The Colorado statesman., 1922-04-29
Most of Them Are Either Too
Stiff or Too Soft and Either
Is Uncomfortable.
lUBRICATlON OFTEN BLAMED
tndiseriminate Advice May Be Worse
Than Useless as No Two Sets Are
AIike-lntelIigent Attention
Is Big Need.

Automobiles may be divided into
two classes, those with springs that
are too stiff and those that are too
soft. Either can be very uncomfort-
able. "Here and there, of course,
there is a car with springs that really
spring without springlng the Occu-
pants of the car against the top"
writes an expert.
Automobile instruction books, car
experts and all the wiseacres of the
fraternity advise one to lubricate the
springs regularly. If the springs need
it, that Is very good advice, but it
sometimes happens that the lubrica
tion is the very last thing that the
springs need. If you could work a
little rust or gummed oil between the
spring leaves and thus retard the
spring action, 1t might be endurable.
OF course, this is when the springs are
too soft and spring too much. Indis-
criminate advice as to the care of
springs may be worse than useless.
No two sets of springs require the
same medicine. Therefore, before fol-
lowing anyone's advice to lubricate
the springs 1t were well to discover
whether they need 1t.
Soft Springs Yield Easily.
Soft springs, so flexible that they
yield easily to road unevenness, are
inclined to compress too readily when
they drop into hole or hit bump.
They fly back into normal position,
sag down again and after a while
cease vibrating. Meanwhile you are
bouncing around like a rubber ball.
Now to oil such a spring merely in
tensifies all this. You do not need the
exercise acquired by the olling proc
sss. You will get all you need riding
In the car without 1t. Such a spring
needs friction between the leaves
rather than fabrication Friction slows
the motion of the spring and steadies
the car.
Now, almost every one will tell you
that friction between the leaves makes
the car ride hard. Probably the first
time you heard anyone say this and
thought your car was not particularly
easy you oiled the springs and went
from the frying pan into the fire.
However, this complaint is not as
general as that where the springs, ut
terly neglected and rusted together.
have lost large part of their resili-
ency. 30 that the car rides like farm
wagon. In such case lubricating the
spring leaves Is the greatest aid to
comfort quarters worth of graph
tie grease and liberal quantity of
elbow grease works wonders for a
stiff spring.
intelligent Attention Needed.
Springs really do need a great deal
OF attention. If 1t be intelligent atten-
ton. They should be taken apart at
least twice year and cleaned and
fabricated well. There may be OBJ
tAIned fabrication inserts to go be-
tween the leaves of the springs,
which usually last for the life of the
car. II the springs have been well de-
signed they will not need extra at
but seven-passenger car will not
ride as easily with two persons as
with It's normal load. The point
where the springs are attached to the
body and the suspension point on the
axle or frame need frequent lnspec-
tion and fabrication regularly at the
poInts Indicated in the car instruction
book. Spring shackles' will wear quick
ix unless fabricated. rendering q
krsakdown much more likely.