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).
Suspension and steering linkage development, comparing different designs including those from Mercedes Benz and Cadillac.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 125\1\ scan0173 | |
| Date | 6th February 1935 | |
| - 2 - yet to be tried but we are hoping to obtain the Cadillac result from it. Referring to the second line of development, this had the suspension arranged with equal links similar to the Mercedes Benz, and we instructed and tried out a preliminary suspension on these lines. The result was practically complete freedom from road shocks, even with an RR. steering box, but there was some uncertainty regarding the behaviour of the steering on corners. We are also aware that the parallel linkage makes the tendency to rolling slightly worse due to lowering the base from which the car oscillates, and it also increases the translation sideways during the roll, which is an effect that may be detected. Tyre wear also is an unknown factor. We have also instructed an anti-roll rod on the front end of the car to be tested in conjunction with equal links to reduce the rolling, and also to test this position for the anti-roll mechanism in view of the advantages as regards control of the car attached to this modification. The anti-roll rod in the front is of course also applicable to unequal linkage with some modification in proportions. The parallel linkage has some advantages as regards getting in the necessary steering and braking connections, and as regards results up till now the general feeling has somewhat been in its favour owing to its freedom from road shocks. We cannot however shut our eyes to the Cadillac results which are based on a good deal of experimentation on the part of General Motors, and we have, therefore, based our future policy rather on the Cadillac geometry which, so far as we are now aware will give satisfactory tyre wear and accepting the fundamental fault of road shocks from which it suffers on the assumption that this can be offset by a suitable choice of steering. By future policy I refer to a somewhat modified design of front end based primarily on the existing designs, but demanding less joggling of the frame and not interfering with the primary proportions of the linkage. | ||