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 the directional stability of Bentley cars due to overloaded rear tyres.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 89\4\ scan0273 | |
| Date | 24th February 1938 | |
| Hd.{Mr Hayward/Mr Huddy} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c W/K - Pk. 261? Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}4/R.24.2.38. From time to time cases have come to our notice where Bentley customers have been thoroughly upset by the lack of directional stability of their cars, and the trouble has been due, almost entirely, to wrong tyres or wrong tyre pressures. The trouble has been aggravated by the fact that the original Bentley when we made it weighed 31 cwts; generally speaking, Bentleys on the road to-day weigh about 34 cwts, and all the increase has gone on to the rear wheels, the result is that the rear tyres are now over-loaded. Basically, the trouble has been dealt with by increasing the tyre section, and larger tyres are standardised on the first half of 'M' Series. The attached copy of memo from Waller shows how the trouble can be dealt with retrospectively. In extreme cases the customer might be persuaded to pay for larger wheels and tyres which can be used on pre 'M' Series cars if the Coachbuilders drawings issued by Works for the old tyres has been adhered to. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||