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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).
Letter from Rolls-Royce of America reporting steering troubles on imported cars due to ball bearing wear.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 38\1\  Scan073
Date  1st September 1920
  
X 3465
COPY

Q/11/G1.9.20.
Sept. 1st. 1920.

Mr. Claude Johnson, Managing Director.
Rolls-Royce Limited.
Conduit St.{Capt. P. R. Strong}
London, England.

X 3465 Re: New chassis Troubles. Steering Troubles X 4301
on Imported Cars.

Dear Sirs,

We have received Mr. Bailey's report By1/H4.8.20, on this subject.

With regard to the wear of the ball bearing on the right hand side of the rocking shaft. We do actually find that this ball bearing wears loose and wear slack in the housing after a considerable distance of say 20,000 or 30,000 miles of running under American road conditions and with American tyres, and this slack developing is conductive to steering wobbles as all slack in steering mechanism appears to produce, and is a cause of complaint from customers.

We replaced the ball bearings in the rocking shaft, but this does not quite take up the slack in the steering because the ball bearing is still rather slack in its aluminium housing.

We should be glad to have suggestions from Derby as to be the best method of making a permanent job of this repair. Have they tried boring out the aluminium casing and inserting a thin steelliner into the ball bearing housing?

Very truly yours,
ROLLS-ROYCE OF AMERICA INC.

MO/G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp}

CC. Mr. Belnap.
Mr. Nadin.
Mr. Kelm.
Mr. Bagnall.
Mr. Caswell.
Mr. Hulley.
Mr. Humpston.

(upside down text at bottom) R.R. 253A (100) (T) H S/ (G) (11-9-19) C 5800
  
  


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