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 lock modifications for 18 inch diameter wheel rims to improve the turning circle.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 178\3\ img009 | |
| Date | 1st January 1932 | |
| FROM DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} C. to HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} C. to DY.{F R Danby} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} (Struck through) J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} 3. STEERING LOCK. DAL/W7.1.32. X5430. With the use of 18" dia. wheel rims it becomes impossible to get the cross steering tube joint between the brake drum and the wheel rim, especially as the drum is now rather increased in dia. This means that the joint has to be altogether outside the wheel rim, and owing to the way it overhangs the ball end, prevents our carrying out your suggestion that the angle between the cross steering levers should be reduced so as to cause the outer wheel which controls the lock to move through a greater angle without increasing the angle of the inner wheel, which is limited by shock dampers, side steering tube, brake gear, etc. The suggestion made on N. sch. 3404. (print herewith) is that this overhang should be reduced by eliminating the adjusting screw, lock nut, and moveable pad. These are now used principally as a means of assembling the joint against the extremely stiff spring now standard, and it is suggested that the use of a more flexible spring would remove the need for adjustment, since the spring could absorb a good deal of wear without appreciable loss of pressure. The present spring loses pressure at the rate of 60 lbs. for every .005 of wear on each pad. It was a temporary scheme to use existing parts. We have more recently revised the Phantom scheme so as to give a spring more flexible than the original. With the overhang eliminated as on N. sch. 3404., the angle of the cross steering levers can be reduced from 15° to 10°, and the turning circle from 40.5 ft. to 38 ft. Of the two suggestions shewn we prefer No. 1. [STAMP: RECEIVED 4 XII A] DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} | ||