For DRIVERS, MECHANICS & FOREMEN.
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A PRIZE OF TEN SHILLINGS is ;warded each week to the sender of the best letter which we publish on this rage ; all others are paid for at the rate of a penny a. line, with an allowance for photographs. All 71014.4 are edited before being inaidisheii. Mention your employer's name, in confidence, as evidence of good faith. Address, D., M. and F. "The Commercial Motor," 7-1,5, Roselyn' Avenue, London, E.C. 1.
Lamps Alight.
On Saturday, February 15th, light your lamps at 5.42 in London, 5.58 in Edinburgh, 5.30m Newcastle, 5.4-3 in Liverpool, 5.44 in Birmingham, 5.42 in Bristol, and 6.0 in Dublin.
Yet Another Live Axle Repair.
The sender of the following communication has been awarded the Wt. prize this week. [1043] " H.R." (Stoekton) writes:—" Recently, while out with a one-ton British chassis, I mYself experienced a live axle failure, and as I was about two miles from tbe nearest garage it was necessary to bring the vehicle quickly to such a state that it could be towed home. "The trouble was breakage of the near side live. axle shaft. Now the axle itself was not of the floating type, so that this breakage naturally resulted in the wheel being free to separate from the axle itself. The shaft broke off about j in. on the inner side of the ball bearing, which was positioned inside the brake drum. The result was that the wheel and brake drum came away, carrying the ball bearing with it, letting the axle down on the road. I found it impos-'sible to get hold of a trolley to put underthe axle so that it could be towed home, and as I did not fancy the idea of pulling the chassis along backwards I had to think of some other expedient. The wheel happened to be a detachable one, so as a preliminary I removed it from the hub, and this left me with the brake drum and a broken piece of Wined shaft. I took this along with me to the garage a couple of miles away, and in the course of a. look round there discovered an old live axle shaft of the right length .to replace mine, ,but having similar splines at one end to those which were out in my own shaft. I sawed from this piece of shafting such a length that, when fixed in position in the wheel, about 18 ins, protruded on the chassis side of the hub. Lwent back to the -ear, taking with me in addition to this piec? of:shaft a suitable jack with which, after releasing ;the bolts holding the spring to the axle, I lifted the'ehassis and springs right away dear of the axle. I then removed that tubular portion of the axle which was boltecIrto the centre of the casing, and cut off the broken;piece of shafting which is still, it should be remembered.,. engaged with its proper gearwheel on the differential. I sawed this shaft off, leaving but an inch or two protruding, erected the axle in place, pushed, the brake drum, wheel hub and the new piece of. shafting into position so that a good length of it projected. into the axle tube. Thus equipped, i was able with safety to tow the wagon home. The total length of time occupied in this job was two hours."
Protecting the Driver from the Weather.
{19447 " A.W." (Dewsbury) writes : —" In a remits editorial footnote in the D., M. and E.' page you asked for contributions from drivers as to suggestions for protecting him from the elements. Now, of the two principal classes of drivers, I think the steam wagon man is the more to be pitied. You see petrol wagons driving anout, must of them with high side doors ; some have windscreens, and in ea-ery case almost, a good substantial cab, almost completely covered in on three sides is, practically speaking, invariable. . The steam man, on the other hand, does not seem to receive any consideration in this respect at all. His cab, has no side doors. In many cases, he has to sit right at the side of the cab with no protection whatever except-from directly above. Sometimes even the back of the cab is cut away, thus leaving him open to rain beating in from the rear, as well as on side and front. Now, no doubt there is an objection to winilicreens on steamers, as they would generally be obscured by condensation from the steam, but I think a good deal might be done in the way of side curtains and petting up a respectable cab.
-"Imyself have made a„very fair makeshift set of side curtains by putting a; eoupIetof curtain rods in, side the cab, one at each side, just below the roof, the rod being merely in. round iron bolted to the front and back, fitting,the rod with curtain rings and fastening good waterproof curtains to theist. At the back end the curtain should be nailed to the cab pillar with large-headed nails. It is then fast altogether at the back, and can slide to any position at the top the front 'bottom corner should be fitted with a ;trap, which in most cases will`rconveniently loop round the spring bracket. "The back of this particular wagon to whirls I fitted thesecurtains was .open as indiCated in the sketch LWhich weOrave had re-drawn.—En.]. This I had boarded up and fitted with a sliding door so that I could look round for the overtaking traffic, as I could not, of course, put my head out at the side with the curtain pulled forward."
[ILonclon at least, and we think the rule should apply generally, it is necessary for the driver to be able to put his hand out at the side tosignal toovertaking traffic. ".W." must boar this in mind with respfet to his own equipment, although an indicator is easily fitted up.—En.]