New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-10-04
SAFETY IN TIRE
CHAINS ON AUTO
Drivers Regard These Devices as
the Last Word in Avoiding.
Serious Accidents.
BEST way FOR USING THEM
One on Each Wheel Affords Greatest
SeeurIty-Drape It Over Wheel
for Clean Job-it Should Be
Fastened Tightly.

Whether on wet pavements or on
muddy country roads, tire chains are
the last word In the prevention of &C.
cidents. But. like everything else con.
nected with the automobile, there is
a great deal of ignorance concerning
their use.
In bad going q car should have q
chain on each wheel, or, If the motor
list does not are to buy that many,
one on each e wheel Is imperative.
Some people only use one, applied to
the left e a wheel. When the brakes
are applied the left wheel holds the
ground better than the right, causing
the al to slew to. the left and so in
rreasing the danger of an accident.
The left rea wheel Is chosen, as there
Is then no danger Of damaging the
chain by running against the curb.
The type Of chain used Is called "lad-
der chain," as 1t has two side lengths
fitted with cross links or "grips." At
the end are clamps to fasten the chains
on the tires, of which more anon. The
side chains will last two or three
years with proper care, but the cross
links will have to be renewed fire.
quently during the season. The clamps
at the ends are depended on to keep
the chain in place, and so must be re-
liable. If the clips that help clamp
the ends together do not fit tightly
they will allow the ends to separate,
and the chain is lost. Examine them
carefully and bend them In so that it
requires quite an effort to close each
clip and a greater one to open 1t. Then
1t is reasonably safe.
Need Not Jack Up Wheel.
The novice jacks up his wheel to
put on q chain-nOt so the experienced
motorist. There are two ways of ap-
plying the chain. One is to drape it
over the wheel, the other Is to lay 1t
on the ground and run the a Ove
1t. The latter method. apart from the
difficulty of steering in straight owe
something you cannot see, has the
added disadvantage that the chain on
q muddy road is in bad condition to
handle. So drape it over the wheel,
and you will have a much cleaner. job.
Apply it in such a way that the points
of the cross links are away from the
tire so as to prevent them from cut
ting into 1t. Have the clamps toward
the back Of the car.
This draws them forward as the
car wheel revolves with a wiping mo-
ton that helps to keep them closed,
whereas the opposite method will re-
suit in their lOOsening sooner OF later
and dropping off. Having draped the
chain properly over the wheel, run
the car forward for a ear wheel and
backward for a front wheel. This
brings the ends out where they can be
gotten at to the best advantage.
Avoid Use Of Tool.
Never use a tool to tighten up the
chains. as they may be fastened so
tightly they cannot creep, and so dis.
tribute the year. II they always stay
in n spot on the shoe they soon cut
in and ruin the tread. OF course, in
the case Of a woman, n whose
strength Is not equal to the task, a
tool will be useful, but care must be
exercised not to get the chain too
tight. In line with this caution is a
M not to fasten the chain
to a spoke.
The parts Of the cross links that
$500 l
case hardened, that is, they are made
Of wrought iron with a casing of hard
ened steel. This resists wear for a
long time, but wears through even
after which the link o wears
put and breaks. The end pieces are