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).
Shock absorber design, issues, and proposed modifications for the Phantom II model.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 182\M19\ img016 | |
| Date | 9th February 1931 guessed | |
| -2- The front shock absorber on the P.II. unfortunately does not lend itself easily to fit the split piston. We hold a view that on any future design we ought to have one type of shock absorber only for both cars, and that the front shock absorbers should be fitted on the outside of the frame. This will mean a short arm to avoid interfering with the steering rod, we suggest that the ball on the top of the controlbracket can give a limited movement controlled by a spring. The 'Delco' shock absorbers which were fitted to the existing cars in U.S.A. have been fixed up in this way, and have run several thousand miles without any trouble. There are three points which we wish to emphasise in this memo :- (1) We are anxious to adopt the lower rate springs as standard for P.II in fact, for U.S.A. cars, it has been definitely decided to have similar springs to those which you have on 16-EX. These weaker springs as you have pointed out demand higher shock absorber loads. From tests so far we expect with a pressure velocity effect to have ball end loads of 200 lbs. therefore it is necessary to modify our shock absorbers to take the increased load. (2) We have thousands of shock absorbers on the road which are all liable to cause customers to complain. Some customers have had their shock absorbers replaced five or six times. We have done very little to eliminate the complaint but we are certain that if we spring load the shock absorbers from the piston to the axle we shall eliminate for good most of our complaints. We therefore want to stop making any more shock absorbers which are liable to give us trouble. (3) I am sure we shall have difficulty if we send cars to U.S.A. with shock absorbers which give customers trouble. They have proved that the 'Delco' give them very little trouble and therefore will expect equal results from ours. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||