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).
Issues with the Phantom car's steering through hydraulic shock dampers, a lightened front axle, and weight reduction.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 178\1\ img133 | |
| Date | 13th July 1926 guessed | |
| - 34 - maximum speed of the Phantom car tend to turn this phenomenon, which on most cars including our own 20 HP., is only an exceptional occurrence, into an acute problem. Nevertheless by means of the new hydraulic shock dampers and lightened front axle, the difficulty is being surmounted. We are quite confident that we are already in a better position than the majority of other large car manufacturers with regard to this trouble. Every claim for a miraculous cure which we have investigated has proved to be without foundation. We feel that the solution of the problem lies in the cumulative effect of small improvement from minor modifications, rather than a radical alteration in design. (h) Position for lighter steering. The steering mechanism having reached the stage when further progress seems out of the question without a sweeping departure from accepted practice, the only available opening for lighter steering seems to be to reduce the weight on the front axle. At the moment everything possible is being done to achieve this object in view. The designer of a large car is always up against the physical limitations of the driver. Thus four wheel brakes necessitated the introduction of a servo motor. In the same way, while balloon tyres can be fitted to light cars with slight steering alterations, their adoption presents a very difficult problem on a 50 cwts. vehicle. We feel convinced that if some of the difficulties we have indicated are borne in mind when criticising the 'Phantom' steering, the nature of the present compromise will be better appreciated. | ||