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).
Brake pedal pressure, brake performance with wrapping action, and the adverse effects of front brakes on steering geometry.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 73\2\ scan0044 | |
| Date | 12th July 1923 | |
| R.R. 493A (40 H) (SL 42 12-7-23). J.H., D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} .EXPERIMENTAL REPORT. Expl. No. 9940 REF: Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1/LCS.10.23. We think in the case of emergency, it is difficult to estimate what pressure the driver would put on the pedal. We know from experience that if one sits in a car and pushes the pedal as hard as possible, the pedal does not touch the floorboards, but if the brakes are applied in the case of emergency, the pedal will touch the floor. We have carried out a large number of tests in connection with brakes recently and these tests have proved that we get considerable wrapping action with the present expanding brakes, depending on how they are adjusted. For instance, if we remove the shoes which the drums tend to push off, we get much increased braking at low speeds. If the brakes are made safe so that when they are adjusted to give the maximum braking the strongest driver cannot make the car become dangerous - we think then the brakes would be very little used normally. It is a well-known fact that there have been a number of fatal accidents with cars fitted with front wheel brakes and our impression after we have seen what actually can happen with the steering when the front brakes are applied, is that we shall never be out of trouble until the braking is arranged so that it cannot in any way affect the geometry of the steering. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||