LOOK TO THE TUBES.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 134, 27 May 1926, Page 6

LOOK TO THE TUBES.

TO PREVENT PERISHING, : A Few Useful Hints. In these days of high tyre mileages, the need for care is not so pronounced as it used to be, but there is no reason why economy should not still be studied. With the tubes and the spare tube, it is very generally a case of “ out of sight, out of mind,” and it is more or less obvious that such treatment—or lack of treatment—is not the way to obtain the best service or the long- ( est life. Most small car drivers now- j adays are content with one spare tyre | and tube complete, and on big ears | this measure of tyre insurance is generally doubled. But there are still j many who carry a separate spare tube —it's a wonderful protection frbin punctures. Very frequently that spare tube is 1 folded up “ any old way,” tied with a! piece of string, and left to blush unseen in the deep recess of an oily fool box, with spanners to the right of it, spare piarts to the left Of it, aid .jades arid'kindred impediments volleying and thundering. teave the spare tube like that, and it will leak ris proiiOtmeedly ’as an in-ij come tax assailed bank balance. The spare tube should be carefully folded, and kept in a rubber-proofed bag, well , supplied with French chalk. How ' many of you can fold a tyre tube up ! properly ? As I am sure a good many ; cannot—here’s how:— First get your tube. Remove the valve, fold the tube in half, with the valve stem on the outside at one end ; roll up from the opposite end, so as to expel the air, and while rolled up reassemble the valve and screw it up tight—-so that air does not get in again. Now unroll, and lay the flattened tube out with the valve, still outside, in the centi-e. Fold the ends inwards to the valve ; fold again, and slip a tape or stout rubber band over to keep the folds in position. It is easy—till you try, and then it is sometimes found difficult, In storing the tube, see that it is so placed that it is not subjected to chafing action. If you want to be thofdughly economical, take it Out once in three months for an airing—inside and out. Unfold it ; inflate it till it gets “ nice and fat ” —about as fat as its normal shape when in use—and replace it as before detailed. This reduces the tendency of the rubber to perish at the folds. Who said punctures ? Of course, such things do happen, even in these

days. Point one: W hen you nave a i puncture, remember that the “ darn thing which made a hole in the tube' ■has also made a hole in the cover, I and that it may still be reposing in.j the cover; it often is, so get it out ’ before it “ repeats the dose.” In these days of car enlightenment, | be sure that you have all your tyre and tube repairs properly vulcanisedi. j Most repair houses that undertake i this work have apparatus which does ’ such work properly, so that you can genuinely forget you ever had the trouble. You can even buy small apparatus for doing minor vulcanising yourself, and many of these sets are quite satisfactory. Once in six months, it is worth while having all the tyres off, having the rims cleaned of rust, and re-enamelled, all cuts filled, and the tubes replaced in covers, the insides of which have been thoi-oughly dressed with French chalk. For a given set of tyres to give the longest service, change over front and back after, say, 500 Q miles. By studying the wear of the front tyres you can see whether the steering has got out of alignment.