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).
Tests to understand the cause of high-speed steering wobbles.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 29\1\ Scan064 | |
| Date | 18th September 1925 | |
| R.R. 493a (50 M) (O.D. 21. 12-8-25) J.H.L. +457 EXPERIMENTAL REPORT. Expl. No. REF: Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}2/LG18.9.25. To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. to CJ. BJ. c. to RG.{Mr Rowledge} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} HIGH SPEED STEERING WOBBLES. +457 +8820 X8220 We believe that we have at last got a clear conception of what constitutes a high speed steering wobble. Our conclusions are drawn from the following experiments carried out by running the front wheels on drums and also road tests of the car. (1) The wobble obtains its energy from the reaction between the tyre and the road. (a) We promoted a violent high speed wobble on the drums. While the wobble was in progress we poured water on the drums. The wobble instantly died out. When the drums had dried, the wobble re-appeared. (b) We promoted a violent high speed wobble and lifted the whole of the front of the car off the ground, the wobble immediately died out. (2) One wheel alone by its reaction with the ground cannot sustain a high speed wobble. (a) We poured water on one tyre while a bad wobble was in progress. The wobble immediately vanished. (3) Both wheels, by their reaction with the ground cannot sustain a wobble unless they are connected by means of the cross steering tube. (a) We arranged a car on the drums so that it would high speed wobble. We then removed the cross steering tube, we found that we were unable to obtain wobbles. We replaced the cross steering tube, and wobbles returned. contd :- | ||