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).
Brake performance and wear, comparing 4-wheel braking to 2-wheel systems under severe road conditions.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 30\6\ Scan165 | |
| Date | 25th January 1924 | |
| R.R. 403A (60 H) (BL 42 12-7-23). J.H.,D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} EXPERIMENTAL REPORT. Expl. No. 9940 REF HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}4/LG25.1.24. over the same road as the RR. - by the same drivers - under the same conditions, to see how long the brakes on that car will remain consistently good, and also how much wear takes place. Our experience so far with the Hispano shows that the brakes are easy to adjust and remain consistent and equal. We also propose, in order to confirm what the maximum temperature of our servo is likely to be on actual severe road conditions, to send a fully laden car to North Devon and measure the temperature of the servo when descending hills such as - Porlock, Countisbury etc. In our opinion these hills are as bad as any that are likely to be met and far more severe than the engineered roads on the Continent. Recently, the roads have been very bad as regards grease, snow and ice. These conditions show up any small degree of unequal braking. If we wish to make the four brakes give the maximum efficiency on a greasy road, it is essential that we should have equal braking on all four wheels. To obtain equal braking means that we shall be more exacting than we have been xx in the past with 2 brakes. For instance, since we have been running brakes on all four wheels, we are not nearly so satisfied with the rear brakes on the 40/50 HP. which have been fitted to the car for a considerable time. With only 2 brakes operating on the rear wheels one expects the car to skid sideways when the brakes are applied on a greasy road, but once one has experienced equal braking on all four wheels, it is difficult to feel satisfied with contd:- | ||