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).
Report discussing chassis frame buckling, distortion, and comparisons with Cadillac and La Salle, alongside an analysis of torque testing and front brake juddering.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 84\2\ scan0237 | |
| Date | 18th December 1934 | |
| -2- HB{C. E. Harcombe}/Gry.{Shadwell Grylls}21/WW.18.12.34. (4) The frame itself had buckled in the bend just behind the pot fixing, the welding underneath the frame having given way. We are handing the chassis to MID. for a detailed examination of exactly how much each part has distorted. Various of these points are easy to put right, but we should like to draw attention to the Cadillac and La{L. A. Archer} Salle chassis, in both of which there is a strut across the corners behind the front tray from the tray to the side members. This should be very beneficial as regards side member distortion. R.{Sir Henry Royce} has suggested our tests are not exactly representative of road conditions, as we in our tests are applying the whole of the torque as a force at ground level, whereas actually the torque is made up of a force at the ground of /4 times the weight of the front wheels and a pure couple due to the locking of the wheel. While we agree with this, it will not account for the horizontal bending of Bentley front axles on the road when no juddering has taken place. Our test apparatus did not bend the axle more than has been found on the road after sudden locking of the front wheels. We think the SpectreCodename for Phantom III should withstand similar treatment. We have had front brake jaggers on 37-EX, the first front independently sprung 40/50 car produced. We have not yet obtained sufficient front braking on the SpectreCodename for Phantom III to know whether it is likely to jagger or no. HB{C. E. Harcombe}/Gry.{Shadwell Grylls} | ||