Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-09-28

nothing to the strength Of the tire, but
will continue to flap and the tear will
extend until half the tread width is
torn loose.
Spinning mad sliding the tires in
starting and stopping and skidding in
rounding curves also have q serious
destructive effect. Upon loss of trac-
ton, more drivers than not will speed
up their engines under the erroneous
impression that this viii increase trac-
ton. 1t actually does the exact reverse.
The slower a wheel turns the better
traction 1t has. The more gently it is
started turning, Furthermore, the less
liable it is to slip. When wheel be-
gins to lose traction, the driver should
throttle down his engine rather than
speed it up-retarding his spark and
being ready to release the clutch to
prevent stalling. In engaging the
clutch, 1t is also we'll to let it in gently.
Low gear should be used, as this will
permit the wheels to be turned very
slowly without so much danger Of
stallin gthe engine.
WATCH THE BRAKES.
In applying the brakes the wheels
should not slide. Not only does sliding
the wheels injure the tires, but it re-
duces the braking effect The quick
est stop is made when the wheels are
Just turning, and the abrasion on the
tires is least. Skidding on rounding
curves Is unnecessary. 1t is danger
Gus. 1t is due to turning at excessive
speed. In some of our cities, such as
New York, it is illegal. All of these
tire abuses do untold harm to the tires
A tire is made to roll over the ground,
not to slide Sliding the wheels of
railroad cars causes flat wheels. If
sliding a hardened steel tire over a
smooth steel rail for a few seconds
can so abrade the wheel that it's pound
ing will crack 150-pound rails, fancy
the damage to a rubber tire in skid
ding or sliding over a road of stone
or concrete.
Besides these more obvious causes
of excessive tire wear. there is an in
sidious cause which is too apt to be
overlooked. This is faulty alignment.
The tire rolls smoothly and with the
minimum of wear, but if out of align
ment, it has a combination rolling and
sliding movement over the road, which
SeiuScS wear anu pow
er. There are two forms of faulty
alignment namely, that in which the
wheel itself is out of true, so that it
wobbles, and that in which the wheel
spindle is at an improper angle, so
that the wheel is constrained to a posi-
ton out of parallel with the direction
of vehicle motion.
Wheel webbing is caused by strains
and warping of the wood. Some of the
strains which get wheels out of true
can be avoided. When a truck is driven
diagonally into the curb when a corner
is rounded too sharply or a boulder is
struck CHANGING blow. the severe lat
eral strain at one point of the circum-
ference of the wheel is apt to warp II.
Sometimes carelessness in apply or re-
moving pressed-on tires warps the
wheel and in some cases a careless
operator will press the tire on crooked,
30 that the effect on the tire is the same
as a warped wheel. The remedy is to
have the tire pressed off and the wheel
trued by a wheelwright
Misalignment Of the wheel spindles
Is due to excessive shocks, such as run
ming into curbs, overspeeding on rough
roads and SO on, which bends the axles
or the steering arms of the front s+aer