Suspension characteristics, spring friction, and experimenting with Truffault pattern shock absorbers.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 80\2\ scan0015 | |
| Date | 3rd October 1916 | |
| Contd. -8- RG {Mr Rowledge} /W3.10.16. 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 an advantage for the road springs to have as little friction as possible, and that the movement between the axle, and the chassis frame at the back shall be restricted as little as possible for movements of small distances, but should the oscillation grow into a larger one, the resistance of the damper should be more and more effective. This appears to have been carried out in the recent shock absorbers of Truffault, but the fitting is excessively heavy that we think, on that and other accounts, it is prohibitive. X 762. We are, therefore, on the look-out for some device which will have the required effect, perhaps more thoroughly 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 hydraulic damper which Contd. I believe can be made to fulfill exactly conditions we think are required. I will let you know further about this in course of a few days. | ||
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).