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).
Reasons for changing chassis road springs and strategies for reducing spring scrap.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 154a\4\ scan0009 | |
| Date | 30th November 1936 | |
| To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} 1306 Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}14/AP.30.11.36. CHASSIS ROAD SPRINGS. Changing Springs. We have gone over the points you raised in connection with Chassis Road Springs. We have been unable to substantiate that the road springs of many chassis are changed due to Works responsibility. For instance, a point was made that road springs have to be changed if, due to altered instructions, the spare wheel carrier is moved from the side to the back. Less than 5% of 25/30 HP. and Phantom III. have a spare wheel at the back. It is hardly credible that the instructions are wrong in more than 10% of these cars, which may mean five spring changes in a year as a total from this cause. Less than 10 cars a year are changed in the Test Department on final inspection due to Works errors. On the other hand, due to alteration in Sales instructions, about 150 chassis per year may be altered. Cutting down Spring Scrap. A certain number of springs have to be scrapped due to change in Design. The number of these springs depends upon the floating stock which has to be carried at any particular time, to ensure that any coachwork a customer may order can be catered for. The floating stock necessary depends on - (a) The limit allowed on the spring poundage that can be fitted. We have agreed that this on the P.III. can be raised to ± 50 lbs., which should mean a reduction in the number of stock springs. (b) Cutting down the time to deliver a specified spring from the manufacturer to the factory. With all the alterations called for it appears to us that Road Springs might to advantage be made in our own factory, because, while on things like clutches we buy engineering with the clutch, on road springs we buy little but Firth's overheads. However, we are trying to get some road springs from The English Steel Corporation, where we may benefit from the quantities they produce for other people. -continued- | ||