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).
Issues with steering kick, balloon tyre punctures, and front spring suspension on large car models.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 53\3\ Scan092 | |
| Date | 2nd February 1928 | |
| Extract from Fn13/G6.2.28. ........... Now I want to discuss with you what we have learnt. I have had complaint after complaint till I am sick of hearing it of the badness of the steering on the big cars. I have heard no criticisms on the 20 HP. I know this is an old grouse that you have probably had time after time but I feel it is my duty to tell you again in case it may help you to let the Administration understand that this question is very serious at any rate as far as we are concerned. Alwar was particularly a bad case and although he had the modified steering, when we tried the car, it was extraordinarily bad and quite impossible to hold the car at any sort of speed on rough roads and even on 64-EF unless the road was particularly good, most of the pot holes were transmitted to the steering wheel causing it to kick badly. I have heard many complaints of balloon tyres particularly the fact that they are no good for cross country work owing to their liability to puncture easily and so serious do I think this point is that I am going to request you to ask the Administration if we may take it optional out here to fit either balloon or oversize high pressure tyres. It will have to be left to us to find out when we sell a car as to what use it is going to be put and in the event of it being used a good deal for Shikar, then we must suggest using the oversize tyres. I do not know if it is possible to fit oversize tyres to the std. straight sided wheel, but I think this would be easy. I am trying to meet Sir Reginald Ford to ask him whether he has received many complaints. I think he will tell me as it is not in his interests that these tyres should be fitted if they are not giving good service and I will let you have a report as soon as I can see him, but in the meantime I would ask you to give this matter your earnest consideration as it is certainly serious. Incidentally we ourselves had 5 punctures during our trip. Another trouble which we had was continual hitting of the front springs on the rubber buffers on the chassis. As you know, the Phantom springs have a slight negative camber and I think for out here we should ask the Works if they consider it expedient that we should fit slightly stronger front springs. As you know, the roads out here are on the whole extraordinarily good but on many occasions even on the grand trunk road the springs were hitting very hard on the buffers when going on fairly high speeds. We have examined the springs since we returned and find that they have not taken a 'set' at all: so there is no question of the springs being wrong as far as their temper is concerned. We had this complaint pointed out to us also by Canty and I suggest that if the Works agree and if it is not too detrimental to the good springing of the car, that contd:- | ||