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).
Technical analysis of steering wheel movement and joggle, with suggestions for improving steering geometry.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\Q\February1927-March1927\ 6 | |
| Date | 5th April 1923 guessed | |
| contd :- -2- wheel moved through 7.5° after the spring is choc-a-bloc, even with the latest type of side steering tube giving 400° movement. It is useless to try and eliminate this type of joggle by friction in the pivots or cross steering tube because these can only affect the steering wheel movement in so much as they stiffen up the entire front suspension of the car. We have carried out some practical tests as to the reversibility of the steering and find that under light loads such as are produced by joggles, the steering reversibility is from 45 to 50% on the 20 HP. with the .700 lead worm. Therefore the calculated loads thrown upon the drivers hand are quite appreciable and confirms practical experience. We suggest that if the spring controlled ball end movement was distributed between both ends of the side steering tube as on the 40/50, the rear joint could be reduced considerably in size, thereby enabling a shorter pendulum lever to be employed without causing this joint to foul the frame. This would improve the geometry slightly but it seems difficult to make any considerable alteration to the pendulum lever length without pushing it out from the frame and reverting to a bent side steering tube to preserve the right hand lock. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/W.A.Robotham. | ||