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 design, finishing, and extraction methods for cross steering tube ball joints.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 181\M11\ img061 | |
| Date | 11th May 1917 | |
| To By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} EH. from Oy. X.2172 ORIGINAL oy1/B10:7:17. D 3 RECEIVED 11 MAY 1917 RE CROSS STEERING TUBE BALL JOINTS. I think I have already written that the plug in the end of the ball joint on the sample sent us was not large enough to expand the thread to make a close fit in the nut. Reference should be made to the dimensions given on LeC.536, 538 &c. The ball should have a smooth polished finish, very much better than that on either of the sample balls in our possession, in fact if possible, we should try grinding these balls to make a perfect job of them. The inner contact piece is at present difficult to get out. On the samples sent us it is possible to bump it out by hammering the end of the joint, but where the fitting was exceptionally tight this might be impossible, besides which, in practice the inner contact piece is to be soldered to the socket. Therefore, we shall need a ¼" tapped hole for the purpose of extracting this contact piece. In practice we shall then heat up the joint sufficiently to make the solder run and extract the contact piece with a piece of screwed wire or standard ¼" R.R. bolt. This should be provided in the tool kit. Also please see instructions contained on LeC.647 [a number recently given to the instructions under date 11-4-16 for lining up front and rear wheels &c. and for inspection of cars at the Front]. Also see Mr. Bailey's letter By17/G3516 and other correspondence of the same period on this subject. Oy. | ||