, 1923-10-07

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the momentum of the car is Offset by the resist
ance of the road or pavement, vhether dry or rDet.
Skidding on wet pavements can be reduced to the
with either two orfour-wheel brakes, only
by slowing down speed and gentle brake pressure with
engaged.
Disadvantages of Four Wheel Brakes
Against the only advantage (D of four-wheel brakes,
namely, quicker stopping, there are six serious dis
advantages which make them mechanically imprac-
ticable, dangerous, uncomfortable, and expensive to
owners, as follows.
L. Danger of Accidents With permission, we quote
from a recent circular of the RoIls-Royce COMPANY to
their dealers, upon which we cannot improve:
.B..issl.y. the fault With frsn.,whesl brake. lie. in the
consequently vastly moro dangerous than a rear-wheel skid.
at must be appreciates, first of all. that for their ability to
VIZ j lsess SS. r. sss :::i e r siI sSsy &c is: :s: II ' Pe%:s s to :sss;
the ditch if on a crowned or cambered road.
im mwhsn the sb 15a tSs s ARE us;d in NJ a ne emergency ne ssasyi + Il is of primary
troll that is, that the car can be- steered from the time that
the brakes are applied until it is brought to a complete stop.
driying) the drivers instinct is to Immediately apply the
brakes as hard as possible.
eff, under these conditions, the front wheels RI suddenly
locked, disaster may oyertake the driver, through inability
before meeting the obstacle.
"In traffic driving the ability to dodse-to control the
ION a wet Tor sprinked city street, granting that the
front wheel brakes were perfectly equaized, the car would
slide straight ahead unable to take advantage of traffic
conditions, either right or left.
The pressure r.s;sS :; applied, he 1SoPf wheels would take on =
the equalization of the brakes was faulty.
"1n traffic driving, under most favorable conditions (per-
fectly equalized brakes and dry pavenent) a sudden appIica-
ton of the brakes checks the car SO precipitately that cars
following have been known to crash into the car ahead,
causing a rear end wreck through not having stopping room
and time.
at is, of course, obvious that front wheel brakes present
double the difficulty of keeping the brakes properlyequalized
"Aside from the above apparent defects in front or four
wheel braking, there is the stifening effect on the steering
the drag on the steering unless the braking effects on both
wheels is absolutely equalized. This, of itself, constitutes
a serious disadvantage reflected in the handling of the car"
2. Adjustments by Gunner. Brakes must be properly
fabricated, and kept free from dirt, gravel,
and foreign substances, to prevent unequal pressure
Of brakes and possible locking of front wheels. The
burden of this responsibility rests on the owner, not
on the factory.
3. Added Impedirenta and Lubrication. Four
wheel brakes double the number of parts in the brak-
ing mechanism, add about one hundred pounds of
weight to the front end of the car, and
create from twenty to thirty additional places (mostly
inaccessible) requiring fabrication uphich must be
applied by hand.
4. Decreased Car Efficiency. The added weight,
extra parts, and increased friction resulting from four
8 are not, and will NOT be, eq,