CUT OUT DEAD WEIGHT

NZ Truth, Issue 1194, 18 October 1928, Page 20

CUT OUT DEAD WEIGHT

Lightening the Engine's Load and Trimming Bodies ;

MANY months ago "N.Z. trutn' • ■ must set m towards lighter c THAT prediction is by .way of being 1 fulfilled, as several manufacturers are now concentrating < on reduc-^ ing the weight of their chassis, by every possible 'ounce. i'..i- V ./ The good? work of the engineer.-is-being supplemented by the body builder, and so far has .th.c movement towards lighter cars already gone that body builders are actually with one another in -seeing who can produce' the lightest body for a ..given dimension. . . ij : /'■■;■ ,: - There is no possible doubt that the average car carries anything up to a quarter of a ton of waste -.wood' and metal. Even m such riiatte\*s as the spire .tyre holder' fio 1 •consideration-appears' to have been 'given to the reducing of weight to its lowest point. . ■:' If the carrier rirfi were, for instance, merely lightened by boring holes throughout its circumference! ■; It would be samething m the .way reducing the weight. . *" The necessity for cutting down avoirdupois, m the last year or so, has bebome quite a serious matter. Most •cars now are fitted with heavy 'bumper bars, shock 'absorbers and luggage carriers. All these add to. the total deadweight which has to be transported by the engine. In America the tendency, has been towards more powerful engines than ever before. • • .

' > a definite vtreiid cairs.' -. . . /'./: : . '"'■ . . .Thus we see -many, machines, coming now with engines'- of '2P to 30/vh.p., whpreas even, a year -ago 20 to 25y-wa.s the' ~ average"' 1 rim. Ttiis'', iiicre&se lit engine pw.%lias not, only been maces-; Sitated by^fc-iifr demari'd for more -speed; and greater, flexibility, .but it has become an actual necessity, if the standard: of performance is to-be maintain-* 6d^and- ; >tj|iis simpJy. due, to- the weight whlch:,v^as >u VP, ;till. now oeen: continually "ad'd^d to. '' ' " ■;:" V: ■'■ .Now/— one is inclined to say. : ."Tjhank: heaven" — the tide has turned/ ana once the ebb sets In it will recede "vejry' strongly. „... ■■■ .■;■•.;•; >.•'■■■ .English rn.ake.rs are, aj§q .putting v .forth determined", ejf.pr.ts, ... A tg;,pare .._ -■■■^bwn"'tHe'>ounds : '- : aWtf ; -oii I !we^--'afrd;V-.j so produce a lighter car, which will enable a better road perform- •• ance to be" attained withoutan m•- -• crease m the .size of en g}n e j ■ f We ih.--N"eWi: Zealand -are' particularly intgi:est)od m • this' question of' car. weight. : The i; cost- of- vmbtoring; istsohigh that anything that, .can reduce it is worthy of consideration. Every pound of useless weight that is carried on a.'ear.rcan 'only be transported at''someYcqsj&- i of petrol; great or sriiall.'and it fniist "be remembered that m talking/ of car weight it ', means constant Aveight, which is always, being cai-ried uptil. the engine has made its last revolution. ' '• •;