Steering characteristics, comparing the New Phantom and Silver Ghost models, including self-centering and road shocks.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 178\1\ img131 | |
| Date | 13th July 1926 guessed | |
| - 32 - lock and at the same time promotes increased reversibility. The reason a lower gear ratio is necessary on the New Phantom(Codename for PHANTOM I) is because the weight on the front wheels of this car is more than 2 cwts. greater than that of the Silver Ghost(1907 40/50 historic RAC 15,000 miles trial). The reason that road shocks are worse is because front wheel brakes have reduced the road speed at which the axle wishes to start a criss cross vibration, and the new engine has increased the average and maximum speed of the car. (d) Position of self-centering. At present, even with no backward lean or castoring angle on the pivots, the R-R steering has a tendency to self-centre. This due to transversally raked king pins and Ackerman steering as we have previously shewn. With 1° castoring angle, therefore, the steering can be made to return easily even though its irreversibility is high. (e) Position for road shocks. The new ratio has improved the position of the steering with regard to road shocks enormously. The fitting of balloon tyres on the front wheels will be a retrograde step from this point of view. However, work is being carried out with the object of reducing the weight at the extremity of the front axle, and experiments are in hand to determine the weakest side steering tube springs compatible with high speed control and freedom from low speed wobbles In addition, investigation is proceeding to determine the optimum position for the tyre contact relative to the pivot axis (distance contd. | ||
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).