Rolls-Royce Archives
         « Prev  Box Series  Next »        

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).
Comparing American and English car springing, discussing spring stiffness, damping, and lubrication.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 43\2\  Scan258
Date  26th October 1929
  
HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}) FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design})
X3900.
c. to SG.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer}
R4/M26.10.29.
X.3900
X.7772
X.7410
X.8410
AMERICAN AND ENGLISH CAR SPRINGING

With reference to the difference in the American and English springing naturally there cannot be much except that of flexibility for the load. We always work for very flexible springs and sufficient damping rather than stiff springs and little damping, that is, for moderate and low speeds. For high speeds still more damping is necessary, and also stiffer springs.

It would be safer to give satisfaction to the customers with the stiffest springs that please them because it it the safest policy to meet high speed running in England and on the Continent, and to avoid seasickness, but above all, we must make the dampers effective, and these are very easily spoilt by drilling the valves.

The requirements for different conditions are so opposed to one another that it is difficult to find the best compromise. One beauty of the hydraulic system as introduced by us, in contra-distinction to the other makes at that time, is that we have nearly every variety of damping that experiment shews to be the best and with soft reversals, and that damping, when once set, is lasting and consistent.

Some day we may use a controllable system, depending on speed, or from the driver's seat. The preliminary patents have been arranged for.

I have never favoured much nip between the spring plates, and lately it has been proved that the surface of the leaves must be satisfactorily bedded so that their load carrying capacity is as high as possible before the lubrication is squeezed out. It would probably follow that central lubrication to the rear springs is a thing that should be fitted to Phantom I back numbers, should this prove to be advisable. I think it could fairly easily be done via the central pin. Too much nip (causing initial friction,) and dry rusty illbedded spring leaves vary so greatly that the friction runs up to high figures as to make riding (especially with light loads) very unsatisfactory, and I think this is the chief cause of complaints. It is m much less liable on SS{S. Smith}, especially with spare wheel and battery at the rear.

I have promised C. to send suggestions to Derby re. the phenomenon complained of by some city man, known as dithers -(probably preceding paragraph.

R.{Sir Henry Royce}
  
  


Copyright Sustain 2025, All Rights Reserved.    whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble
An unhandled error has occurred. Reload 🗙