Rolls-Royce Archives
         « Prev  Box Series  Next »        

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).
Customer complaints about inefficient brakes on Bentley and 20-25 or 25-30 HP models, with suggested remedies.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 107\3\  scan0124
Date  30th March 1938
  
To Hdg(for Depot Sheet)
o.{Mr Oldham} By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer}
o.{Mr Oldham} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux}

Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/AFM.{Anthony F. Martindale}5/AP.30.3.38

561 also 261

CUSTOMERS COMPLAINT - BRAKES INEFFICIENT.

Bentley and 20-25 or 25-30 HP.

There are a number of these complaints, especially in London, in cases where there is nothing wrong with the mechanism but when the driver has to push the brake pedal harder than he likes to get a given stop. Apparently the procedure in these cases is either to remove drums and re-bed the linings, or strip the servo and re-bed, or both. This is very expensive and is often done free-of-charge, and of course after a few miles the brakes are as bad as before.

We recommended GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux} to try putting the lever G.52049 on the near or servo side of the 25/30 HP. servo countershaft and the lever G.52051 on the off, or pedal side of the Bentley to lighten the pedal pressure by 14%. (The lever displaced from either car is used up on the other one, so that few new levers should be required.) Apparently he finds this quite satisfactory in practice so we think you should standardize this procedure in such cases. The cost is very small.

If changing the levers has the desired result, no examination of servo or brakes should be made in the absence of any other complaint.

The chauffeur will have to adjust his foot brake 14% more frequently, unless the pedal plate is raised on its adjustable stem. In the case of the Bentley we recommend that the pedal should be raised one notch.

Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/AFM.{Anthony F. Martindale}
  
  


Copyright Sustain 2025, All Rights Reserved.    whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble
An unhandled error has occurred. Reload 🗙