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).
Secret memo evaluating a new steering box and pedal setup on an experimental car, comparing it to the standard model.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 72\3\ scan0294 | |
| Date | 21th February 1924 | |
| To DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} RG.{Mr Rowledge} ) FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} SECRET. R2/M21.2.24. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} ) √9430 c. to CJ. BJ. EAC. STEERING BOX AND PEDALS. X.9430 PN.{Mr Northey} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} X.9470 I have examined this new box on PN{Mr Northey}'s experimental car and find it excellent (as far as I can see) and a great improvement on our older practice. It looks strong and retains the oil which should ensure even less wear than our standard. As regards friction I think it should not be altered to ball or roller bearings even experimentally until we have proved we desire more efficiency and more reversibility. I am inclined to think that it is possible the better lubrication does increase the efficiency of this box above the standard and so make it more reversible, instead of it being slightly more irreversible as we desired. The support at the dash is quite sufficient and certainly encouraging to make Goshawk 'D' also the same. It greatly benefits the car to get the steering through the dash high enough to clear the pedals. There is also a marked improvement in the pedal positions and centre and gas-tightness. You will see elsewhere that I think the trouble of feeling the road shocks is due to set-up springs instead of non-set-up high rated buffer springs in longitudinal rods. Heavy weight on front axle, stiff road springs, and hard tyres all may have a marked effect on these dreadful roads. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||