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).
Results of a 50-hour test on a Marles steering gear fitted to a Phantom II chassis.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 28\2\ Scan147 | |
| Date | 28th February 1933 | |
| X4094 To Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} From Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}8/MJ.28.2.33. X7430 Re. MARLES STEERING GEAR. We have completed a 50 hours test on the bumper with this steering fitted to Phantom ll chassis. We had no springs in the side steering tube such as we normally fit on to our standard Phantom ll steerings. The 50 hours test was run without any trouble. At the conclusion of the test the steering gear was inspected and we found that two or three of the small hardened spherical pads had broken. We have taken this up with the makers and they claim that they have never known a failure on cars on the road, they also considered they could, by changing the material, easily overcome this. In the meantime E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} has got out a design so that we can apply the Marles principle and fit it into one of our steering boxes. E's. scheme has certain advantages over the Marles but until we have tried it we cannot say whether it will give us the same results. I do not think we ever want to be in the position of buying steering gears from outside and therefore we should like your agreement to make up one set of parts to E's. instructions and test them on the car to see whether we can reproduce the Marles results. We still consider our steerings, especially on the Phantom, are one of the points which badly need improvement. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||