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).
Steering mechanisms for wishbone and Dubonnet suspensions, and the performance of LaSalle gears.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 170\3\ img012 | |
| Date | 25th February 1936 guessed | |
| -2- On all wishbone jobs we find ourselves striving for a soft steering mechanism and on Dubonnets for a stiff mechanism. On wishbone suspensions the old fashioned springs in the drag link are a definite improvement andthe "bell-crank" itself probably improves the steering by virtue of its flexibility. The only limit is that we have to avoid an excessively rubbery feel on the road, which we know now is not by any means confined to the actual stiffness of the steering mechanism. Is it possible - do you think - that the good performance of the LaSalle gear on the P III experimental cars is less a matter of its irreversibility than of its flexibility? These gears are by no means rigid and some amount of flexibility in the steering mechanism on wish-bone jobs appears essential. Can you simulate the good performance of the LaSalle gear by using springs in the drag link? I would like to discuss this with Day and yourself and Grylls. Kind regards to you all. Sincerely yours, Maurice Olley M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} Olley H | ||