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).
Responding to questions about steering gear, specifically addressing the phenomenon of 'steering wobbles'.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 28\4\ Scan249 | |
| Date | 15th July 1925 | |
| To C.J. from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} +457 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}2/LG15.7.25. STEERING GEAR. X457 X8430 The following are our replies to the questions on the attached sheet ref. CJ15/E24.6.25 :- H: The fact that one of the tyres is worn more than the others should not cause or increase the tendency for steering wobbles. The wear on the tyres would only affect them if the tyre was worn unevenly, for instance, if the brakes had been applied and the wheels locked and the tyre scrubbed along the ground so as to wear the tread badly in one place, this then would cause the tyre to be out of balance and increase the tendency for wobbles. J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} It is not necessary for an owner to change the tyres because they are worn. K.{Mr Kilner} & L. Steering wobbles is a complaint which occurs on a large number of different makes of car. A great number of technical papers have been written on this subject by British, American and Continental engineers. No one has, however, supplied a simple solution. 'Wobbles' however, is a very loose term. For instance the complaint mentioned in PN{Mr Northey}5/DN11.6.25. is a totally different complaint to the high speed wobbles which were experienced by Mr. Salamanca in Spain. PN{Mr Northey}'s complaint is road shocks which cause shocks on the steering wheel. All the remarks we have made as regards steering wobbles apply to Mr. Salamanca's complaint which is a periodic high speed steering wobble and is alarming when it occurs. We can see no reason, and we do not believe that the Phantom car is any different to the Silver Ghost fitted with 4-wheel brakes as regards the tendency to steering wobbles. One very important reason why steering contd :- | ||