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).
Letter to a supplier about problems with a supplied axle and brakes causing delays to a vehicle build.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 120\2\ scan0128 | |
| Date | 29th December 1936 | |
| 1029 (Experimental Dept.) RM{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/AFM{Anthony F. Martindale}1/R.{Sir Henry Royce} 29th December, 1936. New-Hudson Ltd., Ichnield Street, BIRMINGHAM.18. Dear Sirs, Your Ref: AF/AL. In reply to your letter dated 22nd December 1936, you will remember that our original complaint about the first axle supplied was that it restricted our lock from 40° to about 34°. On building up the second axle we found that the lock we were getting was about 30° and 27° on the two sides. This has naturally held us up quite a lot, though we have now increased it to about 37° each side. Furthermore, your layout of the brakes was such that it was necessary for you to cut away the pivot flange which carries the entire weight of the front of the car, and the remaining metal was so thin that we doubted whether it would stand up to road shocks. It would certainly have leaked oil. This we did not notice until we stripped the brakes. It has given us more work and occasioned considerable delay, but the car is now out of the fitting shop and is being tuned up for the road. We quite appreciate your position, but we cannot issue a report until we have tried the car on the road. You will remember that the axle arrived later than we hoped, and this rather upset our programme, so much so that another Bentley will go for test before that with Girling brakes. Yours faithfully, For ROLLS-ROYCE LTD. | ||