DOOR RATTLES.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19750, 17 March 1934, Page 10

DOOR RATTLES.

In view of an editorial reference to door rattles in the "Motor” recently, the following extract from an article in the “Institute Bulletin” of the Institute of British Carriage and Automobile Manufacturers, will be of interest to car owners: —

"Doors and door fittings cause the major body noises and rattles. Examination of a motor body door (of the mass production class) carried on three hinges reveals that after a few hundred miles considerable wear has taken place on the rubber buffers, and a ridge or set is formed on the upper surface, which indicates there is a constant small movement of the door in an up and down direction when the car is in motion. It is obvious, therefore, that this movement is transmitted through the door from its hinges, which suggests either that the usual hinges carrying the door are not strong enough or that the door pillar is flexing owing to the vibration of the car. Improvement in door construction is desirable, giving consideration to (1) reduction in weight, (2) strength and type of hinges suitable for doors of a given weight, (3) design and type of hinges, locks, and dovetails . . . Study of door design clearly Indicates that the orthodox method of relying on dovetails and rubber buffers on the shut pillar requires movement. Probably supplementary buffers fitted at top and bottom of the doors would improve matters, and these should be of the taper type, as the ordinary rubber pads when fitted at top and bottom tend to make the doors bind and increase the resistance of easy opening and closing of the door.”

CAKE OF SCREEN WIPER

Where automatic screen wipers are installed the attention which the small electric or pneumatic motor driving the device demands is very small, but light lubrication is called for from time to time, and with the pneumatic sort it is important to see that there is no leakage in the small pipe line which connects the wiper mechanism to the intake manifold. It often happens that because of prolongued fine weather the wiper is not brought into service for weeks at a time, so that the rubber on the wiper blade remains bent over and stationary. The effect of that is to destroy its softness and elasticity, and when it is again used it will only sweep efficiently in one direction, and on the return stroke may shudder and falter and cause smearing of the windscreen. In such circumstances the obvious and only course is to fit a new rubber, but a simple precaution is to place a small piece of old inner tube or cork underneath the metal spindle of the arm so as to hold the rubber clear of the glass when the wiper is not in use.

When adjusting a screen wiper after attaching a new wiper strip it is necessary to see that there is adequate but not excessive pressure of the strip upon the surface of the glass. Usually there is a simple adjustment for varying that setting, and too great a pressure should be avoided, since the wiping effect will not be improved but more work thrown upon the electric or pneumatic motor, and the rapidity of movement slowed down. It is unfortunate that screen wipers are so frequently fitted in unsuitable positions, that is to say at the top and not at the base of the wind-screen. The effect then is that the blade, instead of throwing off the water so that it tends to graviate away from the area swept, drives it upward, and unless the arm works very rapidly the drops may trickle down and burr vision before the next stroke occurs.

It might be said that whenever possible wipers should be attached at the base of the wind-screen. Another important point is that the mechanism shall be so mounted that the arm is truly paralled to the glass, so that the wiper strip bears evenly at all points. Often a little judicious packing between the wiper motor and the frame of the windscreen will procure much better results. The practice of fitting either dual wipers or dual blades deserves every encouragement, for not only is the front seat passenger then able to see the road ahead clearly, but the driver has a better vision to the left or near-side of the highways.