The sun., 1919-09-07
GETTING RID OF
MOTOR CAR NOISES
Following Are Some of the
Things That Need 0ccas-
ional Attention,


II is when you drive your car over
.ougb roads that all sorts of rattiHs and
.oresks are heard, most OF which you
.arrot locate. have heard so many
cav that they would like to know where
.or,ain noises are coming from because
orce located it is usually an easy mat
,or TO find some means of remedying
,bem. The next time you are confronted
with this problem the first thing to do
a, N attempt to find the location of the
sound. that is whether forward or rear.
After that keep in mind the kind of a
sound 1t is, that is, whether tinny or
more solid in character. The average
owner allows the parts to remain loose
until the car goes to the shop, all be-
cause of his inability to find the exact
cause. Here is an easy way 20 trace
certain noises;
Tenders are commonly blamed for
lot Of noises that are caused by license
plates, hood, lamps and other attached
parts When the car is stopped grip the
fender firmly and pull and push it in all
directions. If you can detect any loose
ness first find out If the supporting
brackets are loose. These brackets are
attached to the frame and to the fender.
The bolts holding the bracket in place
against the frame or the fender attach
ment may be loose and these may easily
be frightened. Some tenders have INSULT
Gent points of attachment, So that no
I matter how tight they are against the
bracket they will make a noise. Some
owners rivet an extra piece to such FEM
ders and bind them more firmly against
the frame. The makeshift method Is to
force sticks OF wood between the fender
and the frame to cause binding.
Mud aprons and mud pans are COM
mon causes OF noises sometimes difficult
TO find The apron on front under the
radiator is usually held in place by small
bolts and nuts. If these become even
slightly loose the apron may cause an
uncomfortable noise because of car vi
bration alone. The underpan attached to
the frame often becomes noisy because
Of frame weaving.
have seen owners attempt to trace
noise and tighten everything in sight
without getting results. Head lamp
glass fronts will confuse an owner In this
way. They will rattle in their frames
and emit tinny sound very much like
that Of a loose license plate.
In company with the noises mentioned
IA that produced by a cooling fan. Few
owners suspect fan of making a noise,
but loose blades or end play in the fan
Often produces the tinny sound SO COM
mon to the cheaper grades OF cars.
Some Of the low priced cars on the
market are fitted with radius rods and
poorly designed gearshift mechanisms.
The radius rods must have freedom of
movement up and down but not neces-
sarily sideways. In going over rough
roads these radius rods may rattle and
make 1t very difficult for one to give an
exact location to the sound. Brake rods
when they arc Iong or of small diameter
and not well supported at the ends will
rattle in the same way. The radius rods
Usually have some means for prevent
ing rattle but the brake rods have not.
Because the brake rods move It is very
difficult TO provide means for preventing
them from rafting. In some cars wooden
guides can be installer; In others a coil
spring arrangement can be used. The
usual difficulty is in finding some point
OF attachment for the anti-rattling de-
Vice. For the Ford car and certain
others, special antl-rattling devices may
DO purchased at accessory stores.
A most peculiar sound is produced by
the hood when frame weaving causes 1t
TO move. Often it produces a squeak.
The pads (often of leather or fabric)
between the hood and cowl and hood
and radiator, when badly worn make
the sound worse. Some owners oil these
pads so the hood will slide over. In the
cheaper cars it is almost impossible to
cure hood from making noises
Spring shackles with side play may be
noisy on road that is only slightly
rough. Often the sound Is like an engine
knock and the owner does not know
what on earth to look for. This sound
may sometimes he beard only when a
turn is made.
speedometer gears, the speedometer
shaft, loose steering tie rod or drag
INK are other causes Of peculiar noises
often difficult to find.
The best method to use TO find any of
The noises mentioned is to handle each