The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-28
TIRE SIZES INDEX
TO COST OF CARS.
That Is the Way Machines Are
Catalogued by Lozier
Head.
TOO Much UNDERLYING
With Result Of Growth Of What
Are Called Bastard
Sizes.
roo Much UNDERTAKING

= " Gilbert rreslden, of the Lozler
No.o- Comp'ny and former general man.
ago. Cd. He United states Tire Company.
sau'hp.Iiy for the statement that In the
as' .alysis tire sizes determine the
selling price of automobiles. In expla-
-aton Mr.. Gilbert says that. contrary 20
tho general supposltion. automobiles are
designed from the ground up rather than
from the motor down.
The two most expensive units In a
motor car are the motor and tires" az
firms Mr. Gilbert. And In the consid.
Grafton Of what the now car shall be
the maker cannot separate those two
pem.- motor and tires. For the tires
mus. sustain the maximum effort OF the
moior..so the strength Of the tires must
be equal to the maximum horse power
@, the motor. Then. too. the tires must
support the maximum load OF which the
or j, capable,
"Now II you consider that tires of
larger diameter call for different gear
ratios and this in turn calls for larger
motors Il II clear that the first thing a
maker must decide on Is the sire of
Wheels and tires his new car shall have.
q. course some makers try to beat this
eonditiou-that Is why so many cars are
underlined as equipped by the factory.
That is why In selling some cars even the
dealer Will strongly advise the buyer to
,atnge and put on tires of larger cross
sectional area. though lie cannot of
course change the larger diameter--the
wheel size.
"1uasmuch as the item of tire cost ID
one Of the heaviest in the car, and mas
much As by using a wheel of two inches
loss diameter and "A tire half an inch or
a. inch less the maker can on a run OF
siv 5000 cars. save many thousands of
dollars the temptation to try to evade the
physical law II great-and too many
makers Yield to Il. That Is also the rea-
con for the extremely light though large
cars that have invaded the market of
late The temptation to put big pow
erful motor and an imposing body on tires
SIZE too small so AS To get the price
down Is almost Irresistible. And the lack
o. discrimination OH the part OF buyers
and the exigencies OF competition make
II stronger.
The research department OF q certain
larg. publishing house has just finished
q survey OF the automobile industry. and
In the report cars are classed In 1ve gen
.ral divisions-fve price classes. That
10 not the proper classification The line
OF cleavage between car classes Is not 20
be found In price-,here ~ no definite
line when viewed from that standpoint
But there Is a very definite dividing line
between classes when considered from
the tire standpoint--as all makers do
We then find Ave classes clearly defined
as follows Cars having IS, 80, 80, "a
and 20 inch tires.
while there are just enough exceptions
70 prove the rule We may say that thu
2s inch tire designates the cycle car class
On 80 inch tires We hrd cars ranglni
N price from $500 to $500. On % incl
tires. cars from 5000 TO $1,000. on 8
inch tires, cars priced from $3.50 4
81 500: and from $4,000 up the 3s Incl
tire Is supreme. An expedient adopted b.
some makers IL to equip with standar'
rim size smaller than the power an
weight Of the car really calls for an
leave II to the buyer TO pay the dinerenc'
and nut on what makers term bastard siE
tires
For example, 32x3la Is standard size
A bastard size. 33xi. is made to NJ tn
same rim Similarly car may be equipped
with 3ixi rims and the buyer. hndinI
the tire too light, may at his own eNpens
change To- the illegitlmate size, 35x4h
Obviously that car should have bee
the frs; place. which would be 36xfh.
The large tire diameter does TO Ger
tain extent support the load. but 1t canno
properly withstand the strains or tn
motor. II lacks the proper air space an
sustaining qualities. Nor does II amor
the riding qualities of the larger whes
size. Wheels two inches smaller dro
rercAptbly deeper into depressions in tn
road and they have a tendency. as ever
driver knows. that amounts almost to
determination to hang when you try I
steer out OF a rut There Is all the diner
ence in the world between riding on
q inch wheel. for example, and one OF 3
Inches diameter
These facts have always bean recog
n ed by makers and considered In the de
signing OF new models. But the compro
mise between that item OF cost and tina
Item 81 adequate tire equipment Is no
always decided in favor of the buyel
That Is why instead OF classifying car
according to price divisions We makers al
ways classify them by tire sizes. w
speak Of 80 inch car or u SO inch car
and 10 US the term means the differenc
between what might be classed as sma
cars or large ears. though there may b
considerable range In prices OF car
mounted on tires OF either size"