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, their causes, and potential solutions involving tyres, wheels, and steering friction.
Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\E\September1920\ Scan43 | |
Date | 1st September 1920 | |
To C.J. from R.{Sir Henry Royce} -3- R6/G7/9/20 Contd. same time admired for its many virtues. * No changes in design have been made to make this less satisfactory. * Now most of the recent complaints have been traced to changes in tyres, and somewhat the bad condition of the roads. We would like to point out that it has been lately proved that our greater tendency to "steering wobbles" at slow speed is because of our greater freedom from friction, a virtue in every way but this, and we are now purposely adding friction to one of the vertical steering pivots to damp out this vibration. You will remember that this cure has been suggested by me some years ago, but has never been found good without some harm, but by applying it to one side only it is now thought to be a nearly perfect cure. Many times it has been thought that our steering is too reversible, but we can render it irreversible by the use of plain thrust washers in the steering column as suggested by me some time ago, but this has recently been found to increase the possibility of steering wobbles, so is not recommended at present. * Mr. de Salamanca's complaint of bad steering at high speeds was traced to American tyres, since abandoned. * [Handwritten]: X.1019 [Handwritten]: X.527 (crossed out) It will be remembered that I have definitely and always endeavoured to stop the use of larger diameter of road wheels, and heavy detachable rims. It is now admitted that these are fatal things for good steering at high speed. Also, I have been pleased to see that Warland split detachable rims are so badly made that we cannot get a supply of good ones, _these_ are things I detest and abominate, nothing is better than clincher rims and security bolts, and wire wheels for _high_ speed cars of | ||