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).
Modifications to the steering system for the 12-EX model, including changes to pivots, springs, and steering ratio.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 17\3\ Scan198 | |
| Date | 6th March 1928 | |
| +7430 To Sy. from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rml/LG 6.3.28. STEERING. +7430 R.{Sir Henry Royce} has given us such glowing accounts of the steering on his car that we wish to reproduce it as far as possible on 12-EX. Will you therefore please instruct the pivots to be modified to N.sch.2296 - spring 2 - i.e. 325 lbs/in. and a pendulum lever to be fitted giving an overall steering ratio of 15 to 1. In conjunction with this steering ratio we find it desirable to fit side steering tube springs F.77944 (2000 lbs. rating instead of the standard F.76726 rating 1500 lbs/in.) We should like you to reduce the overall steering ratio to 16 to 1 but we think the very short pendulum lever will spoil the geometry. Please note that with the scheme for friction in the pivots the set up on the springs in the cross steering tube can be reduced so that they give a load of 750 lbs. only on each ball end. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||