THE MOTOR WORLD

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10290, 27 May 1919, Page 8

THE MOTOR WORLD

notes of interest ABOLISHING THE CUT-OUT. The numbers■ of motor-cars. in which the muffler cut-out is stock equipment are steadily decreasing on the American continent, and it seems likely that this much-debated feature will, be largely absent from the machines built from this time 'on. Motorists will view its passing on new curs with mingled emotions. Because, (says ,a. Canadian paper! many make indiscriminate use of the cut-out; stringent ordinances against it are enforced in most localities. ’ But many careful 'and' considerate drivers, have- felt- that for 'country touring, particularly, over-.unfrequent-ed roads, the. cut-out has .a . distinct usefulness, allowing the motor to do its work with the least effort and least overheating. Also, they have, found that, the engine keeps' cleaner, if- it is "used, with no .restriction of the exhaust. ,to prevent, . discharge. . -.The muffler cut-out has a, distinct use in trouble finding, particularly in carburuUof, and ignition adjustments because the direct exhaust to the air

emphasises, any inequalities in. the explosion, and .makes the. location of, the missing cylinder more, simple than it could be otherwise. Motoring loses an intimate and. oft-timo useful adjunct in the abolition of the cut-out: nut in all probability its .usefulness has been overrated. Certainly there is no logic in supplying to a car as stock equipment an accessory whose use is-’ prohibited for a large proportion of the time. _ LIGHT-WEIGHT MOTOR-CiuLLt. Sooner or later will come a time when every other man and every third woman will possess a light-weight motor-bicycle (says “The Motor Cycle”). It’will be used for shopping, for running to business, and back, and for running to pleasure and bade. It will certainly not be a hermaphroditic ovo.-.l:ib«rato<l automobile do luxe on two wheels. It will be of a definite and distinctive breed which knows bow to preserve its own identity and does not wish to ape its betters or pretend it is a colonial model, or a light sidecar machine,, or half a motor-car. Tt wiH be e« I,ho present bicycle for use and übiquity, but it will be a saver and not a consumer of human energy. It will he the simplest combination ot the simplest forms of engines, gears, and wheels. -It-will be “lightness combined with strength” in exeelsisIt will be a back not a Bucephalus. Thousands will buy it. Indeed, it. will become so common that in time it will ■be the roai and true, omnibus. The miner, the mechanic; the weaver, end the wood-worker will use it to get to •md from work. Every large firm will need, a special shed - for storing machines, and the workpeople will cl altogether to provide an attendant. None hut the aged will he seen in the trams, and the suburban trains will cease to crawl.- Large - factories will arise turning out- the workers’ motorbicycle in thousands.- Every ironmonger, tinsmith, -paint and paraffindenlor will have exposed for sale in his windows two or' three machines, and he will be able- to-supply, parts and spares from stock.. There.will be no local repairing in the present accepted sense. Renewals wi* bo cheaper than repairs. Soon we shall see the beginning’ of that new epoch when . every household witf -think it no more re-,-markable to possess, a motor-bicycle than it doc« to possess a mangle or a sewing machine. . GEAR CHANGING CONTEST. An interesting form of competition which the automobile clubs might take up in lieu of consumption and hillclimbing contests is e gear-changing event. One only wants to stand on any decent hill used frequently by car-ists, and note the lack of proper gear-changing that goes on, to realise that there is much to learn by many / oar-owners and drivers in this direction. A competition calling for a change up and change down, with experts at judging stations, points being awarded for quietness and evenness of speed of oar during operation would prove interesting and instructive: to many. A double’ purpose would ba served, namely, a novel competition and an educational demonstration 1 - to many. If the faults in changing could be pointed out, and the right way to manipulate the changes demonstrated with the various makes of cars, additional value would attend such a competition. STEERING GEAR DEFECTS. •

Defects in steering gears motorcars consist of far more important factors than the mere presence of backlash at various points in the mechanism. Not that one should neglect any noticeable amount of ’backlash in the gear, for excessive play may be due to wear on one particular component, the sudden failure of which may, at any moment, be responsible for an extremely awkward, if not. dangerous accident. One of' the most frequent steering gear defects,, and.at the same time one that Us very often oveilooked, is incorrect setting of the steering lovers. This may affect the manipulation of the car in. various ways, and, therefore, should he given close attention whilst the road- test is in progress. When driving the car along a straight and level piece of road, the steering wheel should be momentarily released, when it can bo noticed whether the' car maintains its straight direction or deflects in its course either to the left of right-hand side of the road. If the latter deflection occurs, it proves that the front wheels are out of track, and, apart from the fatigue resulting from driving a car for long distances when in this condition, the faulty setting of the front wheels gives rise' to excessively rapid wear on the tyres,, and the mileage obtainable from a set of tyres will become very low in consequence. The behaviour of the oar when .rounding corners gives ; a very good indication of the accuracy of the steering or otherwise, for though the- wheels 'may happen -to .be quite parallel'when the car is moving in a, straight line,; inaccurately arranged steering gear will cause it to drag in am.unaccountable manner, and also to develop marked tendencies in the direction of sideslipping, when rounding even gradual curves at moderate speeds. • To test

the equality of the lock, the car should he driven round a circle on full look in either direction, and-any difference in the. diameter of the turning circles should be .noticed. This‘test is, best carried out on wet asphalt or a surface where the wheel tracks mark clearly on the road, the diameters of the two turning circles being paced off for comparison. Front-wheel oscillation, or *‘•wobble,’ l is one of the worst defects in steering gears, and it is only necessary to remind readers of the excessive wear that develops in the moving parts of the steering gear in designs possessing, this objectionable defect.. Some oars may be. noticed to aSsutne a cra:b-iike gait, which can be seen quite clearly, while they are approaching along a straight piece of road. This peculiarity is due to the front and back axles being out of lino With- each other and-.'with the frame. Such cars Vrd very bad on the steering, and extremely expensive- in tyre upkeep. .