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).
Letter to Mr. Claude Johnson regarding spring dampers, transmission noises, and replacing post-war leaf springs with pre-war ones.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 42\5\ Scan020 | |
| Date | 22th September 1920 | |
| Cy4 - G 22920 Sept. 22, 1920 Mr. Claude Johnson - 2 by the use of the spring damper in the front pivots, of which we have sent you drawings, although in this case we have only ventured to use a very little friction, because we have feared to detract from the easy steering qualities of the car. With regard to the transmission noises, we believe we have found a complete solution in the use of the old type of thin leaf rear spring. This accounts for our cable No. 145 of September 17th, in which we asked whether Derby could not supply us with thin leaf rear springs for post war cars rather than shipping us solid thick leaf rear springs to replace the split thick leaf rear springs. As mentioned in one or two of Mr. Hulley's reports, we have been forced by complaints of customers to replace a number of the rear leaf thick springs, both split and plain, with pre-war thin leaf springs, and the immediate improvement in the riding qualities of the car and in noise has been remarkable. Also, on investigation we have found that some of the pre-war cars coming in for repair ride much better and more silently than post war cars with the thick leaf springs, even in cases where the transmission slacks have been increased by wear to amounts far in excess of anything met with in post war cars, and anything which can be done, therefore, to send us pre-war rear springs for alteration of post war cars, even though the springs have already been used so that they can only be used for a temporary alteration, will be of great assistance to us and will effect a great improvement in the cars. MO/G Very truly yours, ROLLS-ROYCE OF AMERICA, Inc. For M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} Olley CC Mr. Belnap Mr. Nadin Mr. Keim Mr. Bagnall Mr. Caswell Mr. Hulley Mr. Humpston Mr. Poole Mr. Steele RECEIVED [STAMP: SEP 24 1920 U.S.A. DEPT.] | ||