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).
Issues with shock absorbers, including water ingress, clearance problems, and potential modifications.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 78\2\ scan0173 | |
| Date | 23th July 1919 | |
| Contd. -2- EH5/LG23.7.19. The only complaint with the inside of the shock absorber is that a considerable amount of water got in. We think it will be very difficult to modify these shock absorbers to ensure that no water can get in. Except for the ball bearing, we do not think the water would interfere at all with the working of the shock absorbers. Mr. Day suggests that we might try a bronze bush in place of the ball bearing. We had trouble on both cars with the top of the shock absorber tube catching under the frame. We had the maximum clearance we could get to prevent this happening. We do not think we shall ever get sufficient clearance with the tune squeezed in between the frame and the spring. En. has suggested that we could cut off 1.25" off the end of the rear springs; there would still be enough room for the safety bolt and the maximum amount of travel of the springs on the roller. If we reduce the rear springs by that amount we shall then be able to get ample clearance from the frame we should also have room enough to get a leather stocking over the tube to protect the ball joint from mud. We also found that on the maximum bump, the top of the tube, after it had gone up and scraped the side of the frame, it struck the rear mudguard stay. The usual place for fitting the rear mudguard stays is to bolt them to the portion of the body which overhangs the side of the frame. On the maximum bump, the top of the shock absorber goes up level with the top of the frame; this is with the rubber buffer pressed ½". When these | ||