Overhaul Once A Year

Northern Advocate, 30 July 1938, Page 3 (Supplement)

Overhaul Once A Year

Motorists of today can be divided into two distinct classes—those who find it economical to obtain a new car annually or biennially, because of the big mileage covered, and those who, using the car mainly at week-ends for pleasure, are content to keep the one vehicle in commission for a very much longer period. It is to the second class that the following remarks are addressed, because those who trade-in their cars at regular periods, which rarely extend beyond the life of the original tyres, will not be faced with the same problems. The advice given is based on actual experience, and is particularly applicable to the lower priced models in which the materials used are not quite to the standard of those in the more expensive types. Manufacturers have been so successful in insulating the interior of modern coachwork from exterior noises that frequently a slight sound that otherwise would gitfe warning of impending trouble will pass unnoticed. For this reason it is suggested that the owner of a car who intends that it shall do duty for a number of years should have it examined very thoroughly at least once a year. The points which should come in for attention are the engine bearings, the valves, the whole of the transmission, steering, and brakes, with, in addition, a check of the oil in the shock absorbers, and the state of the spring shackles. Owner’s Experiencs.

Such an examination will sometimes disclose some fault which hitherto has been quite unsuspected. The owner of a very popular model car, having to its credit nearly 20,000 miles, which had been built up in about two years of running, mainly long distance country tours carried out at a fair speed, often with fast cornering, sent his car to the service station to have a few rattles in the chassis eliminated and the brakes adjusted. In the process of carrying out this work it was found necessary to remove one of the brake drums. Then it was discovered that the brake linings had worn down to such an extent that, though a successful adjustment was still possible, some of the rivets holding the linings to the shoes had worked havoc with the brake drums, scoring them so much that the inner surfaces had to be re-smoothed on a lathe. In the old days ample warning of this condition would probably have been given by scraping noises from within the drums; but the sedan body of the car in question had been so effectively silenced that these had escaped notice, though a test, with another person hanging on to the side of the body, showed that they existed. This refacing process was rather expensive, but could have been avoided had an examination of the car been made at the end of its first 15,000 miles. Expensive Repairs. In another case excessive end play developed in the rear axle drive shafts purely because of a neglect to examine them at intervals and check incipient wear as soon as it appeared. Here again the complete dismantling of the rear axle assembly was an expense which could have been avoided. Yet another incident was the fracturing of a steering arm because it had worked loose in the taper in which it fitted into the stub axle. Fortunately this mishap occurred when the car was travelling slowly, and it was stopped before any other damage had been done; but the effect of such a happening at high speed can be imagined. If the condition had been discovered by a close examination when the looseness first developed, it * could have been rectified simply by tightening the nut on the end of the arm. This incident, of course, was exceptional. Generally, any excessive wear which occurs through ignorance of the forces at work is not unsafe, but only involves the unfortunate owner in expense which could have been obviated had a regular examination been made. If the practice is followed of making a very careful examination at least once a year it will be found that even the lowest-priced cars can be kept in excellent condition for a very moderate cost, and will, moreover, last the week-end motorist, giving great satisfaction all the time, for very many years.

New German military six-wheeled buses are using all six wheels for both steering and driving. The authorities insist on all engines and parts being interchangeable, even when the vehicles are made by different manufacturers.