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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).
The steering performance of a 20 HP Sunbeam car, noting steering wobble and design.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 24\1\  Scan015
Date  16th May 1925
  
H.R. 433a (50 M) (O.D. 21. 15-6-25) J.H.D.

EXPERIMENTAL REPORT.

Expl. No. 446
REF: Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1/LG16.5.25.

To R from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}
c. to CJ. BJ.
c. to RG.{Mr Rowledge} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer}
c. to DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer}
c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager}

20 HP. SUNBEAM. 1457 X446
STEERING.

We have borrowed locally a 20 HP. Sunbeam car. This car was delivered new 12 months ago. It is fitted with low pressure tyres all round. It also has 4-wheel brakes.

When driven over our usual test routes, low speed steering wobbles were apparent if the wheel was gripped tightly and the car was driven over a bad road.

We should say, taking this car as an example, the low speed steering wobble could be produced more easily than on either our 40/50 HP. or 20 HP.

The steering on this car is the worm and sector type. The car has run 3,800 miles since it was new. There is now a considerable amount of slack in the steering which has developed due to wear.

The steering is comparatively free from road shocks. There is only one buffer spring in each ball end joint on the side steering rod. The springs are arranged so that they only work with compression. The rod is solid in tension. The springs exert a load of 200 lbs. each on the ball when normal. The movement on the springs when the side steering tube is fitted is .1".

We are confident, that if the steering on our cars was similar to this particular example, we should get many more complaints than we do at present.

Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair},
  
  


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