Hogh ROAD AND BY-ROAD

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17714, 18 May 1929, Page 23 (Supplement)

Hogh ROAD AND BY-ROAD

SQUEAKING BRAKES. HOW TO CURE THEM Numbers of cars which in other respects give faultless running, prove very irritating to the drivers, because of the squeaking and scratching which is set up when the brakes are applied at all hard. In the case of external contracting brakes, this tendency to noisy operation can generally be traced to worn bands, which have been so used that the rivet heads are protruding and making metailio contact with the drum, or to the fact that dirt and dust have worked into the fabric of the brake lining, so that it does not take proper hold. It is an easy matter to deal with the external bands, which need only be cleaned with petrol, after w r hich a few drops of kerosene should be placed on the bright metal of the drum itself. The internal brakes are somewhat more difficult to contend with. If the squeaking is very persistent, it is advisable to take off the wheel and examine the internal brakes, making any necessary adjustment. Then in order to prevent a recurrence of the trouble, drill a very small hole in the brake drum as near as possible to the inside shoes. Through this hole small quantities of kerosene may be injected from time to time, which will immediately find their way on to the shoes and inside surface of the drum, thus abolishing any squeak. In one sense the kerosene acts as a lubricant, but not to an .appreciable extent that in any way influences braking action.

THE WIRE WHEEL. KEEP SPOKES TIGHT. The wire wheel is regarded as being the strongest and safest type in existence, but it possesses these merits only when it is in perfect condition. Tile main trouble with this type of wheel (says a Sydney Mail writer) is that the spokes gradually become loose. To remedy the defect will require not a little care and trouble, but if the motorist approaches his task bearing these facts in mind there is no reason why he should not complete it with all success. As each spoke is provided at its end with a small nut, on the face of things it is a simple matter to tighten loose, spokes; but two troubles may be met with-—first, the nut may be rusted so solidly that it is impossible to move it with the very small spanner which must be employed; while, secondly, the inexperienced owner is liable to over-tighten a spoke and so loosen a number of adjacent ones, at the same time throwing the rim out of truth. Therefore the work must be tackled with the very greatest care, and each loose spoke tightened until the strain is just taken'up; do not give an extra twist to the nut "for luck." A plan followed by most wirewheeled repair men to determine whether a spoke is at its proper tension is to “ring" it by giving it a tap with the spanner. Th? tone given forth in comparison with the tone of the other tight spokes will show whether the tension is correct.

With the steel artillery and the steel disc wheels it is practically impossible for any part to loosen in service, as these types to all intents and purposes are in one piece. Owing to the construction of some of them at the hub, however, the very greatest care must be exercised to keep the five or six nuts which hold them in place on their studs tightened evenly, in order to avoid wobbling on the axles.

. PAINT WORK. MAKING IT LAST. A climate such as ours, where the paint and varnish of the car have to stand extreme heat, and where they are also worn down by the gritty dust of dirt roads, makes the preservation of tlie paint work on even a new car a difficult matter. Theoretically it is a bad plan to use polish, and the standard advice given in instruction books is to employ only a neutral soap, clean water, and a soft “shammy.” In practice, however, there is no doubt that under local conditions a proper grade of polish is advisable, inasmuch as it places a protecting film over the polished surface and prevents the continual scratching that goes on when hard sandy dust is picked up and blown against the car. So too, it prevents rain penetrating through the minute cracks which will come in even the best varnish. The disadvantage of a polish is that it may either cause the paint work to become ingrained with wax, a fact which will mean more work and expense when the car is eventually repainted, or it will not rub up to the high gloss of new paint work. There are, however, quite a number of polishes on the market which are harmless and satisfactory, and their use under motoring conditions here is to be advised. 130 not, howcevr, let the use of a polish cause you to neglect the important work of washing down the car at regular intervals and making it thoroughly clean before the polish is applied.

A BOOKLET FOR POWER FARMERS We have received a very useful booklet entitled “Long Life and More Power for Your Tractor.” Tractor owners arc ever on the look-out for information which will help them in the care and operation of their machine. In this booklet is much valuable data on the subject. The booklet explains by diagrams and explanations how six troubles — scored cylinders, carbon deposits, worn piston rings, blow-by, gummed valves, worn bearings—can be avoided by the practice of correct lubrication, and the changing of oil at stated intervals. Tractor owners will readily appreciate the;valuable information contained in “Long Life and More Power for Your Tractor,” published by the Vacuum Oil Company, Proprietary, Limited. Copies may be obtained free on application to any branch or representative of the company.