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 on Phantom steering complaints in France, comparing standard and weaker springs, and adding hydraulic shock dampers.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\O\2April1926-June1926\ Scan140 | |
| Date | 17th May 1926 | |
| To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux} COPY. RE. PHANTOM STEERING COMPLAINTS IN FRANCE. We tried the steering of the car complained of on a stretch of road, which with the present standard side steering tube springs, the steering was very bad for road shocks and difficult to hold at times due to the rapid oscillation of the steering wheel. At high speeds it was on the verge of wobbles. With the weaker springs fitted to the side steering tube, we came to the conclusion after several tests, that the shocks were reduced, and the steering improved by 50%, also that there was no detriment to the steering as regards wandering. We still got very violent shocks on the steering wheel when trying the car over a very bad pot-holey road, which at times, when dropping into the pot hole, wrenched the steering out of ones hands. We do not believe that the weaker springs will overcome this - roads of this description are frequently met in France. We fitted the hydraulic shock dampers to the front of the car. These certainly do help to steady the steering on moderate roads and at high speeds there was no tendency to wobble. There is another kind of shock on the steering wheel which comes from the whipping of the steering column and when driving on bad roads, is considerable. This was very prevalent on the car tested. We are also of the opinion that shock dampers on the rear of the car should be considerably more loaded to steady the car upon rough roads. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/G.W.Hancock. | ||