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).
Adoption of Michelin disc wheels, Dunlop wire wheels, and the issues with wooden wheels.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 181\M11\ img186 | |
| Date | 2nd June 1919 | |
| To Ed.{J. L. Edwards} from R.{Sir Henry Royce} Copy to EH. WHEELS MICHELIN DUNLOP R-W WOOD ORIGINAL RE/G2/6/19. (4) X.3482 X.424 RE YOUR MEMO CJ/JS{Mr Johnson's Secretary}14/D29/5/19. You will remember that my recent recommendations for our cars are, adopt Michelin disc wheels as standard as soon as we are able, and have confidence that they are satisfactory. I believe they have proved extremely satisfactory during the War, and have been ordered to be fitted to all French cars for military purposes. I also know that they have been largely used by the British Navy on the Lancia cars. You will remember also that after some investigation as to the satisfaction given by the Rudge-Whitworth detachable wire wheels we came to the conclusion that it would be a safer policy for us to continue to use the Dunlop detachable wire wheel as at present, and afterwards as our second standard. The Dunlop hubs were revised by us, and the design and proportions we adopted of their pattern have given general satisfaction, The hubs are somewhat complicated and costly, and I admit that the wire wheels are very difficult to clean. As regards wooden wheels, I cannot recommend these being used in any form. It will also be especially difficult at present to get hold of well seasoned wood, and in any case in wood it is impossible to avoid changes of volume owing to changes of humidity, and therefore the wood wheels are very tight when wet, and very liable to come slack and loose in dry weather. As regards the other danger of rotting, the Wheels we had made were entirely constructed of oak and appeared | ||