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).
Improvements in durability, suspension, and power plant for the Bentley.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 160\5\ scan0078 | |
| Date | 17th December 1940 guessed | |
| - 2 - Section 5 - DURABILITY. At many points durability has been improved by increasing bearing sizes. In particular the dimensions of the crankshaft have been increased. The rear axle has been modified to give greater ability to withstand abuse. The basic object in re-designing the Bentley has been to enable higher average speeds to be maintained without the driver suffering from increased fatigue. Running through the modifications made to the various units of the chassis compared with the last series, we have the following. INDEPENDENT FRONT SUSPENSION. Independent suspension is now fitted to the front of the car. This results in three basic advantages:- Better steering stability at high speeds, Better cornering ability, and Better ride. The suspension also is arranged so that it is completely insulated from the rest of the chassis with rubber. This eliminates the tyre and road noise which is often accentuated by other independently sprung systems. POWER PLANT. Crankshaft journal sizes have been increased to improve durability and smoothness. A completely new engine mounting has been evolved, which permits the engine to be driven at full throttle at low speeds, without torque reaction being felt. | ||