Evening star., 1935-02-10
M|LADY MOTOR|ST
GETSEXPERTS' AID.
Helpful Hints Given Her on
How to Drive and
Know Car.
BY FREDERICK c. RUSSELL.

A reader tells me that when the
front universal joint of her friends
car broke off and dropped to the road
the car came to an abrupt stop that
nearly sent every one through the
windshield. This happened when the
car was travelling very slowly on a
curve. Such stories make one stop
and think Engineers assure us, how
ever, that fractures Of essential parts
are not likely to happen except in cases
of neglect. To prevent dangerous trou-
BILE with the universals just remember
to have them fabricated regularly and
correctly.
Where manufacturers fashion spe-
cial tools for the servicing of partic-
ular parts of their cars it is important
not to let any self-styled mechanic try
to make adjustments with whatever
tools he happens to have handy. A
friend of mine has just paid for some
new parts because the originals were
so badly damaged by makeshift tools
that the special tool provided by the
manufacturers would no longer fit.
MY hat is off to the woman who
starts her car in second gear when
the streets are slippery. 1t isn't a
matter of trying to save effort but of
recognizing that, due to the greatly in
creased power of modern engines, low
gear delivers too much energy to the
rear wheels when traction is at low
ebb. There is much less difficulty keep
ing the car to a straight course for
getaway when the rear wheels do not
spin.
Something highly interesting in the
way of full power control is the new
arrangement whereby all foot con-
trolls are dispensed with. Just be-
meath the steering wheel is another
wheel which can be made to perform
all the functions normally done with
the drivers feet. Depressing the
wheel opens the throttle and causes
the clutch to engage. Pulling up on
the wheel brings the brakes into
action. The amount and the speed
of application is simply controlled by
the speed and the amount of travel
of this special wheel. Primarily in
tended for cripples. the new system
may some day be the solution to the
problem of keeping milady'S footwear
from being pedal damaged.
Does the hot-water heater of your
car make an annoying gurgling
noise? # so, there is too much air
in the heater core. This can be re-
leased on most heaters by opening
small valve at the top of the core.
Because most of the car makers
have moved the engine forward over
the front axle, milady will hear lot
about balance and weight distribution
as these factors affect riding quail
tiles Certain facts should be kept in
mind in order to have a clear picture
of what this development means.
Because front wheels strike road
inequalities first, it was common
practice for years to design front
springs to Withstand greater shock.
This meant that once front spring
had compressed it would rebound
Will IllOlC 1Ol SC lAldAl WOUiA q ASeAA
spring. Thus the characteristic
bobbing up and down of the front
end-an annoyance which was not
completely cured with the installation
of two-way shock absorbers BY NOV
ing the motor forward, however, the
problem appears to have been solved.
Weight is now so well distributed
that front springs can be made OF
approximately the same rate" as the
rear. This means that springs are
softer all around without in any way
increasing the tendency to collapse
or bottom" when holes and humps
are met. And, of course, the sharp
rebound or upthrow has vanished.
Also because moving the motor for
ward has provided more body space,
rear seat passengers now sit ahead OF
the rear axle in many new cars. This
places passengers amidship, where, as
all persons who have sat on the
auxiliary seats of taxi know, one
receives fewer road reactions.
Milady will be interested in the
new mirrors, which are fashioned
with the idea of being attached to
the sun visors. They not only provide
much more convenient type OF
looking glass, but also serve as an
additional means of watching traff1c
behind.