WELL-BASE RIM

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 205, 22 April 1932, Page 7

WELL-BASE RIM

AMERICAN DESIGNERS ADOPT IT FOR NEW MODELS. EASY TYRE CHANGING. Reports from the United States aunounce that in the new models of 1932 practically all the motor-car mafitifacturers of that country have adopted the well-base type of rim as the stan- ; dard o nall models. As practically all British and other foreign car makers have also exclusively adopted this type of rim and tyre it is now the standard type on at least 95 per cent. of the cars at present in production. ' Behind this world-wide adoption of the well-base rim there is an interesting story. It was first designed in ! 1890, and it was put on the marlcet ' by the Dunlop Company soon after- i wards. For reasons which it is difficult now to understand the inherent advantages of simplicity, cheapness, ! and safety of the well-base rim and , tyre were riot appreciated, and immense sums have been spent in the intervening years by car jmanufacturers, in the United States particulariy, in attempting to improve wheel rims and simplify the task of tyre charigirig. Easy Changing. It would be difficult to design a tyre and rim which can be changed more easily than the well-base type when the operation is properly underwood. Many people find the operation difficult because they fail to realise that the head of the tyre is not ' intended toi stretch, and they attempt fitting and removal by strfetching the bead over the edge of the rim. The operation of fitting is simple. No difficulty will be experienced in drawing one bead over the rim, and when the cover is in this position the tube should be inserted and inflated Slightly. The edge of the secorid bead should then be pushed over the rim at the side of the wheel diametrically opposite the valve, and this part of the bead must be pressed down between the tube and the rim into the extreme bottom of the well of the rim and allowed to remain there. With one side1" of the bead bedded in the well the remaining part of the edge of the cover can be worked over the edge of the rim without difficulty and only a small, thin lever should be neeessary to slip the last part of the bead (that is, the part adjacent to the valve) over the rim. It is claimed, in fact, that a person experienced in the handling of the tyre can perform the operation without the aid of a lever. When the cover is on the wheel the tube is inflated slowly, care being taken to see that the bead opposite the valve is withdrawn from . the well and that the cover seats easily on the wheel with the wheel in an absolutely concentric position. Usually there is a ridge of rubber in the' form of a ring round the side of the cover which is intended as an indicator to show whether the wheel is centrally placed in the cover.