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 column rigidity issues on the 20 HP model related to the instrument board bracket.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\J\March1923\ Scan57 | |
| Date | 23th March 1928 | |
| TO HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} FROM DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} c. to BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} RE. 20.HP. RAKED COLUMN. X4264 The coachbuilding dept. seem to fear that in some cases the coachbuilder will remove the instrument board bracket because it does not suit his bodywork, and in consequence the steering column will not be steady. We would like to know whether the column is materially steadied by the bracket, and would like you to tell us of the relative rigidities under the three following conditions:- (1) The steering column disconnected from the bracket. (2) The steering column connected to the bracket but the instrument board not screwed or fastened to the scuttle in any way. We have noticed several Goshawks like this, and have watched a considerable relative movement horizontally between the instrument board and the scuttle, resulting in squeaking and chafing of the material between the two. (3) The column supported on the instrument board bracket, and the instrument board screwed rigidly to the scuttle. We believe that if ordinary wood screws are used for attaching the instrument board to the scuttle sooner or later they come out, or the instrument board splits, because the instrument board and our column tries to drag the scuttle hoop with them when they rack sideways in phase with the dashboard. We have suggested providing them with a further length of bracket but should this not fulfil the requirements one other suggestion would be to make the column rigid enough to look after itself and not have a support off the bracket, similar to the upright column chassis, in which case the use of the instrument board bracket by the coachbuilder would not be of such vital interest to us. We would be glad to receive your views on this matter. DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} | ||