A STARTLING FACT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 362, 25 October 1932, Page 7

A STARTLING FACT

Among the comparatively minor mechanical failures which result in the complete disablement of cars, none is more common than breaking of the half axles of the driving wheels, oi* the tailshaft. These breakages usually take the form of the twisting from the shaft of the key or spines by means of which the shaft is locked to the members it connects, and nearly all such breakages are a sign of careless driving. At no other time is more strain imposed on the transmission system than in starting the car from rest, and the degree to which the units of the transmission system are strained in this operation depends largely upon the way in which it is pei'formed. If the engine be accelerated just sufiiciently to prevent it from stalling, as it begins to take up the drive, and if the clutch he then engaged uniformly and very slowly, the strain is trivial. If, on the other hand, the engine is raced, and tbe clutch then released suddenly, causing the car to leap1 forward, the transmission is badly stressed and fatigue, which ultimately will lead to break- . age, is promoted in th« units of the transmission. In addition, too sudden acceleration causes moihentary had slipping of Ihe clutch, quickly wearing the clutch lining and hastening the development of clutch slip that can be cured only by replacing the friction surfaces of the clutch plates.