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).
Pros and cons of using stiffer springs on Phantom II and 20 HP cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 16\4\ Scan154 | |
| Date | 14th May 1930 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} From Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} c. to Ss.{S. Smith} Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} OY. c. to PN.{Mr Northey} EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} X7520 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson}1/WJ.14.5.30. X.7410 X.5410 X.7520 X.5580 X4117 PHANTOM II AND 20 HP. SPRINGING. With reference to R1/W4.5.30., we agree with the formula "Flexible Springs and Damping" for springing Rolls-Royce cars. We are not at all enthusiastic about the stiffer type road springs we are running on 23-EX. We think they are only excusable in cases such as that of Sir Henry Segrave, where the driver does not use the car normally in any sense of the word, and insists on having so much damping for fast cornering etc., that the rating of the spring is smothered by the shock absorbers. The advantages the stiffer spring then gives are :- (1) A lower car because the buffer clearance can be reduced. (2) Weight saving. On the set of stiffer springs we have had made up the total reduction in weight is 1/2 cwt. They have the disadvantage that when the supplementary damping is removed the car does not ride nicely and in view of this fact they cannot be considered very desirable. The real question with which we are concerned at present is the suspension of the average large closed Rolls-Royce P.II car. We should like to emphasise that if all cars were of the 18-EX type with the rear passengers well forward and two spare wheels at the back we should not have very much to worry | ||