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 system alternatives, modifications, and testing of different worm pitches.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 28\2\ Scan004 | |
| Date | 17th July 1925 | |
| To BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} from R.{Sir Henry Royce} To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from R.{Sir Henry Royce} c. to CJ. BJ. c. to FN. CWB. X4094 R2/M17.7.25. RE. STEERING. X. 3430 There is nothing in the Marles, Hispano, Isotta Fraschini (Marles), Daimler (Marles), and Lanchester steerings, which we cannot easily obtain in our standard design. The best are trusting to a slower steering, (which naturally makes them somewhat more irreversible). We have already sent you particulars for increasing this from our present standard of 1 3/4 turns to 2 turns, and 2 1/4 turns, of the steering wheel from full lock to full lock. We have sent you particulars for a larger diameter of worm which will make our steering somewhat less reversible. We now send you particulars (DAL/M17.7.25. to BY and Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}) of a still slower pitched worm of .8 for the present standard, and one of .625 for the larger worm type. These two will carry our steering as far as we recommend, both in irreversibility and in slow speed. Please get these made at once. Test both [handwritten: large] worm box, and present standard, with the slower pitches combined with our friction damped spring controlled pendulum lever which probably will be benefited by still greater friction which you can easily arrange. With this pendulum lever you should remove the damping friction from the front axle. We are arranging for the Marles people to make a steering box at our expense adaptable for our cars. This will have for its object to satisfy all concerned, but as we do not expect for a moment to use this steering, we prefer to pay them their out of pocket expenses, as we cannot ask them to make us a box free of charge unless we believe it is very probable that we shall use it. We cannot believe however that it has any advantage over our standard pattern, and that it will pay us to change. It must be remembered that we have a more difficult problem than most, because of greater speed and weight. Both are against light and stable steering. Slower steering is the best known solution; our damped spring controlled lever will help. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||