HOW TO TOW A CAR

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 53, 26 November 1926, Page 8

HOW TO TOW A CAR

SOME POINTS TO REMEMBER.

Nowadays a novice will take his car out for a long run with a feeling of complete reliance in the mechanism, never giving a thought to bow he would fare in the event of some contretemps taking place w I £ ia would be rendered nnndhlv seen a car in tow, but it .pas Sever occurred to him that the pilotintz of a towed car entails, perhaps, evL more thought in certain respects than does driving normally Happily, towing a car is seldom necessary but t is as well for the average motorist to know a few of the essential points in connection with tins, and the following hints, by a writer in the “Motor,” are worth bearing in mind. The best type of tow rope has first fa? considered. The strongest is a steel-hawser type, although, if the towed car is not too heavy, an ordinary hemp rope would be sufficiently strong for the i'ob. In order to obtain a central pull, the rope should be passed through the dumb-irons forming a triangle, and then*around the back axle of the towing car, as near to the differential casing as possible, or else at the point where the spring is attached, so that the pull is transmitted to the frame as directly as possible On the towed car, if a crossmember is not positioned between the dumb-irons, it might be suggested that a wooden pole, or a bar of some sort, be placed there to counteract the tendency of the tow rope to draw the front ends of the frame together. Keep the Rope Taut. One of the most important things to bear in mind is that the tow rope should be kept taut the whole time tflie cars are under way, and tins can onlv be done by the frequent application of brakes by the driver of the towed car. Of course, there is comparatively very little to about if a rigid tow-bar be employed, but it is hardly likely that the average motorist would be fortunate enough to find a friend in need carrying one of these. Before getting away one or other of the cars should be gently and very slowly moved until the rope is tight, in order that when a start is made there should be no jerk. A sudden jolt is prone not only to break the coupling, but also to impose a heavy strain on the transmission of the leading car. The rope must not be allowed to sag; an instance which shows the importance of this came to our notice recently, when an inexperienced driver allowed his car to overrun the tow rope. It became wrapped around the front axle, applied the brake fiercely on one side, causing the car to swerve most violently, and bent the mechanism. Special caution must be used when descending hills, and when passing through busv thoroughfares. In the latter case it is advisable that a white rag, or handkerchief, be tied to the tow rope, in order to draw the attention of the police on point duty to the fact that the following car is under tow. This also serves as a warning to pedestrians who may rush thought-

lessly across the road, endeavouring to Sd b o 7c e ourst e beTavelling at"oSy that the 1 rope should be only ]ust enough to draw the car, so that m the event of any foolhardy attempt, such as this mentioned, a sudden application of the brakes of the towed car would cause the rope to break and so-save what might otherwise be a descending llills T ap l )ly brakes the whole time. It should be remembered that one has not the braking of the engine to rely upon, and so must use the mechanical brakes with thought and care. Although it may sound somewhat contrary to that wMcli one would expect, the brakes must be applied at times even when ascending hills. These occasions are those upon which the dnver of the towing car changes gear. Listen for the exhaust note, and upon hearing the purr of the engine as it is revved up to facilitate changing, gently apply the brakes to keep the distance between the cars uniform as the leading car slows during this brief period and to avoid any jerks when the driver reengages the clutch. The driver of the towed car should be content to remain steadily in line with the towing car; there is no need for him continually to swing out to see what is going on, for the driver ahead will see to that and will act accordingly. Care must be exercised when fuming corners m order io counteract the side pull of the tow ‘rope, which tends to draw the towed car into the kerb. It is advisable, therefore that the driver of the towed car should swing bis car outwards away from the kerb' and then sweep inwards. The effect of the side pull will be most noticeable if the surface of the road be wet and greasy.

Keep Your Speed Down.

It is absurd, to endeavour to travel too fast when towing. Remember that a steadv pace will cause only a little extra strain upon the towing car and a successful journev, whereas to speed will probably land' both cars into a ditch.

The number of cars one sees on the road with wobbly wheels is really somewhat remarkable (says the “Motor”). It often occurs to us that the owners of these cars, who always drive themselves, have no knowledge of the fact that their wheels are not true. In all probability they never see the car driven, and so are quite unaware that anything is wrong. Although there may be no danger, a wobbling wheel must cause uneven tire wear,

A new enterprise is afoot in Sweden to produce a standard car, and is supported by several large concerns. At a previous attempt the cars were of high quality, but were too expensive for the mass of the consumers.

Certain State officials in the U.S.A, are advocating the legalising of green tail lights in favoui of the orthodox red. The present danger of confusing red tail lamps with lights on stationary objects is cited in .support of the suggested change.