THIS WEATHER.

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 92, 9 July 1927, Page 22

THIS WEATHER.

WATCH OUT FOR SKIDS. PRECAUTIONS NECESSARY. At this time of year when the roads may be expected to he very frequently wet, it is well to remember that a skid may occur in spite of all precautions but if the speed has been kept down il is not likely to prove dangerous. One may be driving comfortably enough, say. at 25 m.p.h. on a roac which though wet is not slippery anc run unexpectedly on to a piece of nev surface; and the car may become suddenly unmanageable and slide about ir any direction. A violent application o. rear brakes will only make matter: worse, and the best thing is to slow ur gradually. Front wheel brakes, if lit ted, will sinietimes steady a car, but tin be*t advice is to keep the speed down A skid may occur in spite of all pre cautio&s, but if the speed has been kep down it is not likely to prove dangerous When a skid doe s occur, it is well to re lease the clutch, for when the engine is disconnected from the road wheel H cannot accentuate the skid by drivinf the wheels round and causing them tc slip in the direction of rotation. Suppose therefore, that the rear wheel: skid to the left, the car will then hi pointing to the rigbt-hand side, and i the wheels quickly regain their rollini motion, which is likely when the clutcl is released, the car wdll head for th< right-hand -side of the road unless tin front wheels are immediately turned t< the left. . . .. This is known as steering into tin skid, and it will do much to maintain the proper line of travel. In road races i driver will often skid his rear wheels intentionally for the sake of gettini round a corner quickly. It is bad fo: his tyres and sometimes wrenches on« off the wheel; it is also bad for the chassis, and in touring it is bad practice generally. Finally, it is easier to avoic a skid by careful driving than to correct one without hitting anything.

Simple Gauge Discarded safety razor blades of the familiar American make, which pioneered the safety razor, can provide a very useful thickness gauge for use on the car. Blades of this make are a uniform thickness of six-thousandths ol’ an inch. Four of the blades may .be secured together fanwise by passing a bolt through the other perforate ons. The thickness of one blade — sfet-thousandths—is a very satisfactory tajypet clearance of many engines. Two blades, twelve-thousandths, is the corrects gap for the magneto points. Three blades give a close gap for spark plugs, while four blades, twenty-four-thousandths, represents the maximum gap foiv* plug points. These figures refer onl\v to the well-known doubleedged American blade, and other types may vary greatly.