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).
Investigation into steering wobbles, proposing tests and potential causes.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 28\4\ Scan026 | |
| Date | 16th May 1913 | |
| COPY. C.J. and Mr Spinney from F.H.R. Copies sent to: Mr Wormald (for Ex. Dept.) Mr Haldenby to confirm result and try further. Re Steering Wobbles. As steering wobbles only take place by report at one particular speed, I think that, perhaps, by some investigations we can determine more accurately what is taking place. We are investigating the matter on the car here by adding weights to it to produce wobbles. Mr Day says that it did exist on a Daimler that they had at the Sheffield-Simplex, but that it does not exist on the Sheffield-Simplex, to their knowledge but no tests were made. Apparently no real reason can yet be given as to why it exists on one car and not on another, as the Sheffield-Simplex had not irreversible steering and the worm thread had an angle that would lead one to suppose that it would not be irreversible. I have driven the car here up to 50 miles per hour with 2 lbs on the side of the felloe, without feeling it. 6 lbs seems to be about the amount but we get a gradual increase in the wobble. So far we cannot account for it occuring at a short range of speeds. I have suggested the use of a plain thrust-bearing on the steering column instead of ball bearing - will Mr Spinney arrange this temporarily and let Mr Haldenby test it? It should certainly lower the efficiency and make the mechanism more irreversible. Will Mr Haldenby also try the effect of out of balance on other cars, and if it has anything to do with tyres that have lumps on them or are in any way out of truth. F.H.R. COPY: X 457 | ||