The Motor World

NZ Truth, Issue 818, 16 July 1921, Page 7

The Motor World

(By •'Crank.")

The "pit" m the average motor workshops is, as a rule, the most uncomfortable working place imaginable. A novel idea has been adopted by Messrs. A. and B. Power, m .their garage and engineering works, at Sydney. Taking advantage of the sloping ground, they have a platform running out the back of the garage, level with the floor, but about eight feet above the ground. This is cut away m the centre to allow fr^ access to the whole length or a car, and about six feet below the opening is another plattorm for the operator to stand on. In addition to providing a comfortable working position, it ensures ample natural light and room to manoeuvre parts of all sizes and weights. The same platform is used as a "wash."

How often does the average car owner worry about wheel alignment? Misalignment of one or more of the road wheels makes a rapid tyre wear. Yet most motorists take it for granted that' their 1 , wheels are all "tracking" properly. Perhaps many of them think that testing of the wheels is a difficult matter, and the remedying of defects an expert's work. This idea iis dispelled by the Durilop Rubber Company, which suggests the following simple test: "Place the car on a. level floor and set the front wheels straight. Next fasten a piece of string or cotton thread to a rear wheel spoke on the inside at rear of. wheel and bring string round back of tyre to the front wheel, around front tyre, and tie it to' one of the front wheel spokes on the inside. Note that the tyres must touch the string at four points. Do the same to .the other side, and compare results. A prolific source of tyre wear is the rear axle being off the square, but the two pieces of string will readily show this up. In many cases, when tried on one side oC the car, it will be found, when the string is touching front and back of the .rear tyre, that, it is two 1 inches away from -the sides of t;he front tyre ' '

"This denotes that the rear axle has slipped back on one of the springs. If the trouble Is on. the front axle, lengthen pr snorten the front tie 'rod connecting the stub axle arms until all wheels are dead m line. When this is done, it is advisable to lengthen the tie rod (if behind the axle, shorten if, m front) about half a turn, which causes the front wheels to 'toe in' about a. quarter of an frich to half an Inch, which assists the steering. If a few thousand more miles on the tyres are gained by aligning the wheels, the ultimate saving to the motorist is well worth the few minutes' work done periodically m checking the alignment. The average motorist who complains that he never seems to have any luck with his tyres usually has a rude awakening when the 'string' test is put on the wheels."

The State of California has for years been held up as a model by good-roads enthusiasts, because of its miles of beau-tifully-surfaced highways. But m a recent report, following upon several months' surveys of the State's roads by qualified engineers' commissioned by the various automobile clubs, the State is held up rather as a model of what not to do m constructing main roads. In that respect, the experience there should prove of particular value to New Zealand. The burden of the report, which cannot be too frequently drilled into the road-making authorities, is that it is the foundation, rather than the surface, which should be given the greatest consideration.. Apparently this was not done even m California.

Californian road-users were keenly. Interested m the report because the Legislature was considering the enactment of a new motor vehicle law. Operators of motor trucks were especially concerned. The manager of a big motor truck distributing firm expressed the following yiews: "Dealers, owners, op-

erators, shippers and all that part of the oublic that depend m any way upon motor freight transportation are impressed by the fair-minded attitude with which the relations between roads and motor trucks are viewed by the engineers who* made the survey,", said R. H. Morris, manager of the Mack-Interna-tional Motor Truck Corporation, distributors of Mack trucks. "It has been contended by those who have given the subject an unbiassed study that, if necessary for California because of financial conditions m the past, it would have been better to have built more durable highways m preference to. such extensive, mileage. Thte four- inch roads of this State are. known to be little more than a veneered surface, bound to warp, break, and disintegrate m time. Many miles of this type. of highways have gone to' pieces without being subject even to a normal traffic demand; When the report says subsoil conditions were not given proper study arid analysis, it puts the stamp of approval upon the contention of motor trucking interests, .that m. many cases destruction emanates from sources below the surface of the highway, rather than from' above." .