CONFLICTING VIEWS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20647, 9 September 1932, Page 8

CONFLICTING VIEWS.

VALUE OF FREE-WHEELING. AMERICAN INVESTIGATION. After an extensive investigation American car, engineers announce that all the new stresses imposed on a car by free-wheeling are well within the Bafety and . operating life limits provided in its manufacture, but Sir Maicolm Campbell claims that, the new mechanism has faults. The American announcement iollows a similar one from the French Society Jf Aut? Engineers. The three mam points considered by the overseas experts were: la a shock produced in the transmission or back axle when a car {akes u? its load after free-wheelmg ? {hf ex P act magnitude of this shock, and what stresses it creates; and, finally, i» wear in the clutch, cluteh thrust bearing, or near axle accelerated by free-wheeling t The engineers claim that no excesS ive load is thrown by . free-wheeling on the near axle gearing or other parts of the transmission; that it does not (even in clutch free-wheel systems) cause extra wear of the clutch, and that it only increases the wear on the clutch thrust imperceptibly. Writing in the Field'' recently Sir Malcolm Campbell said: I have heard many arguments tor and against the free-wheeling device, and, as far as I can summarise it, the position is this: When a free-wheel is used this device must obviously enable a slightly higher mileage per gallon of petrol to be obtained, as well as more silent running, since the overrun of the gearbox is completely eliminated. But against these advantages it can be stated with equal accuracy that the brakes will be called upon to withstand extra work, and in consequence, will-not last so long as they otherwise would do. Further, a car is certainly more prone to skid on a wet road when the free-wheel is in use than when it is not."