Dennis Announces a 30 m.p.h. 5-tonner
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New 75 b.h.p. Four-cylinder Model Added to Dennis Range. Designed for a Gross Weight of 84 Tons, but Weighing, in Chassis Form, Under 2 Tons. Available in Two Wheelbase Lengths.
Five Speeds Optional
To its range of moder
ate-capacity goods vehicles, Dennis Brothers, Ltd., Guildford, has added an entirely new model, designed for loads of the maximum weight now carried by lorries weighing unladen under 2i tons. Described as a 5-tonner, it may be laden up to a gross weight of 81 tons if 34 by 7 tyres he fitted. The standard tyres are 32 by 6.
Offered with awheelbase of either 13 ft. 6 ins. or 9 ft. 8 ins., the chassis affords -a body space of .13 ft. 11 ins. or 8 ft. 74 ins., respectively. It has a straight frame, normal control, and a new and pleasing design of aluminium radiator.
Its power unit is the Dennis 3.77-litre (100 mm. by 120 mm.) four-cylindered petrol engine in its latest form, which now develops 75 b.h.p. Noteworthy features include a counter-balanced crankshaft, inserted valve seats, Stellitefaced valves and rear-positioned timing gear. Ignition is by coil, the system incorporating vacuum mechanical advance gear, whilst mixture is supplied by a Zenith down-draught carburetter, petrol being accommodated in a cylindrical l5-gallon tank on the near side.
Considerable interest attaches to the clutch, which is a single-plate unit running in oil, the plate being faced with • special fabric. A •noteworthy point of the gearbox is that the thirdspeed wheels are in constant mesh, engagement being by a sliding dog.
Engine and ho T form a unit and are mounted on rubber, being supported on a cradle at the rear and by two brackets at the front. These fixings permit considerable freedom of movement, and are supplemented by a torque tie. This is of a new type and anchors the back of the bell-housing to the lower part of the off-side frame side member, the tie being rubber cushioned at both points of attachment.
As an optional component. a fivespeed gearbox, which incorporates an overdrive, is available.
In the two-piece propeller shaft arc three Hardy Spicer joints and a vibration damper, whilst the centre bearing is embedded in rubber. Final drive is by spiral bevel, the standard 'ratio being 7 to 1, and the axle shafts are fully floating.
With 8-in. (maximum) side members, the frame is a light but strong structure, incorporating an A bracing. The springs are of the prop ressive type, and Burman steering with Thompson self-adjusting joints is employed on this Dennis chassis.
In the 16-in, drums on all four wheels is Bendix two-leading-shoe bi-ke gear, actuated by wedge and roller expanders, application of the last named being by Lockheed hydraulic apparatus. No power servo gear is used. The long and short chassis weigh, respectively, 391 cwt. and 384 cwt., whilst their overall lengths are 19 ft. 11 ins. and 15 ft. 5 ins. In both cases, the frame height is 2 ft. 61 ins.
We have conducted a test of this new model of which a full report will be published in an early issue. At the moment we must confine our remarks to the statement that it performed excellently in all respects, particularly good braking figures being obtained together with highly satisfactory fuelconsumption returns.