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).
Editorial extract from 'The Autocar' on curing steering wobble by fitting Rapson oversize tyres.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 28\4\ Scan222 | |
| Date | 5th December 1924 | |
| COPY STEERING WOBBLE CURED BY FITTING RAPSON OVERSIZE TYRES. Editorial Extract from "The Autocar" dated December 5th.1924 - Page 1169 " Niggardly considerations connected with the price of new wheels led me to reshoe my speedy light car with the new Rapson tyre a month or two back. Though Mr. Rapson's publicity man is making a great song and dance about them, they seem to be nothing more or less than an excellent oversize tyre, with the special Rapson qualities thrown in, bien entendu. In other words, my car has standard 710 x 90 rims, at which it was slightly undertyred to my thinking. The new Rapsons fit these rims like a glove, but are actually 715 x 105 mm. Analysing the effects of the change-over, I find that I get a perceptible increase of comfort. I expect, and so far have enjoyed, the typical Rapson immunity from punctures. Wear of the tread is imperceptible. There is no roll or sway. Oddest of all, with the original 710 x 90 mm covers, the steering would wobble alarmingly at a certain speed on a corrugated road. The wobble was the very worst attack of this malady which has ever afflicted me, for neither acceleration nor deceleration would stop it, though it only commenced at a set speed; when it once began, the only hope was to stop, and then to hurry over the set speed in the re-start. But the Rapson tyres cured it, though theoretically one would expect their extra weight to enhance the cross-couple. | ||