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 and suspension component trials, including a shock absorber, steering worm, and pivot test.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 28\4\ Scan099 | |
| Date | 30th December 1913 guessed | |
| Wor{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager}/Hyl/L21213. Sheet. 2 shock absorber on to the front axle and coupling it up to the cross steering tube. The resistance was about 10 lbs. This has a most steadying effect on the steering as regards tendency to wobble. It also considerably reduced the shock at the steering wheel when one road wheel drops down a bad hole in the road. No extra effort was required at the hand wheel and I did not experience any disadvantage. The steering was quite self-righting. Of course the shock absorber and fittings are very rough and ugly but were easily applied. It would have been better to apply the damper at the pivot pin but this was not convenient. Steering Worm & Nut 1" pitch. X.773. This has just been fitted and has had a short trial. It does not seem at all desirable to make the pitch so slow as this, it is a disadvantage at high speed and it is difficult to keep the car steady and stright when travelling fast. It seems to possess no advantages over the standard. At high speeds the covered car (2300) to which it is fitted rolls about from side to side because it cannot be corrected quickly enough with the slow steering. It also causes one to feel rather helpless if correcting a skid. Pivot/Test. X.168. The Pivot F.3783 is still running on the reversal test rig and has lasted 35 hours so far. | ||