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 tests and pivot inclination, comparing a new axle with an old axle.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\P\2July1926-September1926\ Scan199 | |
| Date | 22th September 1926 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from He/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c.c. HJ. Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c.c. Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} Rg.{Mr Rowledge} c.c. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c.c. DY.{F R Danby} ORIGINAL Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/RmL/T22.9.26. R.{Sir Henry Royce} Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} E TAC. VIII. STEERING. X7430 PIVOT INCLINATION. N7420 The new axle gives remarkably light steering. While we expected the steering to be lighter than "V" series owing to the new type of pivot bearing and increase in "out-of-centre" of tyre contact, we were not prepared for the very large difference actually obtained. In addition we were anxious to obtain some reason - (a) Why the new axle has not quite the feeling of stability at high speeds of the old axle. (b) Why, when the necessary friction is added to the new axle, though the steering is still very much lighter than standard, its self-centering is sluggish. We therefore conducted a series of tests on five different axle arrangements (See attached print). The results all showed that for the same tyre contact the less the transverse pivot inclination the lighter the steering, the less the self centering and the less the stability at high speeds, though the stability cannot really be said to be poor even with vertical pivots. It is just the feeling that the steering has a slight tendency to "stay put". We expected this owing to the fact that the car has to be lifted on either lock when the pivots are raked transversely. We did not, however, expect to find such large differences as we encountered. Contd. | ||