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).
Vibration and 'booming' issues in the Phantom II chassis, attributing some problems to coachwork and considering improvements for an upcoming production order.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 5\2\ 02-page353 | |
| Date | 14th October 1930 | |
| -3- Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}12/E14.10.30.Contd. In our Phantom ll chassis we have to strain every technical nerve to enable our engine to tide over the 15 to 25 M.P.H. speed on direct drive in such a way that the more meticulous owners do not complain of every variety of vibration and "booming"; also again at high speeds, approximately 60 M.P.H. we are again faced with this difficulty and menace to our reputation. To be content to take the view that all this trouble is due to the body fitted, or would not be there in its absence, is, I feel, a dangerous policy, for although doubtless there is an immense amount which the coachbuilders can and must do in so constructing every part of the coachwork that resonance is avoided as far as possible, at the same time we know that the engine vibrations on a chassis are generally worse when carrying a loose test-rig only, and may become considerably reduced when damped down by a properly made and fixed body, whilst sundry important cases of complaint have lately been remedied by a simple modification to the method of attaching our scuttle to the body, thereby tending to damp out the vibration set up by our mechanism. I have written at length on this subject because I feel that it is one of great importance and was rather alarmed to see the remark made in the last paragraph of your memo, which I have noted that there is little that can be done to improve the chassis and in another memo. of DWSV. to you to the effect that coachwork was ruining our chassis. As an indication of what I have in mind in regard to room for improvement in the chassis I would point out that Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} has apparently been struggling for 6 to 8 weeks to get 25-SK, i.e. the P.ll L.H. car for America, good enough for him to take over there as a sample, and it makes one wonder what is going to happen when we get into ordinary production for the order for 200 chassis. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} | ||