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).
Protest against the adoption of front wheel brakes, explaining a predicted failure mode for chassis 21-EM.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 47\1\ Scan126 | |
| Date | 13th May 1925 | |
| X.4117 WOT. C. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} BYL/H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} 13.5.25. CHASSIS 21-EM. MRS GORING. Referring to D/14/B. 12.5.25. and letter from Mr.Claremont dated May 8th, the facts described are the result of an inherent fault of front wheel braking which cannot be avoided. It constituted my reason for definitely recording my protest against the adoption of front wheel brakes on the Standardization Sheet which was issued in the F.W.B. connection. Mr.Snutch's explanation as briefly described by Mr.Claremont is entirely wrong. Apparently he ascribes the fault to the fact that one shoe carrier reduces its clearance as steering takes place, and suggests this shoe in consequence comes on before the other. His phenomena in regard to the brake operation are right, but his deductions are wrong. The differential gear prevents one brake being applied before or without the other unless one brake operating shaft is seized or bound up in its bearing. The facts of the case are that when one front wheel is on a surface entirely different to the other, a torque is thrown on the car as a whole, which causes the chassis frame to pivot correctly and mechanically on front wheels and pivots precisely the same as the car is steered. I drew attention to this fact in writing R.{Sir Henry Royce} before brakes were adopted and before any such incident as the one described took place.At a meeting of Automobile Engineers in Derby I accurately and fully described such conditions and pointed out that accidents would inevitably occur. My criticism was made six months before accident to the car running the 10,000 miles trial in France, but I accurately foretold and described what afterwards happened when the car on a big generous bend left the road on brakes being applied, and plunged into river bed. I discussed this issue with CWB. at Derby in detail. In fact, it was generally known I was an uncompromising opponent of the FWB. system. This does not mean I am nervous of driving a car with FWB. I use either indifferently, but it does mean that in Contd | ||