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).
Extract discussing steering wobble and transmission knock issues in present production cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 80\2\ scan0210 | |
| Date | 7th September 1920 | |
| X.26286 H.R. 935A (100 T) (S.H 159, 11-8-20) G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} 9800 Extract from R6/G7.9.20. X.2555. RE PRESENT PRODUCTION CARS. X.4050. X.457. X.963. X.3781a. X.20. THE speed and weight of our car, which will weight from two to three tons, and touch 60 to 75 miles per hour. These are no machines which we ought not to fit with Tom, Dick and Harry's fancies, which are often promted by sheer laziness. A slight rearwards lean of the upper end of the steering pivots is very advantageous for steady steering at high speed and has other advantages, but seems to be the chief cause of steering wobbles at low speed (strange, but these latter I have never experienced, probably because I do not grip the steering wheel very firmly.) KNOCK IN TRANSMISSION. X.4174. X.1228. X.3461b. X.2628b. There appears little reason for this being worse on present cars. The cause is undoubtedly due to the bump and pot-holey state of the roads, combined with hard pumped resilient tyres before mentioned, the axle moving vertically quickly and over a greater range. Undoubtedly it is very sensitive to the weight of wheels and axles, compared with the sprung weightof the body etc., and also to the softness of tyres and to damping the rear springing of the car. You will remember that I pressed hard for rear shock dampers to be fitted (from my own road experience) but the rush for output prevented these being fitted (as they required more time and testing) My impression is that with the lubricated springs( see other note why lubricated) they are an absolute necessity, and should be fitted somehow. Contd. | ||