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).
Comparative tyre noise tests and discussions with Dunlop to produce a quieter tyre.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 158\1\ scan0046 | |
| Date | 22th December 1927 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. to BJ. WOT. c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} CWB X2679 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/RmL/LG22.12.27. DUNLOP TYRES. [Handwritten and crossed out: X4565] [Handwritten and crossed out: X2679] We have repeatedly tried to convince the Dunlop Rubber Co. that their triple stud Balloon tyre tread was too noisy. We visited them last week and shewed them the British Goodrich tyre. They have a bench test for tyre noise. On this they were running tyres at 80 m.p.h. At 80 m.p.h. the triple stud is relatively silent. We got them to run the test at 40 m.p.h. The penetrating whine of the triple stud was then evident. The British Goodrich when run on the same test actually produce a greater volume of sound but of [struck through text] a dull low note. This is a reproduction of the effect we get on the road and we demonstrated it on one of our saloon cars. The Goodrich tyres could not be heard at any speed on a smooth dry tar-macadam road with the windows up, the triple stud tyre was audible at all speeds under the same conditions. We tried various tyres; the latest Goodyear pattern appeared to be definitely more silent than any of the others. We convinced Dunlops that we must have a more silent tyre and that the British Goodrich possessed reasonably good non-skid properties. They have promised to supply us with an experimental sent in about three weeks time. As they have a definite standard to work to, and a means of reproducing the conditions which exist on the car, they should not have much difficulty in producing what we want now that they have decided to make a special effort to deal with the question of noise. contd :- | ||