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).
The steering effects and safety of different 'out of centrepoint' front brake configurations.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 67\2\ scan0240 | |
| Date | 1st October 1926 | |
| Contd. -3- Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}3/T1.10.26. pull on the wheel became less, instead of more violent as is the case when the axle pivots are twisted forward. The drag produced by 2.6" out of centrepoint can easily be counteracted by the driver without any severe physical effort even under exceptional brake application. Naturally, the effect previously described depends to a certain extent upon the efficiency of the front brakes. On the car on which this test was conducted, the brakes were about the lower limit of our standard of efficiency. We tried a second car with 5.75" out of centrepoint and very efficient front brakes. In this condition the car was definitely dangerous when the single front brake was applied violently. This was emphasized by the fact that in this case, weak side steering tube springs were fitted. When the two brakes were coupled up, no effect could be detected on the wheel when braking violently due to lack of equalisation. As a result of these tests we feel that we would very much sooner drive a car with 2" or 3" out of centrepoint and front axle control, than a centrepoint contact car with no axle control. It is very rarely one brake becomes totally ineffective and it is practically im-possible for this to occur instantaneously without breakage, a condition which we have never experienced on any of our front wheel brake cars. If it occurred gradually, the driver would have ample warning Contd. | ||