MOTORING WORLD

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 230, 28 August 1937, Page 7

MOTORING WORLD

LIMITING CAR SPEED. In England, where built-up areas are subject to 30 miles per hour speed limit, attempts are being made to develop devices which can be put into action by the driver when approaching such areas and which will automatically keep the speed of the cur within the proscribed limit. One such device has been developed which is said to be quite effective, attaining the desired result without depriving the vehicle of a reserve ot power for coping with steep gradients in the limited area. A pilot light indicates whether the device is working. It is not reported how it works, blit presumably it is some form of centrifugal governor controlling the throttle opening and allowing a greater opening without an increase of road speed on hills. CHAIN DRIVE REVIVAL?. One of the difficulties associated with the development of efficient independent suspension systems for all four .wheels is the effective and reliable conveyance of engine power to the driving wheels. The use of short, universally jointed jack shafts, though it has been successful in some cases, has certain shortcomings, particularly in heavier vehicles. It has been suggested that many of the present problems would be solved by reverting to chain final drive, a simple and efficient means of transmitting power, much used in the early days, but eventually dropped largely because of the unreliability of the chains then available. Modern chains, however, are quite a different thing, and if a substantial type of silent chain is used, it is possible that the suggestion will prove to possess a good deal of merit. USEFUL FOR THE GARAGE. A useful squeegee for cleaning the floor of the garage or a concrete pavement, used as a car wash, ca.n be made in tho following manner: Two lengths of wood about 16 inches long, two inches thick, and three or four inches wide are bolted together with several lengths cut from old inner tubes between, and extending from one side by about an inch and a half. To the centre of one of the strips of wood a broom handle is fastened at an angle. It will, of courso, be necessary to drill a hole for the purpose, but the task of providing a handle will be simplified if one can be obtained from an old mop provided with a screwed encl and socket, the socket simply being screwed to the wood. STARTING ON A HILL. The accepted method of starting away from rest on an upgrade is to hold the car with the hand brake, thus leaving the feet free for clutch and accelerator pedals and, with a nice adjustment of engine speed and clutch movement, to release the hand brake as 60on a 6 the clutch takes hold. This is all very well in theory, but in some cases the hand brake is so inaccessible that this method becomes rather exasperating, particularly when a stream of heavy traffic is stopping and starting continually on a long hill. New owners who have experienced the difficulty described may find it easier to va.ry the method by holding the car with the foot brake and adjusting the engine speed by the hand throttle, if this button is placed conveniently enough on the instrument board. As soon as the car has started and the right foot is transferred to the accelerator pedal, the hand throttle must be returned to the closed position. This method of starting on a hill is used quite a lot by old hands, but for some reason it does not seem to be included in the curriculum of many of those who specialise in the tuition of candidates for driving licenses. THE FAN BEARING. On most modern cars, the fan is mounted on an extension of the water pump shaft, and the bearing in which this shaft revolves is lubricated by moans of a grease cup. It is essential that one or two turns be given to the grease cup every few hundred miles. Over-lubrication at this point, however, should be avoided, because the excess may find its way through the water pump into the radiator cooling tubes, coating their insides with a film of grease, impairing the radiator’s efficiency and causing over-lieating. The fan belt should be tested occasionally to see that it is at the proper tension, while if a small water leak is noticed at the shaft bearing it may be cured usually by slightly tightening the packing gland with the special spanner provided in the tool kit.

RACING DRIVERS’ STRIKE

Because of a dispute with the officials a few minutes before the start of the recent French Grand Prix, some of the drivers refused to run, thus introducing the strike weapon into an entirely new sphere. Then, to the accompaniment of catcalls from the crowd, the officials rushed about frenziedly, pacifying the drivers, and at last persuaded them to compete, the race commencing a few minutes late in consequence. One of the strikers,-Chiron, eventually won the race with a French Talbot at 82.47 m.p.li. SAFE STEERING GEAR. DANGER OF BACKLASH. When backlash in the steering gear develops, it is as well to look over nil the steering connections before attempting to adjust the steering gearbox itself. In most modern cars, these connections are attached by means of adjustable, spring-loaded ball joints, and when a big mileage has been covered, it is possible for wear to develop in them so that a certain amount of slackness becomes evident in the stcoring wheel by an excessive amount of free movement. Go over the four ball joints, two on the drag link and two on the tie rod, and carefully tighten by removing the split pin from each one, and screwing down the slotted screw in the end of the tubular joint, not as tightly as it will go, but just enough to insure the spring bearing with some tension on the concave faced plunger which bears against the ball. Be careful that every split pin is replaced, otherwise one of the ball joints may come adrift, leaving the driver without any steering gear at all. In certain cars fitted with independent front springing, the track rod is divided and there will l>e two more hall joints to receive attention. Only when these parts have been dealt with should any attempt be made to adjust the steering gear itself, but it is possible that it will be found that no attention to this unit is needed.