COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1012, 1 July 1930, Page 6

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

OFTEN OVERLOADED SHORT SIGHTED POLICY The tendency of some commercial vehicle users to load their trucks beyond their rated capacity is a shortsighted policy, because it cannot fail to be reflected in shorter life of the vehicle and tyres, as well as greatly increased cost of maintenance. Tyre-makers are somewhat at a disadvantage in this matter, blit the vehicle manufacturers, aware of the tendency to overload, can, to some extent, take precautions. These precautions may or may not extend to the provisions which are made in the design of the vehicle, for the tyres. If they do, well and good. If they do not, it is only fair that the user should at least appreciate the extent to which lie is penalising his tyres, particularly in the case of chassis that are equipped with twin tyres on the rear wheels. In such cases, the excess loading is greatly exaggerated, owing to the fact that, when the machine is standing or running upon a cambered road, the burden is not evenly distributed. In those circumstances the inner tyres carry much more of their proportion of the load and are thus even more excessively stressed, while the outer tyres hardly bear their nominal load. It is no exaggeration to state that each inside tyre bears as much as a third of the total load on the rear axle, one of them carrying even more than that. Overloading of any twintyred commercial vehicle involves an excess burden on the tyres which is out of all proportion to the amount of overloading to which the vehicle is subject. When the truck is carrying a full load, and when it? is on a cambered road, the inner tyres bear such a high percentage of the load that with the best intentions in the world if is impossible to avoid over-stressing them. This is probably the main reason why. in the case of twin tyres, the inner ones usually fail to give the same amount of service as do the others. It is important to note that, contrary to the usual opinion, if one of the twin tyres be larger than tlie other (for example, a worn and a new tyre running together) the larger tyre should be put on the outside of the axle, as this enables a better distribution of the load to be made between the turns. This unequal load distribution presents a problem which is engaging the attention of leading tyre manufacturers and vehicle designers.

Uniformed patrols of the Auckland Automobile Association are busy in the country districts extending service to members and carrying out headlight tests. Gisborne, the Bay of Plenty, the Waikato, and the Upper King Country are at present receiving attention, and shortly the Lower King Country, Mokau and Awanui will be visited. Early in August a patrol leaves for North Auckland, where an extensive tour will be conducted. In the City the local patrols have, ror the lqst few evenings, extended headlight testing to members. This service is much appreciated, and the elimination of dazzle from motor headlights is quite a noticeable feature in the Auckland Province.

PRINCE OF WALES’S FORD FLEET A splendid tribute was paid the Ford car when the fleet used for the Prince of Wales’s big game-hunting expedition in East Africa was made up of Ford vehicles. The work that these cars were called upon to perform was of an extremely arduous nature, and the country they had to traverse was mostly of unformed roads and jungle tracks.

Large brass studs have been placed in the pavements of Paris to show pedestrians where they may safely make a dash to the other side of th'e street, and pedestrians are expected to use this space and no other. • Tugging at the wheel while the car is standing still not only strains the steering gear, but causes unnecessary wear on the tyres as well. A car should always be in motion when steered. Just the slightest motion will do.