Renault' s Two New Models.
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For a considerable time past the Renault factory has been engaged in the construction and testing of two new trucks to carry loads of three tons and five tons, each to be fitted with metal tires. When one takes into account the importance of the problem, it is not surprising that a firm with such a reputation as is enjoyed by Renault should have spent two years in the testing of these models before offering them to the public. The first of these two trucks is at the present time on the road : it will take part in the French army trials to begin on Tuesday, the 18th inst. This is the first occasion on which Renault has taken part in a commercial-vehicle competition. In this competition the fitting of metal-shod wheels is not compulsory but they are preferred by the authorities.
The new three-ton truck is made either with the motor under the driver's seat, as shown in the illustration, or under the well-known type of Renault bonnet. The fiveton model is only made with the motor under a bonnet. The outstanding feature of the new trucks is the carrying of the engine on a sub-frame which is arranged parallel with the main-frame side members and attached to them through four coil springs. The motor is thus isolated from the chassis and is spared the vibrations and shocks inevitable with the use of rigid tires. The motor itself is built on standard Renault lines and has four cylinders, cast in two pairs, of 90 ram. and 140 mm. bore and stroke respectively. The water circulation is by the thermosyphon system, and the ignition by high-tension magneto. The governor, by which the speed of the engine is limited to 1,100 r.p.m., is a feature which is only found on the trucks, and the carburetter is a modified tyne that is designed to run on petrol, alcohol or benzol ; for all but petrol it is specially warmed from the exhaust. The radiator is set across the frame between the back of the driver's seat and the front of the body, and in such a position that it is completely protected from damage.
Owing to the spring mounting of the motor, the connections to the clutch, the foot brake, and the gear set are all outside the main frame members, a position to which objection might be taken on a touring car, but offering, in the case of a truck, the additional advantage of accessibility. The clutch is one of the standard cone type, and couples the engine to a four-speed gearbox through universal joints. The fuel tank is built into the dashboard, in front of the driver. The motor is controlled by means of an accelerator pedal, and in addition by a lever under the steering wheel. The ignition is fixed. A one-piece forged rear axle is employed, the design being one for which M. Louis Renault holds a patent, and is now adopted for all Renault vehicles, with the exception of the two-cylinder taxicabs. The centre of the axle forms a cradle within which is carried the differential housing ; the two arms of the forged axle are bored out to receive the driving shafts. The manner in which the drive is carried through to the road wheels can best be understood by reference to the accompanying diagram. AB is the driving shaft ; C one of the three differential pinions ; DI)' and 11Th are pinions by which the power is transmitted to the reduc ing gears EF and El G GI are the final drive gears.
After experiments with metal wheels, Renault has decided on the use of the wooden type as affording a greater amount of elasticity and being more " tender" to the mechanism. Their diameters are : rear, 1,060 mm., and back, 930 ram. The lowest portion of the chassis is 15 in. from the ground, and the wheelbase is 10 ft. 7 in., whilst the track is 5 ft. 2 in. The body shown in the illustration has been designed to conform to the army regulations ; it has an over-all length of 11 ft. 10 in. The hooks at both front and rear of the frame members are obligatory army fitments.