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).
Customer complaints of seasickness and hard riding, and the effects of spring stiffness and damping.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\S\September1928-October1928\ Scan026 | |
| Date | 7th September 1928 | |
| -2- Hm{Capt. W. Hallam - Head Repairs}/NRC{N. R. Chandler}8/MW7.9.28. There are also a few cases of complaints of seasickness where we have fitted stronger springs only after having done everything possible to eliminate fumes from the body, but the great trouble in these cases is that complaints of seasickness are so often coupled with complaints of hard riding or jolting. In the case of light open touring cars which are usually driven fast, we have found the rear spring of 25% stiffer rating to be very successful. We realize that there are a number of cases where an Owner may appear to be more or less satisfied after a demonstration run, but 6 or 12 months afterwards the complaint may come up again in an acute form. We have read the Memo. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/RM{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}1/LG6.9.28. which is largely confirmed by our own experience, especially we agree that damping of the rear springs is very necessary. We have dealt fully with our impression of the importance of reducing leaf friction in our Hm{Capt. W. Hallam - Head Repairs}/NRC{N. R. Chandler}9/MW 27.8.29. To agree that spring leaf friction must be as low as possible and yet to agree that damping is very necessary may appear somewhat paradoxical, but we have never found it possible to obtain comfortable riding with an unlubricated spring even without external damping, which fact forces us to the conclusion that the friction of a dry and dirty spring often can and does greatly exceed the friction of a lubricated spring plus normal damping. Hm{Capt. W. Hallam - Head Repairs}/NRC{N. R. Chandler} WRB | ||