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).
Diagnosis of noise issues in car bodies and axles by swapping components between various limousines.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 41\3\ Scan245 | |
| Date | 14th December 1922 | |
| To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from BJ. Copies to [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] WCR. X3730 BJ12/H14.12.22. NOISY BODIES. Your Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}3/LG9.12.22 was placed before the Sales Conference yesterday and they were of opinion that the only way to ascertain the comparative effect of the respective limousine bodies would be to change the axles, so that we may be quite sure that the axle noise which we hear in the new green standard limousine is entirely due to the body, or whether the axle fitted to the Hooper limousine is more silent. This can easily be ascertained by exchanging the two axles. Can you please send the axle off the Hooper limousine immediately, and we will send you the axle off the green limousine. We should also be glad if you would send us the axle off the Maythorne saloon, which you have found to be better than the Barker limousine as regards noise. Of course if we find that the new green limousine makes the old axles sound noisy, we shall then know it is the fault of the green limousine. If, on the other hand, we find that the green limousine is silent when fitted with the old axles, we shall know it is the fault of the new axle at present fitted to the green limousine. We quite appreciate that it would not be fair for us to decide that it was either the fault of the body or of the axle until this experiment has been made, and the sooner it is made, the better, as it is a matter of very great and urgent importance, as we cannot go on with our programme for building limousine bodies until it is settled. We hope you will be able to send us one, if not both, of the axles this week. As regards the noise of exhausts, we have noticed this on several occasions on a number of different cars, and we had considered that it requires careful consideration at the Works. We have not complained of it specially on the green limousine as we had already been studying it carefully on the trials landaulet and realised that it was objectionable. We shall be glad if this matter can be given careful attention with a view to reducing the noise. With regard to your suggestion that before bodies are ordered they should be standardised and agreed in the | ||