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 wobble issues with 0.94' steering, referencing trials and a specific customer complaint.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 67\4\ scan0173 | |
| Date | 27th September 1926 | |
| NS{Norman Scott} X8430 Copy to "HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}". Dealt with R.{Sir Henry Royce} PsI/Crn.27.9.26. Re: 0.94" steering. I am not at all certain that the fitting of 0.94" steering is a satisfactory cure in all cases. Our own particular open trials car, which has been changed, is not at all satisfactory from a customer's point of view, and when trying this out with 1500 lbs. side steering tube springs, we still get some very nasty road shocks. I would even go so far as to say that the old steering with the 1500 lbs. springs is as good, or at least appears to be to the man at the wheel, as the 0.94". Another example of this is chassis 36 LC - Marquis del Llano, who complained of steering shocks some two months ago when he was in Paris. I fitted 1500 lbs. springs, and when he left he was apparently satisfied with the steering, but while your man Large was in Spain he changed the steering to 0.94", since when the Marquis del Llano has declared that he considers the steering unsafe as he gets a violent wobble at high speeds. We tested this out this morning, but cannot produce a wobble at high speeds on normal roads, but on a bad road which we struck at 90 kms an hour, when holding the steering tightly, we got a nasty wobble. It would appear, therefore, that everything else such as tyres being taken into consideration, the steering wobbles are developed as a result of fitting 0.94" steering, and I think that we shall have to go back to the old steering with 1500 lbs. springs in order to avoid the high speed wobble. Incidentally, the Marquis del Llano is a speed merchant. 8.40 29. Sep. 1926 Ps. Ps-Your observations on the above would be interesting The S.S. tube springs fitted by Large were found broken and others distorted. | ||