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 difficulties caused by rear spring flexibility and proposing tests.
Identifier | ExFiles\Box 20\2\ Scan049 | |
Date | 26th January 1920 | |
To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from R.{Sir Henry Royce} Copy to CJ. " " Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} " " Bn.{W.O. Bentley / Mr Barrington} " " Ck.{Mr Clark} X.963 R4/G26.1.20. X.963.RE STEERING. X.2628. X.1295. X.3791. I telegraphed to you this morning saying that I believed the difficulty of steering which has been noticed most definitely by Crawford is due to the side flexibility of the rear springs permitting the body, when steered to the right, to swing its tail over to the left, and therefore going too far. I therefore think you had better test the difference between split and unsplit springs to see if you can detect this as being the cause. X.3791 In addition to this, it might be advisable to test the longitudinal steering tube with the front spring removed at the front end, making this joint rigid for tension, and/the bottom of the pendulum lever the spring fitted to the rear side of the ball only, the spherical ball seating being fixed into the tube forward of the rear ball, as shewn in sketch attached. I noticed that this was used on some cars, and it permits of the spring being set up, and therefore there being no elasticity in the longitudinal tube until the compression or tension arrives at some fixed amount, which we might test at 20, 50 and 100 lbs. Contd. | ||