MOTORS and MOTORING.

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 41, 12 November 1926, Page 14

MOTORS and MOTORING.

(BY

"SPOTLIGHT.”

ROAD MAPS AUTHORITIES STILL ASLEEP WHAT AMERICA IS DOING. The new road map of the North Island which the Survey Department has had in hand lor some time past is still distant from publication, so far as can be learned. Considerable difficulty appears to have been experienced in securing the necessary information from the map from the extremely numerous authorities concerned in roadmaking in the North island. The total inability of the Government to produce a map of the Dominion showing the roads useable by motor vehicles is a remarkable thing. An immense variety of maps of one kind and another are on sale at the Map Room in the Government Buildings, but the prospective purchaser will seek in vain for one that gives reliable information as to the roads throughout the North Island. With 150.000 motor vehicles now on the roads of the Dominion, it is a startling thing to find a total absence of Government road maps worthy of the name. Maps, it is true, are issued with roads drawn in generous quantity over them, but numbers of these paper roads on seeking for them on the ground prove to be bridle tracks, and some are roads that have been surveyed and never formed at all. As for the formed roads, the maps give no clue as to what are metalled and what are mere summer routes and impassable quagmires in wet weather. Attention was recently directed by .the motoring contributor to the “Ladies’ Mirror” to how American States treat motor-vehicle owners in the way of map supplies. The contrast is so marked that an excerpt is worth quoting. Under the law of Wisconsin the State Highway Superintendent is required to supply "everv person paving motor tax with an up-to-date road map of the State, along with his number-plates, together wifli a digest of the laws affecting motorists, the rules of the road, and similar matter. This map is on a scale of 15 miles to an inch. Extra conies of it can be had at 2|d. each. If the Wisconsin motorist wants a more detailed map he pays a shilling and gets the pocket folder map; this on a scale of 8 miles to an inch. By ten different markings in colour, the tvpe of surface on every section of road is indicated. A motorist contemplating a tour thus knows exactly what is ahead of him if' the weather breaks and rain comes. Furthermore, by red and green stars, circles, and crosses, etc., Wisconsin’s map shows historic spots, spots of scenic interest, spots of industrial interest, free camping sites, public parks and domains, and so on. Tn each case a reference number is given, and in the mass of reading matter on the backs of the maps are details of each point of interest. The Wisconsin pocket folding map has also a distance table giving 3485 separate distances readv calculated out There is a reference index for finding everv place on the map, statistics of population, rates of motor taxation, an outline history of Wisconsin, facts and

figures about the State, and very interesting particulars of just what happened at all the historic spots marked. All this goes with the Wisconsni Government map for the inclusive price of 25 cents. In this benighted Dominion a Government eight-mile map of the North Island (which is a fifth less in area than Wisconsin) costs 16s. And when one buys it, it is not worth having for motoring purposes, and would prove a trap rather than a help in many parts. Various crude and imperfect maps are being brought out in New Zealand by private firms, but these are all in-, complete and unreliable in parts. The task is one that only the Government has facilities for undertaking. There is not the least doubt that if the Government did produce a good road map there would be a very big demand for it, and the undertaking, if properly handled, should involve no loss at all. The condition of things, however, is such that there is no hope of producing a good map unless the Survey Department sends a competent officer out to traverse the roads and collect from the very numerous local authorities precise information as to the condition of the minor by-roads. At the same time, a scheme of co-operation could, doubtless, be brought into being, whereby information as to changes in the roads by deviation, extension of metalling, etc., will be regularly passed on to the Survey Department in Wellington, ready for immediate incorporation in new editions of road maps. In view of the very considerable sums motor-vehicle owners are contributing to the revenue, it is high time'they were treated ' properly in the way of maps. Some car owners after installing bumpers on their cars find that the extra length of the car necessitates forcing the bumper against the end wall of the garage ni order to close the doors. Apart from scratching the bumper, this treatment does not improve the appearance of a light wooden or galvanised iron garage. By cutting two lengths of. old tire and securing these to the end wall of the garage, in line with the car’s bumper, the shock of the impact is lessened, and the bumper is saved from any chance of objectionable scratching Unless the clutch is actually being disengaged, the left foot should be rested on the floorboard and not against the clutch pedal. The latter practice is harmful, not because it causes slip, but because it heats up the clutch withdrawal thrust surfaces, thins the lubricant, and in time wears out the mechanism, which (a) makes gearchanging difficult, and (b) means the expense of early renewals.

In adjusting brakes it is well to remember that minimum clearance under the adverse circumstances is all that is required. .Under fair conditions a clearance of l-32nd inch is sufficient, but there are exceptions. If it happens that the brakes are so designed that their adjustment is noticeably affected bv the passenger load in the car, allowance must be made accordingly. With some cars, brakes that are just right with the car empty will be too light with a full car; and on other machines the opposite is true.

CHRISTCHURCH MOTOR SHOW NOTES ON THE NEW CARS. Summing up the general features on the new cars exhibited at the Canterbury Olympia Motor Show at Christchurch, '“Chassis” writes as follows in the “Sun” :—The predominant features of Olvmpia are the details which lead to increased safety* in mechanical and hydraulic four-wheel brakes, and the enhanced luxury in wonderful interior fittings and body effects. It is apparent that cars are being built more nearly accident-proof. Steel bodies on closed cars make their appearance. The new motors, and the old motors, too, for that matter, have been speeded up by engineers. With greater acceleration and faster speeds comes the question of safety in stopping. This is assured by effective brakes. The argument over fourwheel brakes that disturbed the industry three or four years ago is now in the background. Four-wheel brakes are accepted as proven. It is to be noted that those makers who adhere to two-wheel brakes have paid special attention to their braking problems, and have so increased the size of the brakes that thev ensure effective action, and bring the car under control at all speeds Balloon .tires are on every car at Olvmpia; ’in nearly every instance they are standard equipment. There are more than 50 per cent, ot six-evlinder cars at Olvmpia, and about the same proportion of closed cars to open. The following figures show the rtumberstof cars with the details listed:— Wooden wheels 17 Steel wheels J 1 Balloon tires "2 Four-wheel brakes .... 21 ■ Two-wheel brakes 10 Oil' petrol, air purifiers 15 Disc wheels 7 Of significance is the increased use of oil-purifying and rectifying devices on the engine. Almost half of the different makes of cars at Olympia—--15 to be exact —have oil purifiers, air cleaners, or petrol-strainers. Some have all three. The really efficient air-cleaner eliminates one of the troubles that cause undue engine-wear. The prime causes of the overheating of engines are bearing friction, preignition, too rich or too weak a mixture, and defective cooling. Running a brand new engine at high speed before the bearings have been properly run in will almost certainly produce overheating to the detriment of the bearing;#, and may even cause a seizure. The bearings are usually lined with white metal, which melts at a comparatively low temperature, so that it is verv easy to damage the big-end. Never “rev. up" an engine when cold, but run it very slowly after starting up until the lubricating oil lias had time to become warm and circulate freely. Many an engine has been ruined this wav in cold weather by the impatient driver endeavouring to get it sufficiently hot to run without backfiring into the carburettor.

HINTS AND TIPS NOTES FROM VAR'IOUS SOURCES. If at any time you wish to cut thick rubber, such as paring down old tires to make sleeves for repairing blow-outs or for any other purpose, keep the rubber and the knife wet, and see how much easier it will cut. lhe difference is remarkable. If it is a job that requires a smooth finish, the knife marks can be quickly removed with sandpaper. If it is only a small job, cut it under water.

The lubrication of steering pivot pins is doubtless well attended to when an energetic owner buys a car fitted with grease-gun nipples. He can force plentv of grease in and keep the old grease moving, though the grease is too thick to circulate through the bearings of its own accord. Tl;e car with the lazv owner and the obsolescent grease cup is in evil case. The pressure procurable by this system is strictly limited and may not readily suffice to expel dried grease from the lower end of the component, and, as stated before, the grease is too stiff to circulate automatically. The super method of lubricating this part consists in substituting a spring-lid- cup for the original nipple or greaser and filling it with castor oil. The lubricant will never set immovably nor yet leak away too fast. If the cup is replenished occasionally, the bearing will be continuously lubricated by the natural penetration of tlie castor oil.

When Hie time conies to grind in the valves of an overhead engine, as each valve is removed the stem should be cleaned thoroughly and inspected. If there is the slightest suspicion of a step or ridge where the radius of the bead should join the stem, reiect the valve and fit a new one. All new valves should be inspected in a similar manner. These ridges are the places where a crack is likelv to originate, and eventually may cause the valve bead to fall into the combustion space. When the engine is of some age, and misfiring develops which cannot be traced to anv part of the ignition or valve mechanism or the carburettor, ail the trouble may be cured sometimes bv removin" the. head and scranin' 1 ' a’vnv the carbon deposit Some owne r « .allow this deposit to become much thicker than is wise. P"d the apparent niisfirin". chicfiv at full throttle, is very often pre-ignition.

Many motorists are under the impression that there is no means of testing the spark at the terminal of the sparking plug without receiving a shock, unless a screwdriver, hammer, or other tool with an insulated handle be used Au all-metal spanner can be used just as well if care be taken to put one end of it in contact with the cylinder block first, subsequently bringing the spanner nearer the terminal until a gap sufficiently 'small for the spark to jump is obtained. When removing the spanner or other tool care should be taken not to lift the earthed end until the other part is sufficiently far from the terminal to avoid accidental contact.

BACK LASH IN STEERING ITS CAUSE AND CURE. Backlash in the steering is a disconcerting trouble which may arise from wear and neglect, or it may be caused by outside contact or impact. Running the car up against a high curb may derange the steering slightly —not noticeable, perhaps, at the time, but having its effect gradually taking place and extending. Sometimes it results in the tracking bar which connects the two arms of the steering heads of the front wheels becoming bent. This has the effect of making the wheels “look at each other” as the men in the workshops sav. It results in excessive wear on the treads of the front wheel tyres, interferes with the freedom of steering and makes driving on grease very’ treacherous. The remedy" is the straightening of the tracking bar and realigment of the wheels, if necessary, bv altering the adjustment. This adjustment is generally found in the tracking bar at the end where the knuckle joint is attached. It is secured bv a lock nut which should be slacked off, the adjustment for length made bv screwing forward or backward the joint piece and locking up again. The knuckle joint will have to be uncoupled for this l adjustment to be made and, generally speaking, it is a job which can be better carried out in the repair shop than in the private garage —and by skilled men rather than the amateur. Backlash in the steering is generally due to wear in the steering box between the worm at the end ol the steering column and the worm wheel or segment. It is impossible to put this right unless a new section of the worm wheel can be brought into contact with the worm. Generally the worm wheel is a complete circle. Sometimes it is only a segment. Where it is a complete" circle, a new and unused quarter of the circle can be brought into engagement with the worm It is seldom necessary to take the steering box down for this purp.ose. It will generally be found that taking off the drop arm, rotating the worm wheel shaft a quarter of a revolution bv the steering wheel ami refitting the drop arm in the new position make the necessary adjustment. This is not a long job and does not necessitate dismantling anything except the drop arm from its shaft But the greatest care should be taken to see that the drop arm is firmly secured again, that the lock nut is tight, and that the split pin is through the shaft and across the slots in the locking nut. Another cause of backlash is up and down movement of the worm in its bearings. There are always ball thrust bearings at the top and the bottom of the worm. These are adjustable and can be adjusted from the outside. They should be set up till the steering column moVes freelv but lias no end play. This end play will allow lor quite a considerable amount of rotation of the steering wheel before it begins to get bold of the steering gear. Some drivers like a litle plav here—but very l.ttle. Generally it is best practice to take up all end play and to a-ljust just within limits of easy rotation of the steering wheel. This should be tested with' the front axle jacked up ami the road wheels off the ground.— Dunlop Notes..

JOTTINGS Patea Borough Council is installing a “silent policeman” at the junction of its main streets, and putting down a white line. It was complained by one councillor that the majority of motorists treated the street as a racecourse. Bitumen surfacing is being continued by Inglewood County oh the main highways in its area. The Waiho traffic bridge, in South Westland, is likely to be open for wheeled traffic next month. The bridge gives motor access to one of the finest scenic roads in New Zealand (says the Greymouth “Star”), the route passing over the saddles of two high hills whence magnificent bush and mountain scenery is disclosed. The road will afford a direct motor route to the Fox Glacier, which rivals the Franz Joseph Glacier in interest and special features. Hostel accommodation for tourists is now being erected, while an alpine hut will also be erected on the glacier for climbers. The seventh edition of that invaluable annual, “Facts, and Figures of the Automobile Industry,” is to hand from the United States National Automobile Chamber of Commerce, and contains a mass of statistics relating to automobilism throughout the world, and, in particular, in America. Fifty-six per cent, of the American passenger car producitdn in 1925 was in closed car models. The director of traffic of Detroit, the most intensely motorised city in the world, sets down accident causes in this order of importance:—(l) Took right of way from other driver. (2) Skidding. (3) Exceeding the speed limit. (4) Failure to signal intent. (5) On wrong side of the highway. (6) Cutting corners. This general report is based on data from different cities, with a combined population of 37,000,000. There are some amazing drivers at large on the roads around Wellington, and all motorists should make allowance for the most extraordinary things being done by the other fellow. On Sunday morning last a driver proceeding up the Mungaroa Hill at the entrance to a cutting suddenly, and with no warning, slewed his car at nearly right angles across the road and stopped there. Two cars and a motor-cycle following him were brought to a dead stop in a heap, and the motor-cycle crashed into the rear of the second car. The erratic driver started his car and continued without so much as a word of apology. Motor repair bills are decreasing in the United States. The average expenditure on repairs per motor vehicle was 281dol. in 1919, but in 1925 it was only £217. There is now one motor repair shop in the United States to every 266 vehicles. In 1919 there was one to every 174 vehicles. A tender for the construction of 92 chains 28ft. of concrete highway, with bitumen sealed shoulders, has been let by the Taniaki Road Board, Auckland. The estimated cost of the work was £10,600, and the contract price is £10,760 14s. Bd. The concrete is to be 18ft. in width, with a depth of 7in. in the centre and of 7|in. at the sides, where it will connect with metal and scoria shoulders. These shoulders are to be 3ft. in width and will be sealed with bitumen. At the last meeting of the Canterbury Automobile Association, Mr. Freeman, after commending the action of the progressive Paparua County Council in laying down tlie first bituminous surfaced concrete roan in a Canterbury county, moved that the association should entertain the county councillors at a dinner on the completion of the road. Mr. Lochhead seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. A petition containing over 120 signatures was presented to the Thames County Council recently asking that further loan expenditure should be deferred and that the Government should be asked to bring down legislation to ensure the fair and adequate taxing of traffic using the roads, thus relieving the rating burden of the farming community. The reasons given in support of the petition were that rating was excessive. The outlook for farming was uncertain and the roads now constructed were proving unsuitable for horse-drawn traffic. Discussing the petition one councillor said that the loan proposals would bring the rates on a 50-acre farm to between £65 and £7O per annum. The matter was held over. The automobile industry is now the largest in the United States, the wholesale; value of-its output exceeding that of any other form of manufacture, lhe steel ■ works and rolling mills are a close second, the meat packing industry third, foundry and machine shop products fourth, cotton goods fifth, petroleum refining sixth, lumber and timber products seventh, electrical machinery eighth, printing and publishing ninth, and bread and other bakery products tenth. Uncle Sam evidently does not live by bread alone. It costs less to buy a second-hand motor-car than to build a substantial garage to house it. The consequence (writes “Focus” tn the Auckland “Herald”) is tli*i scores of cars stand m the streets. of Auckland overnight. There are second-hand cars priced between '£so and £lOO in many Auckland salerooms, and it is improbable that their future owners are going to house them in garages and show them the . respect accorded a £5OO car. A professional man residing not a mile from Queen Street finds it inconvenient to build a garage. His ] a ’’S e American car has spent the nights at the kerbside for three years, and has yet the .reputation for reliability which is essential to a vehicle used every day for business purposes. Perhaps the enamel is shabhv. but otherwise the car has not yielded to neglect, and the convenience of always having a car at the front door is a substanial compensation.

As the result of a recent accident, in which a collision occurred through the driver of a motor-bus failing to notice a steel girder, overhanging a motorlorrv, the Legal and Finance Committee of the Auckland Citv Council has a bv-law providing that overhanging loads projecting more than 10ft must carry a red flag attached to the extremity of the load bv day, and a red light by night. Tn addition. 110 overhanging load shall exceed 15ft. unless a permit is obtained from the chief traffic inspector and the route and time for the carriage of the load are defined.

Auckland is to have its own traffic officers on point duty at eight * nter ' sections in the city from 8 a.m. to fi n.m. and from 7 to R p.m. at some noints on Friday nights.