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Show 20-Pounc! Secret Weapon ! Is 1958 Auto Feature FEATURED as optional equipment on a majority of America's 1058 motor cars is a device automobile manufacturers are calling their "Twenty-Pound Secret Weapon." By no means a "glamor baby," it can't be seen when one- looks at the sleek profile of any of the 1958 models; its operation requires no effo; on the part of the driver; it makes no noise. In fact, as : you drive one of the new cars you won't even know it's there until you need it. - i The new device is what is known as a "locking differential." ; Completely automatic, its function is to transfer the power to the rear wheel having the better traction when adverse driving j . conditions such as those typified by snow, ice, andor mud are I encountered. This is the direct di-rect opposite of what has been happening with automobiles ever since the drive-shaft replaced re-placed the old chain drive and the differential KSs- - , Ms s St j . i In addition to promoting' convenience, conven-ience, the new locking differential, which was developed by Dana Cor- ; poration, of Toledo, Ohio, a pioneer in the automotive field, reduces the j hazards of high speed driving under j certain circumstances. ' On turns it permits the outer wheel to rotate faster than the inner wheel, but applies the major driving . force to the inside rear wheel, greatly increasing car stability and j improving cornering. With old-style ' differentials increased power to the : inner wheel is absent on turns and the car frequently becomes unstable, sometimes goes completely out of control. Prevents Swerve Even the worst bumps do not adversely ad-versely affect wheel action with the new locking differential. The wheel jolted into the air does not spin and gain momentum, hence there is no sudden wheel stoppage to cause a ! dangerous swerve when the wheel 1 returns to the pavement. ! Car stability is also assured on patches of snow, ice, loose gravel, oil slick, etc. Automatic transference of power to the driving wheel with tjie greater traction again virtually eliminates the chance for dangerous skids and swerves. Different car manufacturers have adopted different names for the unit on their cars. But call it what you will, the locking differential represents repre-sents probably the greatest advance in motoring convenience and safety since the automatic transmission was introduced. Some say it is the answer to the most needed automobile automo-bile improvement since the electric self-starter. was adopted to transfer engine Secret Weapon, power to the ' rear wheels. Until now all the power went to the wheel with the least traction. Any motorist who has ever been immobilized on snow or ice at a curb, or who has ever had the unfortunate experience of getting a rear wheel bogged down in sticky mud or heavy sand (and who hasn't?) will immediately imme-diately recognize the increased driver convenience the new locking differential has brought to motoring. When ice or snow is encountered at a curb, -with the old-style differential differ-ential the curb - wheel frequently spins and the vehicle is stuck, unable un-able to be moved either forward or backward. Positive Action Under the same conditions, the locking differential applies many times the driving force of the. curb wheel to the wheel on the street and the car proceeds normally, either forward or backward as desired. The same action takes place when one of the wheels is "stuck in the mud," or bogged down in sand. It keeps the maximum amount of power directed to the wheel with the best traction. |