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).
Vehicle road and rig testing focusing on issues with steering, suspension, and lateral flexibility.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 20\2\ Scan062 | |
| Date | 1st February 1920 | |
| R.R. 235 A 100 T (N.F. 846. 6-8-19) G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} 2460. Contd. -2- Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}3/LGG.2.20. out over the full range of speed and road conditions. [Handwritten, crossed out: X.3922] We have run a car with split springs and no clips clipping the plates together. We know from the bumping rig experiments that this considerably increases the lateral flexibility. The car on the road with this extra lateral flexibility was distinctly bad. We are going through a series of tests fitting on extra clips to see whether we can make it alright. Mr. Platford and I have been to London to try the London (covered) Trials car on which they complained of the stering. They pointed out that the car was difficult to steer and hold the road. We came to the conclusion that the worst feature on this car was the fact that owing to the thick leaf springs squeaking (the leaves them-selves squeaking) the springs have been greased after every 200 or 300 miles. There are no shock absorbers fitted to this car. The effect they get is that the car rolls and sways badly. We think that in that case most of the trouble will be overcome by fitting shock absorbers. At the same time we believe there is a ttendency for the split springs to roll more. We are continuing to run the chassis on the bumping rig. We find on there that we now get the lubricator on the end of the shock absorbers lever fouling the aluminium cover of the rear brakes and also the bracket for the rear brake. This means that the axle must move sideways 1.6" relative to the frame. On there we are running standard split springs with the standard clips. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||