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).
Effects of shock absorber load and spring deflection on steering geometry and considering alternative axle control designs.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 84\3\ scan0229 | |
| Date | 25th June 1934 | |
| X901 To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}10/KW.25.6.34. Axle Control under Spring Torque. We have been trying the effect of reduced shock absorber load on the steering when the springs are shackled at the front. There is no doubt that when the shock absorbers are hard the steering is affected to a negligible extent. When more spring deflection is allowed, however, the errors in geometry are magnified. In view of our trouble with the failure of top spring leaves we feel that we must make an effort to get away from our existing arrangement, and that the present compromise of springs shackled at the rear is probably the better of two evils. On the other hand, we do think that it is worth while considering a design which will avoid the undesirable features of both these previous arrangements. If it is accepted that we do not require complete rigidity, possibly an alternative could be found which will not be unduly heavy. The thing we had in mind was fitting a compression member below the spring. We remember that we once had a rod below the spring but it was so near the floor that it affected ground clearance. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||