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).
Meeting with Dunlop to discuss issues with noisy tyres, front wheel wobble, and the price of wheels.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 42\1\ Scan042 | |
| Date | 23th February 1926 | |
| To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from BJ. Copies to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} Roy.{Sir Henry Royce} U. X3809 BJ1/H23.2.26. (Dictated 22nd). DUNLOP WHEELS AND TYRES. To-day Roy.{Sir Henry Royce} and I met Sir George Beharrell, Mr. Kenwood and Col. Matthew of the Dunlop Company. we discussed well base wheels and tyres, and pointed out that [strikethrough]the silence of the Rolls-Royce was already greatly destroyed by the present standard tyres, but the well base tyres were considerably worse.[/strikethrough] we might just as well make a noisy car, like other makers, as we should obtain no credit for making a silent one if we used these excessively noisy tyres. we asked them to consider the possibility of producing a more silent tread, even if it was not so adhesive, as now that our customers have front wheel brakes, there should not be the same necessity for an increase of the adhesive power of the tyre, but rather a decrease. we get blamed if we supply a customer with a noisy car, even though the noise comes from the tyres, but we do not get blamed if the driver takes risks, jams on his brakes and gets a skid, and the risk of this has been greatly reduced by front wheel brakes. we also pointed out that the well base rims and tyres do increase front wheel wobbles, and although we were experimenting with a new hydraulic damper, to over_come this, even if it was successful, it would probably not be in production or in use on cars for another six months. we also discussed the suggested increase in the price of steel wheels and wire wheels. We shall hear from the Dunlop Company with regard to these shortly. B.J. | ||