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).
The drawbacks and considerations for a proposed steering and suspension design, including rubber attachments and weight implications.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 154a\2\ scan0255 | |
| Date | 14th March 1940 | |
| -2- Ev{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}/DB.{Donald Bastow - Suspensions}14/JH.14.3.40. (4) Steering can be Halkenburger type, as projected for the Junior range (the frame shape makes it easier to get this in) or could possibly be in front of the wheels, as on the standard scheme, which Jnr.{Charles L. Jenner} might like because of removing a restriction on the sump, and which might also enable a slight reduction of the distance of the front wheels from the dash to be obtained. Possible drawbacks or points that must be watched in development of the design, are as follows :- (1) The rubber attachment takes the full brake torque and should therefore have the maximum fore and aft span reasonably possible. (2) The rubber attachment must be stiff sideways as all steering loads go through it and any flexibility sideways shews up as steering "sponge". (3) The Packard suspension has a slight "anti-dip" tendency in braking, depending on the endwise rigidity of the rubber bush at the top of the yoke piece, and this will obviously be lost; it can be replaced in part or in whole, by inclining the triangle axes downwards towards the front + there is a G.M. patent on this. (4) The rubber mounting of the complete assembly gives a slight axle effect, introducing slight gyroscopic reactions, and to reduce this the sideways span of the rubber fixings between suspension crossmember and frame must be as large as possible. The scheme asks for the triangle lever axes to be substantially parallel to the car centre line. Differences from the point of view of weight and cost are tabulated below :- Features adding weight. Provision of extra rigidity in the frame front end by an extra crossmember, and possibly stronger frame forward arms. Cont'd.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} | ||