A NEW HEAVY-DUTY PIERCE-ARROW CHASSIS.
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An American 5-tonner which May Shortly. be Placed on the British Market.
THE Pierce-Arrbvr Motor Car Co., of Buffalo, are directly represented in this country, for Mr. George Bright acts as a distributor of their products from West Heath Yard, Mill Lane, Hampstead, London, N.W. It is quite passible that within a few months he will be placing on the British market a
new 5-ton model known as the R.D., which the parent company have recently introduced in America. This chassis supersedes the W.D. type 5-tonner, and will also perform work for which the R.E. 6-ton chassis has in the past been used.
So far as general construction and lay-out are concerned, the new 5-tonner closely resembles its prototype, but it has been modified in certain respects in order that it can be satisfactorily and efficiently employed on particularly arduous work. For example, the channel frame members are of deeper section than those used on the earlier 5-ton
model, their depth on the new chassis being 8 ins.
The engine is of the same type, that is to say, it is a four-cylinder unit with a bore and stroke of 41 ins. and 6/ ins. respectively, and at its governed speed of 1,200 r.p.m. it develops a b.h.p. of 63. A feature of the engine is the use of dual valves for the cylinders, and it is claimed that by this form of construction power is increased by 25 per cent, and fuel consumption lowered to a like degree. Lubrication is on the automatic pressure-feed system, and a centrifugal pump driven off the camshaft is used to circulate the cooling water ; thermostatic control is provided.
The drive is taken through a multiple dry-disc-type clutch aud a four-speedand-reverse gearbox to a worm-driven rear axle of the full floating type, the standard ratio of the gearing of which is 7.8 to 1, although it can be supplied with a special ratio of 10 to 1. The propeller shaft is tubular, and is fitted with enclosed universal joints, pressedmetal casings being used for protection.
As the vehicle is intended for heavy work, not so much from the point of view of transporting big loads as from that of working under very difficult conditions, special attention has been given to the question of suspension, and both at the front and the rear the springs are of good length and depth. Those at the front are 3 ins, wide by 41 ins. long, and at the rear 34 ins, wide by 56 ins. long.
The hand brake takes effect on the rear wheels, the drums being 221 ins, in diameter, whilst the foot brake is located on the propeller shaft to the rear of the gearbox.
So soon as an example of the new model arrives in this country we hope to have an opportunity of amplifying our description, and in the meantime would content ourselves by referring to a few of its outstanding dimensions.
The wheelbase ef the standard chassis is 13 ft. 6 ins., although the model is available with wheelbases of 15 ft. and 16 ft. 6 ins. resPectively. The track on all models is 5 ft. 811 ins, at the front and 5 ft. 101 ins, at the rear. The turning radius of the standard 5-tonner is 28 ft., the intermediate and longwheelbase models each turning in a radius of 3 ft. more than its immediate predecessor. The ground clearance at the front is 101 ins., and at the rear Wins. 'The standard tyre equipment includes solids of 36 ins. by 6 ins, dimensions for the front wheels, and twins of 36 ins. by 7 ins, dimensions for the rear wheels.