San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-08

trs-ethyl-lead, which General Motors
has announced dozen times.
Electrical equipment in some in
stances is in need of refinement The
fact that better electrical equipment
is not used is due mostly to the car
manufacturers insistence upon pur-
chasing on price basis. When a
large producer can get spark plugs
for less than four cents each and
a starting and lighting outfit for less
than $50 complete it is hard to expect
producers of these parts to show quail
ity in addition. 1t is remarkable
what such makers can co for so little
money, even though a dollar or so
must be paid as royalty on a Bendix
drive, which is the form used on
most starting motors.
The dry plate type of clutch has
gained, but new forms are to be seen.
For several years one large producer
has had virtual monopoly, because
of his ability to sell cheaply. His de-
sign rendered the dutch easy TO make
and car manufacturers bought this
particular type. As is usually the
case with a monopoly, competition
steps in. This year we have it in
clutches, and we shall see some clutch
development. The multiple disc
clutch, acknowledged to be better in
some respects, costs too much to pro-
duce and doesn't return as much in
service. 1t costs considerably more
to maintain. The single or twin plate
in type is the one that will be seen in
numerous forms during 1923.
Transmission the Same.
The transmission of the three-speed
selectiye type seems hard 10 improve.
Many factories have done considerable
work in the hope of quieting gears, but
apart. from that the transmission has
not been improved. As now made the
housing is usually of malleable cast
iron, in few instances it is of alumni
nun, and the shafts are mounted on
ball or roller bearings, or they run in
a bronze bushing in the case. Eighty
seven per cent of the chassis use the
unit power plant form of construc-
ton (engine, clutch, transmission in
one unit. This is about the same
as last year. Mounting the
transmission separately is used on
about IL per cent of the chassis. The
obsolete rear-axle mounting has but
one follower.
Except for one shaft between clutch
and transmission in separately mount
ed installations, the fabric universal
has not gained much. The propeller
shaft universals are still of the metal
type but many forms this year use
oil fabrication for the joints. Grease
packed universals still are used on
the majority of cars.
Torque members have been improv-
ed in many cases. Peerless uses a
torque arm with a fabric connection
at the front so that the torque re-
action is eased as much as possible.
Hotchkiss drive Tin which the rear
springs push the car and absorb rear
axle twist has a majority following
with SO per cent of the chassis
using it. This form requires good
springs and works best with semi
elliptics. 1t is for this reason and
also for cheapness that semi-elliptics
are used on rs per cent of the chassis.
Cantilever in some form comes second
with close to IA per cent. About
eight other forms comprise the other
s per cent.
The three-quarters floating type of
rear axle has lost some ground. The
floating and semi-floating have gained
somewhat. Semi-floating now leads.
Four Brakes Coming.
Braking has been studied closely,
but little can be done to improve
rear wheel brakes to make them hold
better at speed. There is but one
solution now that our car speeds are
up fairly high and our braking sys-
TENS not much better than they were
when the car speeds were down about
% per cent. and that is brakes on
all wheels. Europe has taken to four
wheel brakes in all classes of cars.
It is a matter Of cost again, and a
car manufacturer dislikes to add cost
and a little complication when big
production is in sight. But four-wheel
brakes will come and in 1924 every
axle maker will have brakes fitted
to the front axle. With such brakes
designed skidding is reduced