on the rebound. The car was driven over the bridge at 50 M.P.H. All four wheels left the ground. We measured that the axle moved almost 14.00" from the buffer. The shock damper was undamaged however. This was a shock damper with a 14" lever. We consider that no owner would subject his car to such maltreatment if he could help it. Certainly we cannot cater for anyone who is in the habit of driving in this manner. In view of our difficulty in smashing these shock absorbers we have been investigating the failure of the "Hartford" which we recently reported as having been "pulled out". We find that the stops on the rear springs should have been broken on this car if the "Hartford" was fully extended. Actually they are only slightly bent. Therefore we believe that our previous statement may have been incorrect and that the "Hartford" failed for some other unknown reason. However, the recent test on the "Hydraulic" dampers was very much more severe than the one under which Contd. | ||