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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 requirements and limitations of modern steering gear, including desirable attributes and limiting factors.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 178\1\  img101
Date  13th July 1926 guessed
  
FUNDAMENTALS OF CAR PERFORMANCE.

(1) REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS OF MODERN STEERING GEAR.

(a) Desirable attributes.

The main features required in a modern steering gear are - Lightness of operation, high factor of safety, durability, selective-ness, freedom from road shocks, self-centering, stability at all speeds, large steering lock and freedom from high or low speed wobbles

(b) Limiting factors.

The basic items affecting the behaviour of a car steering are:-

(1) The angular movement of the steering wheel allowable for comfort.
(2) The weight of the front axle of the car.
(3) The tyre section and inflation pressure.
(4) The road shocks the driver is able to withstand without discomfort.

The first factor is to a certain extent a matter of education. Ten or twelve years ago, the majority of cars could be steered from full lock to full lock with one complete rotation of the wheel. Now most of the large cars require two complete turns of the steering wheel to accomplish the same result. This reduction in the steering ratio has been brought about by the increase in tyre section, lower pressures and increased weight on the front axle due to front wheel brakes. In other words, there is more work to be done in moving the front wheels of the car now than previously, and consequently to do this work with the same applied force, the leverage must

contd.
  
  


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