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).
Technical analysis of front stabilizers, cornering power, and tire wear on vehicles.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 170\2\ img241 | |
| Date | 12th January 1935 guessed | |
| -3- I am sure that a front stabilizer will make you not want a Cadil-lac steering. But if you still want one we will send one. Cornering Power Attached sketch chart shows the "heart" of a paper to be present-ed{J. L. Edwards} by R.{Sir Henry Royce} D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} Evans at the SAE on Tuesday, which will be the first time the Goodyear tire investigations have been broadcast. If you analyse the consequences of these characteristics, and also of the two charts on self-aligning torque, you will find I think practically all the arguments pro and con on independent fronts, parallel action versus wheel tilt, the inherent faults on parallel action rear wheels, etc. (I also enclose a preprint of Evans' pa{Mr Paterson}-per, just arrived). Tire Wear If in addition it is conceded that the chief cause of tire wear is slip angle, these charts also reveal the arguments pro and con on tire wear. A summary of the year's results on tire wear shows the following:- Front tire life on independents as built averages 65% of the life on a front axle, or about 120% of rear tire life. Front wheels on independents must be set to run without camber or toe in. This increases the life about 40% or makes it 90% of nor-mal. Cambered front wheels on a front axle are necessary (or at least desirable) for stability in handling. (ie when the car rolls to the right the cambered front wheels tend to turn it to the right). Camber is unnecessary on independent front wheels which have this stable tendency inherently. Parallel front wheels look "knock kneed". Therefore the fenders must cover the wheels down to the bumper level. Too much rear stabilizer reduces the rear tire life as low as 60% of "expectancy". It also promotes rear skidding as Geo. Hancock points out in his reports, and tends to make the car "oversteer" in hard driving. Principal cause of excessive front tire wear outside of the camber, is the low tire pressure. Therefore, the front stabilizer in per-mitting a higher tire pressure, increases the tire life. | ||