New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-26
Have You a Little
Auto Fox" in Your Car?

age on the rear axle. often at that
point no provision whatever Is made
for oiinC. Il is simply a matter OF
flowing oil around the joint and let
ting il work in. If the brake linkage
wears and weakens. and il becomes
necessary TO apply the brake with ex-
ira force in an emergency, 1t will give
way.
The spring shackle bolts are usu-
ally equipped with grease cups. and
they do not suffer quite as much as
other points, but it has been my ex-
perience that often the passages be-
come clogged, and one may screw down
on the cup and only force the grease
out of the thread of the cup, instead
of into the bearing, for the grease
cup cap fits loosely upon the thread.
IL also has been my experience that
many cars come from the factory with
the grease holes clogged with enamel
or hardened grease. so that no grease
could be forced through by any amount
of turning down the cap. Cars are
allowed 20 run in this condition so
long sometimes that the shackles have
worn through, allowing the body to
drop down on the axle.
Very often complaint is made that
a new car will develop a squeak very
soon after IL is tried out-an elusive
sort Of squeak that seems to be first
one place and then another. The own
er who has this experience VIII find
probably that the spring shackles have
not been fabricated, either because the
hole was clogged or for some other rea-
son. | would recommend that in such
eases the car be lacked up and all the
shackle pins be driven out and all
grease passages inspected and cleaned
thoroughly; also, that heavy grease be
applied directly to the bolt when 1t IS
put back in place.
This will take a little time, but it
pays, for it has been my experience
that if the pins are not driven out and
the holes opened up for inspection 1t
will take a solid month TO force grease
through by screwing up the grease cup.
Until this passage IS open there can be
no fabrication.
Wheel bearings ought to run for six
months if properly packed; but there
is no way of telling when the bearing
needs attention except by inspection,
so it is well to look them over regu-
larly. When inspecting the rear wheel
bearings, if the construction IS OF the
type where the wheel hub is keyed on
TO the shaft, it is well TO inspect the
key TO determine whether 1t Is tight:
Of four cars recently inspected found
three with loose keys.
There are two dangers when the key
is loose. One is that the keyway be-
comes rocked out OF shape and cannot
be fitted tight again. The other IS
that shaft and key become worm, so
that a tight fit is made impossible,
and, of course, the only remedy Is TO
replace both. This condition often VIII
account for a knocking or rafting
which will be felt throughout the car,
and the cause often be supposed to be
located far from the real place. For
instance. in one case the driver thought
the knocking was in the gear case, un-
til | showed him the loose hub.
The spring leaves need fabrication
once season. Tools are sold for
separating the leaves enough TO apply
q lubricant made especially for that
purpose.
Another part which shows hard
wear quickly is the valve push rod
guide, especially the ones on the for
ward end of the motor. Dust blowing
over the radiator collects on the for
ward guides and wears them rapidly
This condition is indicated usually
when the crank case becomes covered
with oil blown up from the loose joint.
Modern designs have taken care OF
this to a large extent by inclosing
the push rod in easing, and many
owners have put in housings when
they discovered the difficulty.
Overhead valves. worked by a rock
er arm, must be fabricated every time
the car is taken out The fabrication
is not included in the ordinary lubri-