Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-28
FRONT-D CAR
WIDELY DISCUSSED
Motorists AnxiousIy Awaiting
ReinStaIIation of Equipment
Abandoned in 1905.

tomobile, while enthusiastic over the
possibilities in the more perfected YER
sions Of this early design, freely admit
that the public must learn some new
tricks If the change-over is to be sue
cess.
It does not appear to be generally
known by the average motorist who is
eagerly awaiting the Offering OF long
heralded American front-driVe cars that
to avoid a skid the operator of the ma
chine which delivers its power through
the front wheels does the very thing
which with a conventional rear-drive car
might be fatal. There are also some
new rules to be learned about hill climb
ing, and in the general operation of
such cars there will be occasion for
much turning over of new leaves in the
motorists book of experience.
Need Of Revamping Stressed.
1t is the need for such revamping of
driving itself, rather than the construc-
ton problems, which has been delaying
actual production of front-drive cars
for popular consumption. Many engi-
neers and not few manufacturers hold
to the belief that the average motorist
is not as yet skillful enough vita the
conventional car to risk asking him to
switch to new basis.
II the rear-dEive car starts to skid,
for instance, the driver does not care
to risk applying more power to the
rear wheels. To do so would be to
cause them to slue around at a still
faster and less comfortable rate. Ex-
perienced drivers recognize what is
known as a power skid" with rear
drive cars, condition that results frcm
the rear wheels trying to get ahead
of the front ones through too sudden
application of power or an excess of it.
Having learned TO control such rear
wheel behavior, it doubtless will take
even the most experienced drivers some
time to learn the trick of giving the
engine gas freely when the front-drive
car tends to go into a skid.
Sending burst of power to the front
wheels naturally causes them to pull
ahead, dragging the rear ones after
them in straight line This naturally
straightens out the car Tests show
that with front-drive car just about
ready to spin around, vigorous push
on the accelerator will Straighten it
out Immediately.
Driver "Apt TO Forget"
Even if the driver learns to do this
trick, however, he Is apt to forget that
he must lift his foot from the accelera-
tor very carefully. Engines are effec-
tive brakes, and with this engine break
ing force applied to the front wheels
it is evident that sudden closing Of the
throttle has the same effect as apply
ing the front brakes only Under such
conditions the rear wheels tend to 20
ahead and If the front ones impede this
progress the rear Of the car Is certain
TO tend TO come forward to the right
or left IN the form Of a skid.
Whereas In the conventionally driven
car of the day the operator 10 obliged
to guard against the power skid, the
front-drive car which he may be own
ing tomorrow. viii call for his guard
ing against what might be termed the
compression" skid. Putting 1t In sim
pier terms, one might say that whereas
he now must be careful in pressing
down on the accelerator tomorrow he
must learn to lift his foot on IL more
gingerly.
The front-dFiye type of car will change
the actual hraking situation slightly,
and perhaps unfavorably, especially at
high speed over wet or slippery roads
The present automobile Is virtually free
of a braking skid If its four-wheel
brakes are In equal adjustment. While
there is more weight on the rear. the
momentum Of the car in stopping tends
lie traction on all four wheels. What
happens with the front-drive car, un-
less this Ia ironed out by changes in
ceSign, Is that the transfer Of the gears,
shafts and differential TO the front tends
TO make it front" heavy.
In this case 1t is easy to understand
how sudden stop from high speed over
slippery road might reduce traction
on the rear wheels to the point where
the car would start to skid. OF course
the driver can pull the car out Of this
instantly by stepping on the gas.
But will he think Of doing this? And
suppose the path ahead Is obstructed
so that he must stop.
Indianapolis Speedway stars have
made good use Of front-driye cars be-
cause they are trained TO wind up" the
engine when any other driver would be
reaching for the brakes. The race
driver speeds up when he wants TO take
turn safely, and he can do this even
more effectively with front-driye. That
is one reason why he Is generally en-
thusiastic for this type Of car.
The public has had TO learn many
new trick to keep pace with the auto
mobile, and 1t Is generally believed that
it will be equal to any demands i'm
posed by the change-over to q type Of
drive that has been slow TO make head
way in motordom. 1t Is believed, how
ever, that while awaiting the Develop
ment drivers could profit by thinking in
terms Of how 1t feels TO be at the wheel
OF car that operates on such Tadi-
cally different principle.
More care will be needed in handling
these cars because of the fact that 30
much Of the vital mechanism is con-
centrated at the front end, where coll
ltcfnn< hi
the car ahead may be costly process,
rather than a matter of Offering an
apology, and the net result of this may
be to minimize this type OF needless
collision Money talks.
Driving always has played an impor-
tant role in determining the amount OF
seryicing a car needs. and it is appar-
ent TO those who are studying the 'front.'
drive situation that the success of this
type car from a service standpoint will
rest largely with the way IL Is handled
by the owner.
Difficulties on SpeedwayS.
On the speedway one of the Difficult
ties with this type drive has been found
to be a tendency toward abnormal strain
on the king pin. knowing the engineer
ing problem involved may be helpful TO
the owner who appreciates the value OF
careful fabrication and avoidance Of all
unnecessary strain.
Because front-driye cars can go
around corners at remarkably fast
rate in safety. the driver who goes on
this new basis viii do well TO give a
thought to his tires Already misuse OF
the power OF the cars of the year Is re-
Sulting in abnormal wear of the treads
of rear tires, and it is easy TO see that
increasing the rate OF sccele:ation while
the front tires are actually In process Of
swiveling for turn will not cut the
rubber bill
II front-driye is accepted by the In
dustry as the proper mode Of propul-
sion, it probably viii not be until motor
lists generally are "front-drive minded"
copyright. 1929, by the Russell Seryice1