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).
Issues of slackness in steering box bearings, detailing a customer complaint and proposing component replacement and further investigation.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 38\1\ Scan097 | |
| Date | 5th October 1922 | |
| [handwritten: V3465] BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} e.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} to Srt. c. to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} [handwritten: Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}] EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}6/H5.10.22. [handwritten: 1922] [Stamp: RECEIVED OCT 11 1922] re. FAULTY STEERING BOXES. We have had a certain amount of trouble on test with the bearings for the steering shaft ( which carries the pendulum lever) being slack in the aluminium housing. I understand that this is also a source of trouble in dealing with repair cars. We have noticed that in several cases where there is slack in the steering, a certain amount has been due to this movement. We have received a complaint this morning from a customer in Holland to the effect that the steering of his post war car developed very bad for slack, and he found that this was due to the above fault, which he reports he was able to rectify by fitting a "brass shim" in between the bearing and the housing. We feel that this is a very bad advertisement, and feel it is very important that the steering box of this chassis, 195-LG, should be replaced, also that we should have the faulty box in our hands for investigation. Will you therefore please instruct for a complete steering box with ball bearings to be supplied to us, so that we can arrange for this to be sent to the customer, with a request that he will return the faulty one to us. (D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} will instruct through D.O. for these [handwritten above: this] to be supplied). In the meantime, we feel that this is a point which requires serious investigation, and instructions should be given that the fittings of the bearings in the steering box is a very important job, and only those which are a really good push fit should be passed. The bearing should also show good surface contact inside the housing and should not bed at points only. Inspection should also be made that the support of this housing is quite firm and up to drawing limits. Possibly you will consider whether the support of this housing can be strengthened in any way. I certainly feel that when the chassis leave here the [the] are satisfactory in this respect, but in some cases soon seem to develop this trouble in service, in which case it would appear that the bearing may only be a temporary tight fit in the housing. EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} | ||