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).
Steering issues on the Silver Phantom model 30-G-Vll, including lock movement and linkage problems.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 109\4\ scan0149 | |
| Date | 18th July 1939 | |
| To By.... from Da{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/DB.{Donald Bastow - Suspensions} Da{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/DB.{Donald Bastow - Suspensions}12/N.18.7.39. 30-G-Vll. Silver Phantom. Steering. With regard to our conversation about the note from Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/IMW.{Ivan M. Waller - Head of Chateauroux} from Chateauroux dated the 13th. July 1939, re the above, you are correct in assuming that the stops in the box should not normally be in operation during running of the car. If the stop found broken has been broken during running ( of which no direct evidence has been given) then it implies that the movement of the rocker shaft has been more than that intended. There appear to be two reasons for this :- (1) Angular lock movement of the road wheels appears to be slightly more than intended; this point was raised some time ago when the turning circle of 30.G.Vll. was found to be better than had been expected. The figure corresponding to the 8.8" dimension taken by Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/IMW.{Ivan M. Waller - Head of Chateauroux} from the actual car is 8.6" on the scheme drawing (PD.325). In view of the excellent lock given by this it would be a pity to throw it away. (2) Sponge on the steering linkage. If this is due to the ball pins in the cross steering tubes lifting out of the ball pads, this is due to the slight angularity between ball joint socket and cross steering tube ( approx. 7ºto 8º) which was initially provided to avoid handing the cross steering levers on Wraith III. Since for the rationalised programme the cross steering levers are handed in any case, there seems no reason why the ball pin socket hole should not be exactly perpendicular to the tube axis. This could be tried experimentally with cross steering leber forgings twisted to suit and ball sockets machined from solid, though it requires laying out to make sure that clearance between lever and tyre is not affected. This would be worth trying. Cont'd....... | ||