Metordom

Southland Times, Issue 22770, 21 December 1935, Page 16

Metordom

News and Notes.

OF GENERAL INTEREST ON THE ROAD AND ON THE WING. THE LATEST HAPPENINGS. Self-Adjusting Brakes. From our English motor correspondent writing on November 2. Brakes which adjust themselves as wear takes place will be a feature of the most up-to-date chassis _ at the Commercial Vehicle Show which opens next Thursday, November 7. The system is being manufactured only by the Daimler company, and has never before been seen on any car or commercial vehicle. It has been subjected to many months of exhaustive tests and has proved entirely satisfactory. The action of this new invention is such that the mere application of the brakes maintains each brake shoe on each wheel in perfect adjustment throughout the entire life of the shoe lining. Not only is this accomplished, but the correct brake adjustment _is maintained irrespective of any variation in the rate of wear between the different brake shoes. One result of this is that the brake pedal always retains the same position and the same length of stroke necessary for brake application. From the view-point of safety it is difficult to over-emphasize the value of this invention, particularly on large passenger vehicles which average many stops per- mile. In addition to the safety feature, however, the system must necessarily reduce upkeep charges to a very marked extent.

Motoring Deluxe. An interesting Morris roadster will arrive at Bluff to-day by the Port Wyndham. This Morris is a stock model taken right off the assembly lines at Cowley by Mr G. C. Tappeihimself early last June. After travelling over 4000 miles along the highways and byways of England, Wales and Scotland another 4000 miles were spent travelling through France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Germany and Belgium. Two passes over 6000 feet above sea level and four between four and five thousand feet were crossed without the slightest trouble. The petrol consumption average for the whole trip worked out at 41.3 m.p.g., a convincing test of economy and reliability. This Morris Eight Roadster will be on view next week at Messrs Watts and Grieve Ltd., the Morris Distributers for Southland. Skids and the Law. From our English motor correspondent. Who is to blame for skids? In a recent test case the Scottish Court of Session decided that the builders of a slippery bitumen road were, liable for damages, and that the drivel’ of a skidding vehicle was not to _ blame. That is the sequel to an accident in which a bus got out of control on an excessively slippery road at Hamilton, and crashed into a lorry. In all there were over a dozen accidents, with claims amounting to £BOOO. According to an English legal authority, it is doubtful whether such an action could be brought outside Scotland. Under English law the position is rather different, since local authorities are not responsible for accidents on the road unless they have deliberately done something, like digging a hole, to make them unsafe. Many suggestions have been put forward to compel English road authorities to use materials ot proved safety. In their memorandum on road safety last year the R.A.C. laid down that “there is no excuse for any road authority allowing the use of such a surface as will cause danger to road users by reason of its slippery nature, and the Ministry of Transport and road authorities generally should treat this question as one of urgency in the interests of public safety.”

Tyre Designs. Definite progress in tyre designs as compared with the previous Olympia Show is noticeable, and. takes a form which is outwardly visible to the average motorist, according to a London report of this year’s motor display. Treads, it is stated, have been made wider, thicker, and flatter, the increased thread thickness being particularly noteworthy. This has allowed for deep-cut non-skid tread patterns, which is the tye manufacturers’ principal contribution to the present demand for safety on the roads. The increased non-skid life given to the tyres by this method is a great safety factor. Exhaustive tests have proved that even with a flat, or worn tyre, skidding is not a main danger up to speeds of 30 miles per hour. After that, however, those with flat or worn I treads may be said to increase their skidding risks in compound proportion as the speed increases. As the average motorist to-day travels well over 30 miles an hour when free of restricted areas, it will be seen that the efficiency of non-skid tread patterns is an important question. The “Offside Rule.” In an endeavour to assist the campaign for greater safety on the roads the Automobile Association has published in booklet form an illustrated explanation of the “Offside Rule ’ for traffic which the A.A. first advocated in 1921. The rule states: “Whenever two or more drivers proceeding in different directions desire to pass over the same portion of road surface at the same time and where no constable or other offiicial direction to traffic exists, vehicles coming from the right shall be given the precedence.” The A.A. has for many years emphasized that efficient and simple traffic regulation is one of the most important factors in the reduction of road accidents, and there is no doubt that the application of a general rule which clearly establishes which streams of traffic shall have priority would, by. minimising the possibility of confusion, go far to achieve this object. The A.A.’s booklet contains many diagrams illustrating the operation of the Offside Rule under various conditions and particularly in connection with roundabouts, one-way streets and dual carriageways. A.A. Road Census. 4d’qdgvj a ruhaod4 vbgk bgk bgk bg The annual road traffic census carried out by the Automobile Association, shows in an analysis even more remarkable increases than formerly. Over a period of five years there has been an expansion of 47.8 per cent, in the traffic recorded during the census week of seven days of eleven hours each. These annual figures are:—

The present national average of 37,065 vehicles per point has been exceeded at 45 points. The total of 4,336,

669 vehicles per point has been exceeded at 45 points. The total of 4,336,669 vehicles this year represents an increase of 9 per cent. Private motor cars, 2,647,363 constitute 61 per cent of all the vehicles observed while mechanically propelled commercial vehicles make 18 per cent of the aggregate. The A.A. Census results are classified by 12 Areas in Great Britain. The densest traffic of all kinds is in the NorthWestern area, which includes Lancashire, Westmorland, Cumberland and parts of Counties South of the Mersey. Here the average number of vehicles passing each census point was 54.023. The next, densest area was that of the Home Counties with 47,896 vehicles per point. Brake Noise. Few things are more irritating than brakes which squeak when applied with harsh or even moderate intensity. Many solutions to the problem have been suggested, and it appears that there is an equally large number of causes worthy of investigation. The Research Department of the Institution of Automobile Engineers has issued a preliminary report upon this important subject; it comprises an analysis of the information received from over 100 makers and operators of motor vehicles. This report emphasizes the elusive character of brake squeak which, for reasons not fully understood, may appear with persistent frequency in one type of chassis and may never be experienced in another type built to similar designs and in the same factory. Similarly, immunity from this trouble is not confined to any one class of car or brake mechanism. When squeak is experienced many palliatives are tried, and cures have been effected in an extraordinarily wide variety of ways. The general conclusion is that the noise comes from the drum but that the vibrations which are really at the root of the trouble may emanate either from the shoes or from some adjacent chassis component such as the back plate, the axle, or even the frame side member. In some cases squeak has been cured by modifications to the drum, such as by the use of a more rigid design or by the application of circumferential rings or tension springs. In other cases squeak is cured by changes such as the use of a lining with a lower coefficient of friction, cleaning dust from the pockets above the rivet heads, filling these pockets with plastic wood, clamping the shoes between spring-, loaded washers, or reducing the arc of contact of the lining towards the toe end of the leading shoe. An ingenious method which has proved effective in certain instances consists of using a thin metal ring (of copper or lead) nipped between the back of the drum and the face of the hub flange. In other cases reducing the rigidity of the shoes has proved successful, this being done by cutting slots or holes in the webs. Usually, the leading shoe is the chief offender, because it experiences a self-servo action tending to increase its outward pressure against the drum. A very interesting point is that vibrations which accompany the squeaking noise produce a substantial increase in the torque exerted by the brake for a given pedal pressure. An increase as great as 20 per cent, has been recorded. This may prove some consolation to motorists.

WELLINGTON MOTORISTS DISREGARDING REGULATIONS. SOME CANDID COMMENT. If quite a large number of offending Wellington motorists had experience of the irksome parking regulations in force, and enforced, in other centres, they might appreciate fully the tolerance shown to them by officialdom, and be less disposed to abuse the privileges now in existence, says The Dominion. Some motorists are showing an almost blatant disregard for parking bylaws, traffic safety, or the convenience of other motorists. Plain discourtesy oi - lack of commonsense is manifest in the methods of parking or leaving cars in most Wellington thoroughfares. Motorists should know the time limits for leaving vehicles, and they should know the difference between parallel and angle parking; more they ought to be able to decide within inches of a foot of the kerbing, and they ought to know better than doublebank cars, far less leave them locked in that position. Much of the wretched arrangement of parked cars is due to the inability of drivers in general to manoeuvre their cars into a space. With anything but a very small car,, it is impossible to drive satisfactorily into many of the spaces between cars. There is only one way to meet the position and that is by reversing into the space, a simple process which comes with practice but which is unknown to far too many motorists. Some women are adepts at reversing; the majority simply don’t know how. They, and plenty of men, follow the careless trouble-making practice of nosing in on an angle, or at most deciding that a makeshift parallel stop two oi- three feet from the kerbing is good enough. But it isn’t good enough; it’s bad driving, incompetence and a breach of the by-laws, and if the inspectors make a round-up of such drivers it will be preferable to visiting further restrictions on the law-abiding motorists who try to show courtesy and what it implies to others. When a motorist decides to park his car he should see that it does not occupy more space than is necessary to allow for his easy exit. That does not mean taking up space sufficient for two cars. If each driver were thoughtful enough to allow, say, three feet from the front of his cai’ to the rear of the car in front there would be no inconvenience for anyone. The trouble is that the wise drivei’ leaves three feet in front, and then a poor driver follows in without making any space allowance in front. It requires only one driver to do that to start trouble. Some so-called drivers who have actually placed themselves in a parking jam consider it the correct thing to try a little shunting by bumper bar collisions. The traffic authorities ought to put a quick end to that sort of thing. They are bound to do so as it is their job to enforce local as well as national traffic rules.

It is set down in the regulations that a driver must not leave his seat until (a) he has brought his vehicle to a standstill; (b) engaged the handbrake; and (c) taken precautions to ensure that the vehicle will not move while not under proper control. Now, if a motorist complies with those provisions and leaves his hand brake engaged he runs the risk of having his brakes, braking equipment and tyres damaged by the shunters. There ought to be a law to prevent this shunting business by drivers.

AMERICAN MODELS CARS FOR 1936. THE NEW YORK SHOW. American automobiles for 1936 are in brighter colours, as though to match the confident mood in which the National Automobile Show was convened in New York City, on November 2. Nearly 300 new models were shown, 24 American and four British makes of passenger cars, besides six makes of commercial vehicles. The show was again under the auspices of the Automobile Manufacturers Association. So it was a national show, unlike last year’s which was sponsored by local dealers, says the “American Exporter” for December. Outstanding features—colours brighter than ever, at least one model in each line of striking brightness and at least one done in metallic lacquer, gun-metal leading the group; “safevision” headlamps to reduce the glare; roomier’ bodies; a more compact overdrive unit, optional on several cars; on several makes the handbrake hangs from the left of the cowl, operating the rear brakes by a cable within a flexible conduit; more built-in trunks, more space for luggage, more models with the spare wheel within the body; more cars have aluminium alloy pistons; there are new eights with high piston displacement, and all but universal is the use of steel tops, front doors with front hingeing “V” windshields and hydraulic brakes. The streamlining trend appears to be completed insofar as conventional chassis are concerned. Early Show a Boon. Compared with 1932, the 1935 export market for American motor vehicles increased 163 per cent, while that of other countries showed a gain of 69 per cent. That the advancement of the show dates from January to November will tend still further to increase export sales during the coming year is the opinion of Robert C. Graham, chairman of the export committee, Automobile Manufacturers Association, who said: “The introduction of new car models in the fall is a double boon to the export sales manager. For the first time, it enables us to enter the southern hemisphere with new models at the beginning of their major selling season. We will also be in a position to introduce our new models with new European models at the European shows. “Recovery in our export markets during the past two years has been strongest in the southern hemisphere and with new models available as they move into their spring season, we might as well market 60 per cent, of our export volume in those countries during the next year.” The supercharger this year enters a lower priced field. This device which has been designed to increase horsepower and acceleration by the mechanical injection of vaporized fuel with equal pressure to each cylinder was an important talking point used by one of the manufacturers exhibiting medium cost cars.

In addition to its showing at the Palace, General Motors held an additional exhibit at the Waldorf-Astoria. Ford, not being a member of the A.M. A., was absent this year from the National Show, but held one of its own at the Hotel Astor for Fords and Lincolns. One of the exhibitors of English cars showed a glorified Ford with a lengthened wheelbase and a special body. More Inside Room. The 1936 bodies are roomier and in many of the new cars, seats are 3in wider, so that six passengers may be accommodated. To make the front seats more comfortable for the center occupant, gear shift levers are placed further forward and have a reduced throw, while handbrake levers are moved over to the left of the driver and placed so as not to obstruct the left hand door. In two-door two-seat bodies, the individual bucket seats are giving way to a single front seat with a forward-tilting, single-piece back. Small Cars. In contrast to this endeavour to accommodate six passengers where five used to sit, is the argument of the lowest priced and only American fourcylinder job of the show—that four passengers or less comprise the load in the majority of cases; that for the man of moderate means, a car is transportation and that 35 miles per gallon is more important than impressiveness. More Safety Devices, Never before have so many safety factors been embodied in motor cars. From the chassis braced rigid enough for truck service to the solid steel tops, the new product has an in-built ruggedness to withstand almost any test. In some cars hydraulic braking systems are backed up by an auxiliary mechanical system which does not operate unless the hydraulic equipment should fail through abuse or neglect. The glare of passing cars and the ensuing semidarkness which blurs the outlines of the roadway have been obviated by a system in which pressure of a dimming foot pedal automatically throws on the roadside a strong beam from an auxiliary light. A device which will add much to the comfort of a driver compelled to stop on an up-grade is the automatic “hill holder” which prevents the car from backing down hill when brakes are released. It permits an uphill start from a dead stop as easily as if the rear wheels had been blocked with a stone. Following the example set last season by a manufacturer of the higher priced cars of building a moderate cost model under the same name, three other makers, until this year in the luxury class, are appealing simultaneously to both pride and purchasing ability. No radical changes in general appearance mark this season’s output. More oval shaped radiator grilles, more radiator anchored lamps and more split windshields. Streamlining has stayed “put” and the motor, with few exceptions, has ceased to crawl forward. Probably the most noticeable change is in the wheels. The wire spoked wheel is giving way to the short pressed steel spokes of large diameter. Some wheels seem to be all hub cap and tire. More engines have longer water jackets to cool the entire length of the cylinders thereby, the makers claim, insuring uniform expansion and contraction of the cylinders. In some instances exhaust valve seats are cooled by sprays of water. Over-Drive Transmission. An automatic over-drive transmission is offered as special equipment. At the option of the driver it comes automatically into action at 40 to 45 miles per hour, at the same time reducing engine revolutions by 30 per cent. It appears to be a logical more prac- 1

tical successor to the four-speed transmission once featured by some of America’s top line cars. The 1936 overdrive is more compact. Individual front wheel suspension, both spring and pantagraph types, showed minor refinements without radical changes and steering has been made easier J>y improvements in tie rods, kick shackles and the relative movement of travel of front axles and drag links. . , , The newest thing in steering wheels is the “Phantom” in which the conventional solid spiders are replaced by three parallel groups of metal rods with spaces between them. As a matter of fact steering is about all that the driver of some of the cars shown need bother about, so far has the application of automatic controls usurped the place of human intelligence. The choke on these models is automatically operated, as also are advancing and retarding of the spark, while the heating of the carburetter to maintain uniform fuel volatility is another littlst task that is self-performing.

MOTORING CONTROL AMERICAN CONFERENCE. Proposals ranging from radical changes in the traffic laws to psychiatric examination of drivers, visual tests before licensing, and placing of governors on automobiles to keep down speed were among topics discussed at the Eastern Conference of Motor Vehicle Administrators in New York recently. The States represented were New York, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Delaware, Maryland, and Ohio, ana the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Mr Mark Graves, New York State Commissioner of Finance, who was chiefly responsible for the existing Vehicle and Traffic Act in the State of New York, said “we must be ready to make fundamental changes, which many may think radical, in our automobile laws” before any improvement

in the accident situation could be brought about. He cited figures showing that from 1924 to 1934 motor fatalities in America had risen 61 per cent, and car registrations 41 per cent. While the record for New York was not so bad--57 per cent, rise in deaths against 61 per cent, gain in vehicles used—it gave “small comfort,” Mr Graves said. Medical and psychiatric tests of applicants for driving licenses, and mandatory physical and psychiatric, tests of licensed drivers at periodic intervals Were advocated by Dr David Kaliski, chairman of the co-ordina-tion committee, Medical Societies of the Metropolitan Counties. He advocated by Dr Davidlr el vgbk vbgk vb cated the testing of drivers every five years up to the age of 55 or 60 and every year thereafter. Dr Irving Straus, connected with the New York State Bureau of Motor Vehicles, while questioning the practicability of universal physical and mental tests of drivers, endorsed Dr Kaliski’s attitude.

CARS AND ROADS FACTORS IN ACCIDENTS. RESPONSIBILITY ON THE DRIVER Road and vehicle conditions constitute two of the major factors contributing to traffic accidents. Roads are so Well marked, for the most part, that there are few excuses for any motorist not being aware of such hazards as exist. Generally he knows of them but fails to drive with the degree of prudence necessitated by bad road conditions. But poorly located and maintained roads contribute to numerous fatalities. The most common conditions leading to emergencies are insufficient sight distance, blind intersections, sharp curves not properly Jaanked, narrow bridges, and poorly maintained shoulders. The modern vehicle is well designed and, when new, is safe to operate under many extreme conditions. Accidents attributed to faults in the vehicles are generally due to neglect by the owner in scing that his car is kept in a condition for safe use. Thu most common defects are insufficient brakes, improper lights, defective steering mechanism, and worn tyres. Two features of the modern motor vehicle result in fewer deaths and injuries when accidents do happen. These are all-steel bodies and safety glass. They are big factors in decreasing the proportion of fatalities to accidents that take place. In face of this, however, the most significant fact developed from a study of highway accidents in the United States of America is that about 65 per cent, of the fatalities happen on straight stretches of good roads and streets, with experienced drivers operating mechanically-perfect vehicles. It seems to be clear, therefore, that the responsibility for most accidents rests squarely upon the- drivers. When an emergency develops, the driver’s judgment and action primarily determine if there will be an accident. It thus becomes of great importance to impress upon all motorists the necessity of being in an alert mental and physical condition while driving. A driver should recognize his responsibility and never allow his mind to wander from his one duty, the safe operation of his vehicle. Everything else is secondary.

“TAKE THE WHEEL” NEW AUSTIN FILM. A FIRST-CLASS PRODUCTION. The new Austin film, “Take the Wheel,” made its debut in London —at the cosy private cinema at Bush House —as a preliminary to “going on tour.” In the following article a critic from outside the ranks of the Austin Motor Company gives his impressions of the new production. It almost seemed that the gentleman who plotted the scenario must have had some premonition (though in fact he had not) that a critic with a “Spanish complex” would be called upon to pronounce judgment on the new film, for its early stages gave vistas of springtime in Southern Spain. There was the steep, rough street leading up through the well-remembered Roman gateway o . the outskirts of old Ronda, high up in the mountains above Gibraltar. There was the Court of the Lions in the sun-drenched Alhambra at Granada. It was early spring and the snow lay deep on the mountains; but the dependable Austin, following sometimes in the wake of the snowplough, at others beating out her own track over the virgin snow, climbed without demur the highest main road in Europe. There are still some very rough roads in Spain—with excellent main roads also—and the scarcity of garages makes the demand for dependability all the more insistent. Thus Spain has become “an Austin country”; the car in the film was not a stray visitor but representative of a breed numerous in Spain. I loved to see again the huddled houses of old Spanish towns, the darkfad peasants moving lazily about the countryside, the laden donkeys, the pools of light in arcaded courtyards. The scene changed to Longbridge. “Here’s to Beauty” ran the title. We had seen beauty under Southern skies; here it was again at the edge of the great industrial region of Middle England—beauty of line in the fashioning of bodies for the latest Austin cars. It was a good idea to take us straight to the body-work portions of the vast Austin factory. It came as a reminder that a motor car is primarily a carriage. In habit of thought many motorists take the view that “the engine's the thing.” But in strict logic the engine is not the thing. The engine is an adjunct, an accessory, brought into play not as an end in itself but as a means of propelling “a certain carriage, to wit. a motor car, as the legal jargon of thirty years ago had it. By all means, then let us look at the making of the carriages in which we are to ride and afterwards, if you like, at their engines. This part of the film pleased me especially because I have a taste for working in wood. Although Austin bodies are male of the finest pressed steel, the first pattern is fashioned in wood. There were the woodworkers paring down surfaces, perfecting the sweep of fine curves, feeling with sensitive fingers the rounded corners and graceful lines of beading. Repetition work must follow if motor cars are to be the possession of the many, but in this early stage the wood pattern is a thing apart, the only one of its kind; here is no mass production but enormous concentration upon fashioning one example. We saw the body right through from the artist’s first sketch to the drawing of the full-scale design; the shaping of the pattern; the complete assembly of a wooden body for criticism before the design is perpetuated in metal; the casting of the mould; the stamping out of the parts by presses of prodigious power; assembly, mounting, painting, polishing. The painting stage and its associated processes—such as testing paints and matching colours—provided opportunity for some interesting experimental work with the film. “Take the Wheel” is the first publicity film to embody colour. The process is still experimental and gives results of varying qualities; but the achievements in this case justified the experiment and prompted further attempts with this medium. When the first reel commenced its spinning I wondered whether this third Austin film would avoid any overlap of its two predecessors. It certainly does so, and the fact is indicative both of the enormously wide range of Austin activities and the still far from exhausted potentialities of the cinema film as a means of conveying information to the public. This was frankly a propaganda film; but one of real entertainment value and from that point of view an advance upon its predecessors. An individual critic hesitates to express the opinion of “the average person,” but so far as my own taste goes, I found this film, with its more generous proportion of travel interest and more restricted proportion of technical features, more agreeable to watch than one almost wholly concerned with manufacturing processes. I should certainly recommend a continuance of the policy represented by “Take the Wheel.”

GIRLING BRAKES AN INTERESTING SYSTEM. OPERATION EXPLAINED. The Girling type brakes recently introduced on some of the British cars for 1936 are notable for their high efficiency and progressive action, giving that positive control that makes for safe and easy motoring. Essentially the Girling system derives its advantages from its simple and straightforward layout which allows a greater proportion of the effort exerted by the driver to be devoted to the actual braking instead of being absorbed in moving linkage and cross-shafts. All the connections used, with one exception, namely, that between the foot-brake and hand-brake, are straight and in tension. Incidentally, they are set up with a slight initial tension to prevent rattle. There is only one torsion member, the cross-shaft for the hand-brake; and with the one exception already mentioned, all the rods are pulled. As a consequence it is possible to have a comparatively easy fit at the various points and connections which makes for ease of operation. Moreover, all the joints and connections being lightly loaded when in operation, and therefore comparatively frictionless, is another factor contributory to ease of braking. This results from the means adopted for expanding the shoes which permits of a low leverage in the linkage. The effort applied at the brake pedal is divided at its base by a compensating link which suitably proportions the effect between the front and rear brakes, and the spindles, to which the operating rods on each axle are connected, have a free mounting so that they act as compensating devices to ensure that the off and near-side brakes produce an equal and balanced retardation. Thus all four brakes, as applied by the pedal, are fully compensated. The hand lever applies the rear brakes only. A safety stop device mcorporated in the compensating link ensures that one set of brakes is always available at the pedal in the rare event of an accident causing partial failure of the system. Equally important, as a safeguard against skidding, is the provision on each axle for both brakes to become inoperative if one should fail. The brake shoes themselves are quite orthodox in design and consist of the usual pair of shoes, lined with friction material, which are expanded into contact with the inner surface of the drum. But the method of expansion is unThe brake operating rods are attached to conical expanders which move between rollers mounted on plungers in the ends of the brake shoes As the brake operating rod pulls the conical expander and the rollers ride up the cone, the brake shoe plungers and the brake shoes are pushed apart to engage with the drum. The fulcrum ends of the shoes also locate on plungeis which bear against the conical end of a set-screw which serves as an adjuster. By screwing in this conical set-screw the shoes are forced apart to take up wear and restore normal functioning. One great advantage of the adjustment being located in this way at the point of brake application is that it does not affect the leverage of the system. When adjusting the brakes the car should be on level ground with the hand brake off. Each adjuster can then be screwed up in a clockwise direction as far as it will go, a click being felt after each quarter turn. When the adjuster is screwed home, but not forced, it must be screwed back one quarter turn, i.e., one click, to piovide the clearance necessary to keep the shoes clear of the drums when the brakes are released. Exactly the same attention is required by all four brakes, and it is not necessary to jack up any of the wheels to effect this simple adjustment. As already stated, however, it is important not to have the hand-brake on, or even partially on, during the process, ’lhe hand brake opeiates the rear wheels only, and if left on while adjustments are being made it will not be found possible to turn the adjusters of the rear brakes, and the owners may then conclude that no adjustment is required, so that a wrong setting results in relation to the front brakes. No adjustment must be made at any point other than the adjusters provided on each brake. Dismantling the brakes for inspection, cleaning or relining is a simple matter when the drum with hub is extracted and the shoes and linings are exposed. One shoe can then be pulled away from the expander housing until its end is clear. Then it can be moved in an outward direction away from the back plate and the brake springs connecting the two shoes unhooked. This leaves'the second shoe free to be pulled clear and the operating plungers will be retained in the expander housing. To replace the shoes, hook them together with one spring at their adjuster ends, and assemble on the adjuster plungers. Allow the end of one shoe to enter the slot in the plunger, and then hook the second spring to both shoes. Finally, using a tommy bar or screwdriver as a lever against the boss of the brake shield, pull the expander end of the second shoe sufficiently far to enable it to enter its plunger slot. As with any braking system, it is advisable to examine the linkage occasionally to ensure that it is in order, and any accumulation of mud that may interfere with the free working of the various ro<’s and levers should be removed. The pivots and links should also receive occasional lubrication to ensure easy working, and the leather covers which protect the brake expanders from moisture should be maintained in good order.

STARTING FROM COLD. POINTS TO BE OBSERVED. SOME USEFUL ADVICE. Rapid wear of any part of the car is something every motorist wishes to avoid. Contrary to the generally accepted idea, high speed is not alone responsible. Considerable damage can be done when starting-up from cold, says the Motor Editor of the Bulletin, (Sydney). Although the rate of wear on tyres is almost wholly governed by factors of speed and temperature, in the power plant and transmission system the result depends upon the driver’s action in the first five minutes after starting up and in maintaining efficient and suitable lubrication. The careless man will do more harm to his car in that period than would be normal in 500 miles of touring. . Briefly, ideal working conditions tor any particular motor are efficient lubrication, equal and regular expansion of all component parts, clean oil, air and fuel, and correct alignment and adjustment. Each of these factors is so closely connected with the other that failure in one department rapidly sets up a vicious cycle of wear and inefficiency. Most motorists are aware that, without a film of suitable oil between moving parts, excessive friction will induce high temperatures, unequal expansion and seizure of a more or less serious nature. * Reasonable care in lubrication will be repaid. Cold Bearings. Movement is relatively small and slow in the case of spring leaves; little heat is generated, and lubrication has little bearing upon wear. But a peep inside the crankcase reveals a steel crankshaft (held rigidly in place by a number of metal bearings), four, six or more connecting rods (also held firmly to the crankshaft throws by metal bearings), and pistons (attached to the con. rods by small end bearings). This

intricate mass of metal is rotated and subjected to enormous loads and stresses at speeds of up to 5000 revs, a minute. Without adequate lubrication, and even in cases where inferior oils are used, terrific local heat is generated and serious damage is caused. Oil technologists have reduced the manufacture of lubricating oils to an exact science, and to find a quality oil is not a hard job. Any reputable brand will (provided the correct grade is used) lubricate efficiently. Although lubricating systems differ widely in principle the objective in each case is to introduce a film of oil between bearing surfaces, not, as is generally supposed, to grease these particular units, but to serve as a fluid buffer and to prevent friction. Assuming a good-quality oil has been used, the motorist alone, usually, is responsible for excessive wear by being unskilful in using controls or neglecting precautions during the warming-up period. Solvent Action. When a car is switched off, the last few strokes of the pistons draw into the cylinders a moist petrol-air mixture which in absence of a spark to burn it, merely settles on the cylinder walls and pistons. As lubricating oil is soluble in petrol, this vapour mixes with the warm film of oil already on cylinders and pistons, rendering it more fluid and causing it to seep down the cylinder walls into the sump. Later, the motorist takes his seat at the wheel with bearing surfaces practically devoid of oil, the oil in the sump cold and viscous. It is at this stage that care must be exercised if excessive wear, and probably damage, is to be avoided. Starting up, apparently a simple process, involves many possibilities of mechanical damage. It should be realized that, the cylinder walls being practically dry and sump oil being cold, the first objective is to create a protective film speedily. Pulling out the choke control and pressing the self-starter until the motor fires ate just what one should not do. Instead, one should leave the switch off, pull the choke out about half-way, press the self-starter and, after the engine has turned several times, switch on the ignition. In this way the first few revs, of the crankshaft cause the submerged pump to force oil to main and crankshaft bearings, and perhaps to throw a little on the cylinder walls. This restores the protecting film so essential if scoring is to be prevented. Further, with the choke control half open, the incoming mixture will not flood the combustion chamber It will be more likely to supply a suitable mixture for firin ; immediate!'' the ignition is switched on. Even should the motor fail to continue firing with this setting, the second or third attempt will be successful. In the meantime, heat fiom exploding gases will be absorbed by the cylinder walls and transmitted to sump oil, so eliminating risk of partial seizure.

Use of Choke. Once the engine is running steadily the choke control should be, restored to normal quickly. This will check excess petrol passing the piston rings, falling into the sump and diluting the crankcase oil. However good the oil may be. its efficiency will be greatly impaired by dilution with petrol: those drivers who are careless _ in choke operation will pay for their folly in terms of excessive bearing and cylinder wear. It is remarkable how few motorists understand the necessity for ensuring equal, regular expansion of all component parts. When an engine is started up from cold, pistons, cylinder walls and combustion chamber at once begin absorbing heat irom the burning gases. As these metals are heated tney expand. Cylinder walls and head, surrounded by water, heat up more slowly than do pistons. So, in the hist five minutes, motorists would be well advised to let the motor idle for a minute or two before moving off, and to avoid opening the throttle to its fullest extent until the heat of the whole engine has reached normal working temperature. Similarly, care should be exercised when runnmg-in a new engine, for, in cases where clearances between pistons and cylinder walls are small, a long burst on full throttle, beginning with the engine below working temperature, will result inevitably in some scoring of pistons and cylinder walls. In extreme cases it will wreck the motor. Cleanliness Essential. Clean oil, air and fuel are essential if long life is expected from a motor. In the early days of motoring, and until the introduction of air-cleaners and oil-purifiers about 10 years ago, JpM° r bearing overhauls at between 10 GOO--15 000 miles were common; and reboring at more than 50,000 miles was the exception rather than the rule. lodav a rebore or bearing overhaul at less than 50,000 miles is somewhat of a mechanical curiosity; and ±OO,OOO miles between major overhauls is everyday practice. Improvement has been almost wholly due to fitting as standard equipment efficient air-cleaners and oil-purifiers, which prevent fine particles of hard carbon and abrasive matter suspended in the air from entering the motor and destroying bearing surfaces. Dirty fuel, although not directly responsibl for mechanical wear, imposes undue stresses upon reciprocating and transmission details in cases where the motor misfires for lengthy periods. Finally although modern cars are extremely reliable, the newer school of driver is apt to take too much for granted. He fails, for instance, regularly to check up alignment and adjustment ol various units. With power to spare, almost any of the newer types will keep going even though alignment or adjustment is astray in some important detail. A missing plug or riding valve still permits a full load to be taken without greatly detracting from performance; but,, owing to uneveness of torque, damaging vibrations and unnecessary stresses are set up within the motor and on transmission details which, apart from increasing overall wear, are sure to find some weak spot, with more or less serious consequences. Again, a brake shoe out of alignment and fouling the drum will make little difference in road performance; but wear will be so rapid that a complete replacement may be necessary to effect a satisfactory repair. DAIMLERS AND LANCHESTERS IMPROVED ACCELERATION. Five new models in the DaimlerLanchester range are announced for 1936. One of them is a Daimler and tne four others are Lanchesters. The Daimler is the famous 15, which is now entering in the fourth year of production. It is safe to say that this is the most successful car that Daimlers have ever produced. Dimensionally the chassis is the same as before, its six cyhnder engine having a bore and stroke of 63.5 x 105 mm., and a capacity or 2.003 litres. Several important improvements have been embodied, however, the chief of these referring to the suspension, steering and the design of the front end of the chassis. The front springs have been made longer and more supple, so as to bring their periodicity nearer to that of the rear springs, with the object of reducing pitching to a minimum. The steering is now of the worm and nut type, while the column is instantly adjustable for length from the driving seat. The special independent assembly of the radiator and front wings, already announced in connection with the new Daimler Light Twenty, is applied now to the 15; the object is to render movements of these parts imperceptible even

on the roughest roads. The chassis equipment now includes centralized automatic chassis lubrication, . and facilities for easy jacking built in to the chassis. The coachwork is entirely redesigned, the standard saloon having a swept tail concealing the spare wheel. In all models, the lower waistline moulding is down-swept to the rear. Tubular framing is used for the separately adjustable front seats, saving room and weight. In addition, the body itself is appreciably wider. An entirely new design of instrument panel is fitted, being built in to the scuttle capping for maximum visibility, and incorporating large diameter instrument dials which can be illuminated to any desired intensity by means of a rheostat. The fixed head coupe has four windows instead of two and its lines are altogether new. Eight distinct body styles are offered, the saloon, sports saloon, streamlined saloon and fixed head coupe. In addition, the Daimler Light-Twenty which was announced last month, now has a wider range of coachwork styles. The Lanchesters. First of the Lanchesters comes the well-known 10 which, owing to the reduced taxation system, is now offered with a larger engine—l. 444 litres as compared with 1.203 litres. Bore and stroke are 66 x 105 mm., R.A.C. rating 10.8 h.p. The increased power makes the car capable of a comfortable 65 m.p.h. with brilliant acceleration and much better performance on hills. The coachwork is improved in several respects. The standard saloon has a swept tail, while the fixed head coupe is of an entirely new four-window design. Both these models and also the sports saloon, have the new style tubular front seats. The sustained popularity of the Lanchester 10, resulting in steady production, has enabled appreciable price reductions to be effected. The Lanchester Light-Six is now offered in two distinct types—standard and de luxe. The former, broadly speaking, comprises a 1.378 litre six-clinder engine in the same chassis and with the same bodywork as the 10. The Light-Six de luxe range embodies many additional refinements both in chassis and bodywork such as the special radiator and front wing assembly (similar to the Daimler 15), easy jacking system, new type instrument panel built in to the scuttle capping with large dials and controllable illumination, wider body, adjustable steering column, covered spare wheel, etc. There are eight different body styles in all. Last of the Lanchester range is the 18 which was produced in a greatly improved version for the 1935 season. For the coming year this car is substantially unchanged except for the engine, which in size (again owing to the reduced taxation) has been increased from 2.39 litres to just over 21 litres, with an enhanced performance in consequence. As in the case of other models, eight different types of bodywork are offered. Two of them, the saloon and the sports saloon (model 372) have coachwork by the Lanchester Company, the remainder having bodies made specially for their chassis by outside coachbuilders.

Year. Total Vehicles. Av. per pt. 1931. 2,645,881. 25,199. 1932. 2,769,302. 26,125. 1933. 3,252,050. 30,111. 1934. 4,093,671. 34,232. 1935. 4,336,669. 37,065.