OCR Text |
Show WEAR CAUSED BY SEVERE BRAKING Tests Show Tires, Wheels, Spokes, Gears and Joint3 Are Affected. Tires, wheels, spokes, differential gears and universal joints; these are the parts of nn automobile which suffer suf-fer most from sudden and severe brake applications, according to tests just completed. These tests revealed why It is possible pos-sible for a car to skid on a perfectly dry pavement. It was found that locked wheels slide along asphalt on a film of soft rubber, melted from the tread of the tire by frictioual heat. In such cases, It was found, the car will travel farther before stopping than when the brakes are so adjusted and applied by the operator that they cannot lock the wheels. Inspect Brakes Often. In the interest of greater safety, car owners should see to it that their brakes are more frequently Inspected ; certainly no less than once a month, or, better, every 500 miles. A simple road test, moreover, can be made by determining within what distance a car can be stopped at various speeds. I When this has been determined, with any particular car, a liberal margin of safety should be added for actual conditions con-ditions of service. It should be remembered that the ability to stop a car Is greatly influenced in-fluenced by the condition of the road surface. When roads are very wet, as in heavy rainstorms, there Is less tendency for a car to skid than when the roads are partially dried or in what is known as a "greasy state." should a car start to skid when applying ap-plying the brakes, it is usually due to the wheels locking. Stop Skidding. A dangerous skidding can usually be quickly stopped if a driver has presence of mind to release the brakes and apply them a second time with less force. This gives the wheels a chance to again grip the road. If the road is very slippery, as on an icy road with light snow on the surface, best results are obtained by slowing the car carefully with the engine and helping with the brake. Lightly loaded cars, as with the driver only, are more difficult to stop than loaded ones. With these points in mind a driver can quickly learn the "tricks," but, above all, do not have too much confidence con-fidence In your ability, as "it is better to be safe than sorry." |