MOTORING

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 16 June 1928, Page 14

MOTORING

(By “Magneto.”)

SPARKS. Girls were just as easy to kiss when I was a young fellow, I guess, and it wasn’t half so risky. The old horse could be depended on not to run into a telegraph pole. ***** A city chap was taking a country girl for a rid© in his car. Lowering a window, lie said: “Does that air bother jonShe looked at him dumbly for a moment, then asked : “That ’ere what, Dill ?” * «* * W * “How long did it take you to learn to drive a’motor car!'” “Oh! three or Jour!” “ H Ceks ?” “No—cars!” **-*»• Garage Manager (to Scots accountant) : “This place is getting very dirty.” > : / s “Righto! I’ll get the vacuum cleaner people to give us another, detnonstration.” " • v: ’’ : ' ■ ■ *** ’ * Ambulance Surgeon. “What brought on the fit?” Neighbour: “The poor fellow's new car had just been delivered, and when he came out he saw a butterfly tramping over the paintwork.” * * * * * A man staying at an hotel wakened in the morning to find a chambermaid putting his teai tray on the table at his bedside. “I didn’t hear you knock!” he remarked. “No, sir, of course not,” she retorted. “I’m Ethyl!” ■K* * * * Firemen in Chicago recently administered the “water cure” to 100 cars parked too near fireplugs by opening the plugs and drenching the cars and their ignition systems. But that kind of thing is not to be wondered at ih dig Bill Thompson’s city. * <* * » * I Driver: “Confounded bumpy bit of road, this! Nearly got jerked right out. then.” Hefty Passenger: “It’s not the road, old boy. I’ve got a sudden fit of hiccups.”

BALLOON TYRES. AVOID UNDER-INFLATiON. Now that the balloon tyres are coming into such wide use, the necessity of constant air pressure is important, says a tyre expert in the “Goodyear News.” When high pressure tyres were universally used, the escape of several pounds of air made but little difference. Now it is a known fact that when the pressure in a balloon tyre drops more than 31b it begins to have .a serious effect on the wear and general performance of the tyre. There is on an average a leakage of 10 percent. of the air in a tube a week. If a motorist attempts to use his tubes too long, he is bound to get slow leaks, tube pinches, and flat tyres with increasing irequeney. Meantime he is ruining good casings. 'l'lie cost of a new tube is saved by preventing uneven tread wear alone or fabric breaks in the carcase of the casing due to under-inflation. Wise carowners refuse to take chances on old tubes. They have found out that one of the best ways to ensure long, trouble-free mileage is to first buy good casings and then equip them with new, live rubber tubes that will hold air constantly, and give the casing the right kind of support.

Alt Home and Abroad

NEWS AND NOTES. The installation of 2500 new signals in New York city has eliminated the . necessity of employing 5000 additional > policemen. ***** . A five-mile stretch of road in Colorado has been laid with rock containing nearly £4OOO worth of gold ore. *. * * * * « The last of the horse-drawn vehicles has been withdrawn from the gardens and grounds adjoining the Apostolic Palace in Home, Italy. The motor equipment of the Pope was presented by friends and admirers. ***** Bear Island, in the Isle of Shoals, discovered bv Captain John Smith, is one of the few places in the United States without a motor vehicle. Unitarians who use the island for a series of summer conferences have decided to nuy a motor-truck to haul supplies from the wharf. * * * * * The largest road-building project ever undertaken, representing pu investment of £15,000,000 and employing 5000 men, has been started in Cuba. Bisecting the island, the new roadway will extend 700 miles. In length it will double the historic Appian Way laid down iu Italy 2000 years ago. * * * * A public pawnshop is operated in Paris, France, for owners of motorcars who have no use for them during the winter months. This institution takes them in at the rate of from 10s to £1 per month, according to thenvalue, and advances 60 per cent, of their value at 8 per cent, besides. * * * * * The lamentable plight of the ancient hackmen of Athens, who have been driven out of business by the encroachment of the motor-car, has moved the Government of Greece to pit}*. In consequence, a bureau is to be established for training the hackmen as taxicab drivers. A tax on petrol will ensure funding of the instruction programme. * * * I * The necessity of adjusting bulbs in headlights to make the lights comply with the new • regulations was shown by the secretary of the Wellington Automobile Club at its last meeting. It was stated that garage proprietors written to had stated that they could not possibly do the work for all the cars in the association, and it was decided to ask the City Council to endeavour to arrive at some, scheme of passing cars as complying with the i emulations. *.**•’* The annual report of the Southland Motor Association states that despite considerable expenditure, during the year the financial position is satisfactory, the balance of revenue account having increased from £623 10s 2d to £786 14s lid. The total of the association’s investments is £656 13s lOd. There is a membership of 1150. During the year 270 direction, danger, and school sign boards had been erected.

BRAKE Brake chatter is defined as a lowerpitched sound than a squeak. Improper band or shoe support is the first thing to look for. Chatter will result if anchor bracket is broken or if band is loose on anchor bracket, if bracket is loose on dust shield, if dust, shield is loose on m.xle, if axle is loose on spring, or if worn spring bolts or worn rubber or fabric shackles permit undue lost, /motion. Other causes of chatter include badly worn linkage, lining loose on rivets, loose wheel bearing, eccentric drum, or sticky lining. If chatter occurs with cold brakes but disappears with warm brakes the lining is sticky. Chatter may oc-c-nr if brake mechanism forces cud of band into drum. The remedy is to reduce adjustment on band and take up adjustment on jink* age until pull is tangential.