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).
Customer complaints and investigations into noisy hydraulic shock dampers on 20 HP cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 55\4\ Scan297 | |
| Date | 19th January 1929 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. to BJ. Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Mx.{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} OY. c. to Hm.{Capt. W. Hallam - Head Repairs} 4235 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rml/LG19.1.29. HYDRAULIC SHOCK DAMPER NOISES. The Repair Dept. have had various complaints from customers of noisy shock absorbers. These complaints have been mostly confined to the rear dampers on 20 HP. cars. The main difficulty in dealing with the trouble, has been, that on certain cars only could the noise be heard, depending apparently on amplificiation by the body or body mounting. On test car bodies, and on experimental cars with subframes, dampers off customers cars that have caused complaint appear to be inaudible unless they are obviously a very badly worn During the past fortnight we have had the opportunity of working on an actual customer's car - Mr. Pilling's - which has enabled us to locate the sources of the trouble. Mr. Pilling has had several sets of rear dampers on his car. The last set we inspected as being a 100% job, and these were perfectly silent when fitted. After six weeks running however, they became audible, a result typical of the previous sets fitted. The dampers when removed shewed practically no lost movement at the ball end. We found, however, that we could silence them by changing the links for new ones. It was difficult to detect any slack in the old links. Apparently, as with a contd :- | ||