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).
Trade-offs between adopting front-wheel brakes and maintaining the car's suspension comfort.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 73\3\ scan0171 | |
| Date | 1st July 1924 | |
| SECRET. To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from CJ. The position would undoubtedly be very serious. As Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} said: 'We should be in the devil of a mess.' We then sought for an avenue by which we could avoid this mess. BJ last week had expressed a wish to try a car in which the braking on the front wheels was so far reduced as to permit of a very slight - if any - addition to the stiffness of the front springs. [Handwritten note 'reduced' with an arrow points to the word 'addition'] When Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} was asked concerning this possibility, he said that doubtless, if we would be content with such braking on the front wheels we could use standard front springs as used on cars which have no front brakes, except that the springs would be an inch longer. When asked whether a car fitted with front wheel brakes had been tested sufficiently with standard (not front wheel brake) springs, Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} stated that a car so fitted had been run sufficiently to warrant our adopting such a plan. He pointed out, however, that, if the front wheel braking were reduced sufficiently to permit of the use of standard (not front wheel brake) springs, BN{W.O. Bentley / Mr Barrington} and others would complain that one of the principal advantages of front wheel brakes would be seriously reduced, namely, the use of four wheel brakes on a greasy surface. It was felt, however, that having undoubtedly made a good reputation for the Rolls-Royce car on account of its sweetness of springing, it would be better to sacrifice some of the advantages of the front wheel brakes - (those of which our customers generally speaking know nothing and therefore would not miss) than to take away from our customers the beautiful springing which they have been used to and give them inferior springing such as may be found on cheaper and less successful cars. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} was of opinion that, by reason of the stronger braking on the back wheels owing to the servo we could if necessary be content with a reduced proportion of braking on the front wheels, which would enable us to maintain the present front wheel [crossed out: brakes][handwritten: springs] and save for the inch increase in length. On Monday or Tuesday we hope to know whether Sales feel that they cannot accept front wheel braking which involves springs which destroy the suspension generally of the car. If the judgment is that they cannot accept such an arrangement, then Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} will alter the amount of braking on the front wheels and enable us to judge what sort of braking we shall have with the ordinary un-strengthened springs. | ||