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).
Customer feedback on front brake overheating on mountainous roads and questioning the design's cooling capacity.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 73\3\ scan0273 | |
| Date | 5th February 1925 | |
| X 9940 PN{Mr Northey}4/DN5.2.25. TO Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} ____ c. to BJ & CWB FROM PN{Mr Northey} Recently when giving a demonstration run to a young man who has a 2-seater Hispano and does a great deal of fast driving, he remarked, on our return, on the high temperature of the front wheel brake pulleys, [handwritten] drums [/handwritten] and he volunteered that he would not care to run those brakes in Switzerland, as from his experience the chances were that they would become altogether too hot. I remarked that before finally deciding to standardise any device of the nature, we made most elaborate tests in country of the nature to be met with in Switzerland and that the design was a result of such tests, so that he need not fear. The point, however, is still a puzzle to me why we have made so little provision for increasing the surface for radiation on the front wheel brakes. Is it because room cannot be found for the ribs ? The point is one, I think, of very considerable importance. Have you any figures relating to this point arising out of tests made in mountainous country with our standard F.W.B.'s ? PN{Mr Northey} PN{Mr Northey} | ||