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).
Tests on heavy section inner tubes and inertia dampers to solve high-speed wobbles.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 29\1\ Scan278 | |
| Date | 31th January 1927 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. to BJ. Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to RG.{Mr Rowledge} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to OY. +457 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}5/LG31.1.27. HIGH SPEED WOBBLES. x8430 (a) Heavy section inner tubes. We have carried out further tests increasing the rotational moment of inertia of the road wheels by the maximum, while adding the minimum to the axle criss cross moment of inertia. We have done this both by fitting heavy inner tubes to the tyres, and by fixing a thin ring of the maximum diameter to the wheel. Our results indicate that, though in certain cases a marked improvement can be effected in the steering, the results are not sufficiently consistent to justify any hope of eliminating high speed wobbles by this means. The general impression is that the steering may be improved all the way up to the critical speed for road shocks and joggles but that at the critical speed wobbles can occur, and in certain cases do occur more violently than without the increased peripheral weight. (b) Inertia damper. We have tried out inertia dampers coupled to the cross steering tube and the axle but this device does not seem to have any appreciable effect on high speed wobbles. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/W. A.{Mr Adams} Robotham. | ||