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 modifications made to a 20 HP Saloon to address customer complaints about road shock, wobble, and handling.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 47\5\ Scan095 | |
| Date | 11th November 1926 | |
| To BJ. c.c. CWB. PN {Mr Northey} 1/RH {R. Hollingworth} 11.11.26. Today I handed over to Mr. Guy Knowles his 20 h.p. Saloon, after having a run with him on this car and after making tests yesterday, since N. have fitted the available modifications to the steering with a view to dealing with the owner's complaints. These complaints consist of:- (1) Too much steering wheel road shock. (b) A tendency to a slow speed wobble. (c) A possibility of the front wheels "kicking under" if brakes are applied on a curve; and (d) An embarrassing tendency for the car to make for the lowest part of the road on a camber. This car really constitutes a test case, enabling us to decide whether, by fitting the modified side steering tube and springs and the friction discs to the steering pivots, the above troubles can be reduced to a negligible extent. You will remember that the original suggestion was to fit, in addition, a lower gear worm, i.e. .80, held at one time to be equivalent to the .94 worm on the Phantom, but that recently, in view of the fact that R. {Sir Henry Royce} wishes to provide a .72 worm for the 20, in this way making an altogether better job of the steering than would be the case were the .80 employed, it became important to decide whether we could effect sufficient improvement to our 20 h.p. cars which might be complained of without going to the length of altering the worm. I was pleased to find that in the case of this car under test, the improvement all round has been very considerable, and if it is an example of the improvement which might be effected in other similar cases, then we have no occasion to worry about a different worm in cases of complaint. Guy Knowles was very pleased with his car. PN. {Mr Northey} | ||