Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-15
MODERN CAR AIDED
BY USE OF RUBBER
Product Accounts for 8 Per
Cent of Cost of Today'S
Autos.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
DETROIT, February 14-Rubber, be
it known, now accounts for 8 per cent
Of the cost of the modern motor car
Likewise, it Is credited with being a
potent factor in the nearly noiseless
operation Of the newest models as they
have been improved for 1881.
Silence, long an objective of the en-
gineers, has not been fully achieved as
yet for all the cars, but for some it has.
In this respect, there are now extant
multi-cylinder models for which claims
Of absolute silence in operation are
made, but they come in the de luxe
class and cost great deal of money.
Silence as so far developed comes
with added power, acceleration and
speed, representing a peak of 80 years
in the making.
Used in 40 Points.
Exclusive of balloon tires, which in
reality began the progress toward quiet,
frictionless operation, there are now
said to be no less than 40 points in a
car chassis where use is found for rub
Der TO deadsn noise. Metal to metal
contact is thus reduced to a minimum,
with the result that the owner of a
1881 model virtually rides on rubber"
For that reason, it has been pointed
out, accessories like the grease gun"
may soon lose their jobs as chassis lu-
bricators, because they no. longer will
be needed.
Rubber, Is now employed in the
modern chassis, comes in two forms.
Block rubber is used for such contacts
as engine mounting, spring shackles
and hubs. Compounds of it serve to
cushion other parts Of the frame from
the body. The compounds are mixtures
Of pure rubber treated with preserva-
tives that cause it to retain its resili-
ence and cushioning effect indefinitely
Rubber pads, placed above and below
springs in the spots where they are
joined to the axles, likewise perform a
function which the engineers call Gin
sulation." In other words, rubber ap-
piled at these points prevents 'tele-
graphing" Of noises from the running
gear to the body w:scre, in cars that do
not have it, noise is developed by
drumming"
Block rubber as well is component
part Of the transmission drive, thus
checking noises that used to find their
way along the propeller shaft into the
body. where they were amplified to the
discomfort of the occupants.
Silence in a motor car, 1t has been
pointed out, prevents fatigue, and IA
tigue Is one cause of accidents.
Experimenting the use Of rubber in
the chassis has come development OF
drop center" wheel rims. With them
it has become possible for balloon tires
to carry a greater volume Of air in tires
Of the same dimensions as previously
and thereby build up riding comfort
still more.
The Ford Co. is credited with being
the first to use drop-center rims on
Fords and Lincolns Other cars in
which they are now used include Chev-
rolet, Chrysler, WHY'S, Oakland, Pom
tiac and Essex. The change from the
straight side, fat rim type was in prog
resS through 1929 and 1880 and is still
in progress. The newer rims are said
to possess the advantage of being
lighter than other types and costing
less to manufacture.
ALL Steel Bodies.
Another advance toward silence and
riding ease is credited TO the builders
Of all-steel bodies For this type, as
distinct from the composite body, which
has a natural flexibility because the
| frame includes wood, rigidity was
gained in the earlier forms, but at the
expense of a noise annoyance caused by
drumming" while cars were running
or when doors were slammed hard.
The usual all-steel body consists of
five main parts or stampings fused to-
gether by electric welding. creating a
virtually one-piece construction. The
joints In 1t, due to welding efficiency,
are in effect stronger than the metal
rattleS they have been known to pro-
duce have thereby been cut out.
Copyright, 1881, by North American News
paper Alltance.l