THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 353, 2 April 1910, Page 4

THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

Rapid strides have been made in the progress of touring cars and taxicabs during the last two or three years, but it is regrettable to notice the disappointing headway the commercial motor i» making. In nearly all other countries motor waggons and trains have proved a great boon to the distant settler and manufacturer. Complaints are received by the manufacturers from customers of the rapid deterioration t of and whnt of power of the vehicles that have been supplied. Investigation invariably ends in the surprising discovery that they have been putting too great a strain <m the engine. It may first be pointed out that the guaranteed load capacity of a motor vehicle is no more its maximum load capacity than the working pressure of a steam boiler is the maximum pressure which the vessel will stand without offering very forcible objection. However, the motor vehicle will, on the other hand, suffer heavy load expositions before it will deign to show that it is being maltreated. Petrol motors show signs of distress sooner than steam waggons, owing to their inability to pile up a big reserve of energy. Consequently a petrol-driven vehicle will b*gin to jib as the overloading approaches a 50 per cent, increase above normal capacity, and this applies as much to the actual load of goods as to the overload on the engine. Every motor vehicle is designed with a big margin of safety to provide against accidental overload and to assist it in putting forth nn extraordinary effort in extricating itself from soft "and muddy places on the Toads. If it is regularly used nl maximum power something must sooner or later give wav —the chaw links will part, shafts will be twisted, or the engine mechanism will be severely damaged. Because an engine shows no visible si«ns of accelerated deterioration when run over-loaded on level roads, it must not be presumed thnt the vehicle *an with impunitv be used with the same load on bad and hilly mads: "i> the contrary, the normal load should be reduced as the conditions of the roads traversed become* more onerous on trip machine. As the required effort of traction increases the .power of the engine must be increased or the load must be reduced.