The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-23
TIRE PROBLE EN-
DIFFICULT TO SETTLE

A man who has an automobile that
is not equipped by the maker villa
attachments 10 carry spare tires, rims
or wheels, does not realize that he Is
constructing an engineering problem
when he puts those spares on the car
in any place that seems convenient 70
him. In other words the average man
does not realize what 1t means to add
the weight of a couple or tire ana
rims to the load Of q car and that UNI
less the maker arranged for the car
rying of this weight the wearing quail
tiles of the car are apt to be consid-
erably affected thereby. It is not a
matter merely of deciding whether It Is
more convenient to put the tires at the
rear end of the car rather than at the
side Unless these matters have been
considered and planned for before the
car has been turned out and delivered
some fundamental point OF engineering
law. is ignored.
A great many automobiles now for
the first time are built SO that the
spare tires are carried at the rear.
Originally this was done only with
roadsters or cars OF the raceaDout
| type, but latterly 1t began to be done
more and more with machines used
for touring. Carrying spares on the
out of fashion when demountable rims
came in. Two such tires win rims
make rather too much OF q loao Tot
! the ordinary car roof.
| There remain two systems OF arrang-
Ing tires. In good many cars now
adays where the tires are carried
on the running board at the side, or
dinariiy Just outside the emergency
brake lever, there Ia q single depression
/ or double depression in the poard
which serves two purposes. For one
thing IL helps to keep the tires stead
Ter because as they Mt into this sun
ken place there Is not SO much cnance
! for them to move from side to SIDE.
| This is more so IL the depression Is
made with two divisions 80 that
single thread win fit into each.
1 This, however is not the only reas'
4 on. With the fashion for straight lines
in body building. which Is the present
idea in car construction here, to have
the curved part of the tire showing
above the level of the high sides
would interrupt the general design. BY
depressing the lower curve of the tire
the top part is brought below the Level
of the side and thus the straight line
effect is retained uninterrupted rms
depression therefore is for the sake
both of appearance and stability and
even If the straight line effect does
go out no doubt this idea will be re-
tanned, inasmuch as II makes much
more workmanlike way OF carrying the
spares If they must be put on the side.
\ When the tires are carried on the
side they do not collect mud, dust and
water quite as much an they are likely
to when kept at the back. Every one
is familiar with the tway that mud.
water and so on are sucked up so that
they spray over the back of any ma
chine as 1t is running along. Even II
the tires are kept covered with wrap
pings these get so befouided that IT Is
Ian objection.
| The engineering problem involved IN
! the proper place for tires is that II
they are carried on the side 4 heavier
spring should be used on that side.
4 Several companieE have extra leaves
Tor ip-tArce. on thu Ti9ht hand 1oWArS