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Show PAY ATTENTION i TO GAR BRAKES Failure to Hold Is Due Mostly Most-ly to Neglect of Owner, Says Hayes. Motorists who do not snjoy the latest Improvements in frakes are missing a good opportunity and overlooking over-looking safety by not making a greater great-er effort to get the most from their present brakes Is the opinion of Charles M. Hayes, president of the Chicago Motor club. During this period of transition In brakes, he says, there is an unnecessary unneces-sary tendency toward a double standard stand-ard of stopping, which can be prevented pre-vented by getting more out of the brakes on older cars and refraining from using the newer brakes excessively. exces-sively. "In considering the details of so-called so-called "brake failure" as a cause of accidents," Hayes explains, "the American Automobile association, found most brake systems were not giving more than 75 per cent of their full efficiency by reason of owner neglect. neg-lect. Both Kinds Neglected. "This applied to four-wheel brakes as well as the two-wheel variety. One of the chief reasons for this low efficiency effi-ciency of so important a unit of the car Is the failure of the average driver to take advantage of what is known as the wrapping action of the brake bands. "When bands are of uniform clearance clear-ance all the way round every square inch of lining comes into contact with the brake drum simultaneously. This causes the band to follow the drum, or to wrap around it. Brake effectiveness effec-tiveness Is greatly increased, and the car stops with far less effort on the part of the driver. "Most car owners consider clearance uniformity, as simply a detail which provides for even wear of the linings. Rather than take the trouble to adjust the bands carefully they allow excessive ex-cessive clearance all around, which means that in wet weather the brakes may get water-clogged. Equality Is Important. 'Equality of adjustment is an even more important feature. Two brakes, evenly adjusted, are safer in the long run than just one brake that makes the car stand on end. Experience demonstrates brakes are used during wet weather, and it follows if the brakes are not of equal adjustment under such conditions there is no advantage ad-vantage in having one good brake. The 100 per cent brake may reduce the resultant braking efficiency to nil, and cause a skid. "Comparatively few car owners appreciate ap-preciate the effect of the weather and the elements on the brakes. In damp weather linings will be much more effective than in dry weather, yet few owners will remember to wash the brakes when there Is very little natural dampness. "If oil tends to work out on the right brake hand of the rear wheel during hot weather the simplest remedy rem-edy Is to drive up on the crown of the road Instead of allowing the axle to tip to the right so constantly. |