Evening star., 1940-03-17
NEWS OF THE MOTORING WORLD
Motorists Are Cautioned Not Neglect Front Wheel Bearings
AS vitality Important Factors of Safe Car Operation
By Frederick C.. Russell.


By Frederick C. Russell.
The fender and body repairer says
ne has all the evidence needed to
show that usually two rides make a
wrong.
Just because he's spent buck to
have the car creased is no reason
for any motorist to sit back and take
1t easy for another thousand miles.
He may be riding in a fools para
disc. The dollar greasing doesn't in
clude attention to the front wheel
bearings, and how can there be any
real peace of mind without knowing
whether such important units are in
good condition and properly lubri-
Gated?
Service men cannot include the
wheel bearing job at the present low
rates for greasing. They offer so
much for what they get, it wouldn't
be logical to make big noise about
what they don't include. 1t would
be like statement on a restaurant
menu calling attention to the fact
that the price of the meal doesn't
include dry cleaning your overcoat
while you eat. No wheel bearing
Job should be hurried. 1t is work
only for seasoned mechanics who
know how to handle bearings and
what to look for in the inspection
s. process. Bearings need special lu-
bricant of high quality and applied
IN just the right quantity. Excessive
lubricant might work into the front
wheel brake drums with serious con-
sequences. All the old lubricant
must be carefully removed, and un-
less the wheels are tightened skill
fully, there is bound to be trouble,
including possibility of shimmy.
Let's Get 1t Straight.
In the old days when a generator
was equipped with third brush to
prevent excessive output, the busi-
ness of regulation was far less of a
mystery to motorists than it is to-
day. Now we have rather elaborate
controls, involving a current as well
as a voltage regulator, and owners
are confused. But here is way to
understand the general principles
involved:
The voltage regulator prevents
voltage from exceeding a predeter-
mined value, thus prolonging the
life of such parts as the lamp bulbs,
radio and ignition points. The cur
rent regulator controls maximum
ampere output of the generator,
thereby preventing damage to the
generator through overlooking,
Effect of all this regulation is to
get fiat curve of generator output,
when charting the voltage and am
perage from 20 miles per hour up
the speed range. Up until recently
however, the curve had marked
tendency to drop off in the higher
speed range.
Mechanic Joe Speaking.
''It sounds like a sales argument
In favor of more business for those
of us who make living by keeping
the public in efficient transporta-
ton, but I can't resist the tempta-
ton to warn against adding to the
cost of motoring unnecessarily by
haphazard efforts to keep the car up
to par Every day I replace parts
which have been butchered by own
ers who felt they did not need the
assistance of new equipment and
skilled workmanship. Just the re-
placement of spark plugs would be
enough to convince me that there's
no economy in being pennywise.
IsT1J,,rc ~, ta do
post of oxide pimples due to the
use Of loaded gas. If you try to
scrape these of with knife, you'll
probably end by breaking the porce-
lain and making the plug useless.
These deposits are easily and COM
pletely removed by spark plug clean
ing machines. In addition, the ma
chimes test the plugs and forestall
possibility of putting back a plug
that looks good but which is due to
be a trouble-maker."
Sealed Beams.
These more powerful sealed-beam
headlights throw beam that makes
any driver a lot surer of his path
ahead, but therein lies danger. He
is more likely to travel faster than
he should at night. With better il
Elimination, combined with will
ingness to continue observing the
rule about slowing down at SUM-
down, there should be a new mar
gin of safety. Why scrap it in favor
Of gaining few minutes?
Snnu Donoarc
A light layer of snow on the
ground may not seem to be much
of a hazard but usually it is more
slippery than the thicker sprinkling
which follows. Thus the unWary are
apt to be trapped. Deep snow is
hard to pull out of and is thus easier
in which to stop. Just light layer
offers no such resistance and is
treacherous.
There is more than a winter hint
In this. Real lesson is the risk in not
being logical in thinking about high
way hazards. Snow is viewed as a
special driving risk, but it is illogical
and thus hazardous to assume that
little snow is less of risk than a
lot OF it.
When you go walking in slippery
weather-if walking isn't one of
your lost arts-you will have a good
opportunity to see what happens to
the cars rear wheels when the 60
ing isn't secure. Try to hurry
WHERE TO DINE.
Phone Alex. 1878 Al