Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-05-29
RACING INDICATES
| CHANGE IN CHASSIS.
Speedway Qualifications
Show CONCENTRATIONS of
New Designs.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
INDIANAPOLIS, May 28-An ad-
vance view of what may prove to be
the next radical change in chassis con-
struction has been demonstrated on the
Speedway.
Two four wheel drive racers, each
with wheels independently sprung, have
passed qualification tests. They are
drives and rear-driven against 'front.'
drives and rear driven cars when the
twentieth annual 50O-mile race Is run
on Monday.
Originated by Miller.
Both examples of the new trend in
design originated in the shop of Harry
Miller. Los Angeles builder of rgcing
machines. One is the entry Of Miller
himself, and the other, known as the
Miller-F. w. D. special, comes from
Clintonville, Wis, where 1t was built by
the F. w. D. Auto Co. through arrange
ment with the Miller organization.
Up to the present, q four wheel drive
vehicle using gasoline for fuel rarely,
II ever, has been called upon to show
more than IS to 40 miles an hour, and
that chiefly with commercial hauling
units usually for heavy duty
Application Of the principle to racing
here this week have shown speed up to
ll3 miles an hour. and old timers Tx.
Barney Oldfeld. who have tried them
out over the rough brick surface of the
Speedway. predict a passenger car fu-
ture for the idea.
The Harry Miller job previously had
no speed test beyond a drive Of block
or two in California Its handlers
jokingly spoke Of this as q block test"
but the car surprised the watchers at
the track by qualifying soon after 1t
was unloaded here-the second time
the engine ever had been fired up
Driving Mobility Seen
The big thing expected Of four wheel
drive as now projected Is mobility in
driving AS each wheel Is independ-
emily sprung the wheels instead Of
jolting over bumps in the road glide
over them instead Each wheel has its
own linkage, which protects axles ana
frame from the battering blows that
inequalities in the road give q chassis
of the usual rigid construction.
AS built by Mr.. Miller the four-wheel
drives use eight-cylinder V-type en-
gines Of 800 horsepower. The cylinder
blocks oppose each other at an angle OF
IS degrees and overhead valve construc-
ton is utilized with four carburetors.
one for each pair of cylinders. Ignition
is by magnetic.
Bore and stroke Of the cylinders Is
81: by inches and total piston dis
placement 308 cubic inches. The horse
power developed is one and a fraction
to each cubic inch of combustion space.
The transmission is located behind
the engine, and two spur gears, one
mounted on the rear Of the transmits
sion and the other in the center OF
the propeller shalt. complete the drive
The independent springing OF the
wheels is accomplished by the use OF
open-drive shafts with two universals
each.
A locking device operated by lever
to the right of the transmission makes
it possible to use the power on all
four wheels or TO segregate it to front
or rear at will.
Shock absorbers of a new type con-
sist of a rubber block incased in a
metal housing and clamped around the
free end of the spring leaves by "U'
bolts
Four wheel drive at its present stage
Of usage is IN the same position as
modern front drive when it was revived
several years ago.
Front Drive Existent.
Contrary to a general impression,
front drive, which Mr.. Miller also pio-
neered, has not died out for passenger
car use. Harry Hartz has two Of them
here, both of which have qualified for
Mondays race, and there are several
other examples of it among the entries.
One Of them is the same car that car
ried Billy Arnold to the winning post in
1880 and which he will use on Monday.
Among the passenger car builders
there are two companies that have fol-
lowed up the front-drive plan. One of
them has car ready for national in
t, oduction, according to unoficial re-
ports. and a second is now completing
long period OF experiment with it that
may result in action later this year or
for 1888
ICopyrieht 1892. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance. Inc