OPINIONS and QUERIES .
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TYRE RETREADING IS A SKILLED JOB THE short article entitled " Retreading Within the Si:ope of All Operators," which appeared in your issue for November 5, interested me.
I am sure, of course, bearing in mind the reputation
` of the Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd., that the modified process of tyre retreading patented by it must be sound, but I feel that some road operators, in reading your article, may be somewhat misled concerning the problem of producing safisfactory retreads. If all tyres, or the majority, after the treads are worn smooth, were to be in perfect and similar condition, then the retreading of them would be a comparatively simple procedure. As we all know, however, such is not the case, and partichlady nowadays; cuts and other injuries have to be dealt. with and repaired it the proper manner. Some of these repairs can be cured by normal methods during the retreading process, but some have to be cured separately. In short, each tyre has to be dealt with entirely on its own merits, and for this reason, if for no other, experience, particularly, in the initial inspection of casings, is
of paramount importance.
The average opeTator, therefore, would have to employ experienced staff, which would, of course, be uneconomic if he were interested in the retreading of only his own tyres, and it would he found that however simple the actual retreading process may be, he would have to uie a considerable amount of specialized equipment. He would not be able to find anybody who could handrasp the treads of tyres prior to retreading, for example !
I think it is your duty, therefore, to point out for the benefit of those operators who have perused your article, that the proper retreading of tyres is a very specialized job, and is one that cannot be lightly undertaken by the inexperienced.
JOHN BARWELL,
SWayesey, for Barwells Tyre Renewing Co.
• CONFIDENCE IN THE LIGHT OILER'S FUTURE I HAVE read with much ' interest S.T.R.'s two 'articles entitled "Oil or Petrol for 30 m.p.h. Lorries," which were produced in the Ocober 22 and 29 issues of your paper. I would like to congratulate you on the timeliness of these articles; they will satisfactorily answer quite a number of the questions which are being raised by operators ,to-day under conditions now governing road transport.
The last paragraph of the second article refers to replacement-engine schemes, and in this respect I would much like the opportunity of emphasizing the Perkins "
Perpetuity" Scheme, introduced before the war to iron out the factor of depreciation, and which is available to-day on a more comprehensive .scale than ever before. The details of this scheme were discussed at length by S.T.R. in his article headed " Profit from the Light-type Oiler," dated September 30, 1938. . • In this earlier article S.T.R. proved, quite conclusively, in our opinion, that it was economic to run an oil-engined vehicle in the 30 m.p.h. class, as against a petrol-engined type, at a mileage as low as 12,000 per year. It is safe to assume, therefore, that these arguments still stand.
It is a truism that; from a commercial point of view, an introduction that offers economic advantages will always win in the fight for existence. The light highspeed oil engine in the 30 m.p.h. class has proved itself over a number of years, and fades the future with everincreasing Confidence.
In conclusion, I feel I ought to say that .S.T.R. 's articles on "Solving the Problems of the Carrier" are of excellent value to the transport operator. The simple language, and the very logical arguments and conclusions adopted, make the series something new in modern
journalism. A. M. RICHARDSON, director, • .Peterborough. F. Perkins, Ltd.
SOME MORE ILLS OF • WHEELS RECENTLY I read with interest your article on "The .1• Ills of Wheels" (published on September-10) and was somewhat surprised' that no mention was made of what I, as a motor engineer, have experienced, as must many others, with regard to why wheel studs apparently work loose.
For-some years I have had control of Many hundreds of wheels and tyres and I agree as to the need for regular inspection! as frequently as is possible. .
The point I have in mind, however, i.S. that when
taking delivory of a' new vehicle or freshly painted one, there is need for Much more attention' Tin the 'earl); stages, owingto the paint between the wheel surface and hub register or flange becoming disturbed and prtividing a small degree of clearance equivalent to loose stud nuts. I ,have known cases of wheels being secured • before a short run and upon their return I have been able to give them another nip up," after which I have experienced no trouble.
The broken-stud difficulty I lay at the door of the manufacturers for not, ensuring definite registers fOr the wheels on the hubs in order to take the weight. Manv. vehicles.with twin, rears have a register for the inner wheels, but the outer are entirely dependent on the . studs. The practice of using a left-hand thread for the near-side studs and a right-hand for the off side, sometimes makes me wonder. I have operated a vehicle for 10 years„ (a trailer, and this gets more kerb knocks, etc.) withdut the slightest trouble in that respect, and all tfie studs have right-hand threads.
Ilford. • 'READER FOR 2:3 YEARS
100-OCTANE FUEL AND POSTWAR PETROL VEHICLES . OUR petroleum chemists; after a considerable amount •
of research and experimental work, succeeded in producing what is known as high-octane spirit, i.e., a guaranteed anti-knock fuel, which is now used in all military aeroplanes and, one presumes, in the big civil-transport 'planes.
The particular value of this spirit is that it can be employed in an engine with a very high compression ratio, without knocking, but otherwise it has no particular attraction for car and light-lorry .use, except, of course, that it would be " silkier " othair the petrol we
have to-day. .
It does mean, .however, that if we design a car or lorry with an engine having a compression ratio of 10or 11-1, we shall obtain much more power, or, in other words, we can use a smaller engine to obtain the same , Power, which-would be advantageous in Many ways. This appears to raise a somewhat difficult question for the manufacturer of post-war cars and petrol lorries,
because if these vehicles be made with engines having a high-compression ratio, they could not run on prmentday petrol without very violent knocking, which would make it impossible. '
This, again, brings up the subject of the supply of high-octane spirit—will there be an ample supply, at least sufficient so that all fuel stations can have one pump set apart for this spirit to -supply these up-to-date vehicles?
Incidentally, it may be mentioned that by increasing the octane rating from about 65 to 100, with an engine of high compression ratio, The increase -in power may be 30 per cent. or more.
The millions of cars and thousands of light commer-` cial vehicles run normally in this country have nothing to worry about, because they can run on either highor low-octane spirit. It would be possible, of course, to raise to 10 or 11-1 the compression ratio on these vehicles, but it is more than probable that this would result in abnormal stresses and some damage, i.e„ it would not be a satisfactory operation.
The final solution seems to be some arrangement between the vehicle manufacturers and the petrol refineries as to the supplies of high-octane spirit that
can be guaranteed. NORTHERN ENQINEER. Leeds.
ARMY DRIVERS WASTING THEIR TIME' AS a regular reader of "The Commercial Motor" for some 15 years, and connected with the commercial side of the industry for eight years—for seven as a bus driver with London Transport—I was particularly interested in references to shortage of labour in the passenger transportindustry.
About nine morals ago I was called up for the Armed Forces, and some 500 other drivers from the Board have since been taken. I feel, however, that I and many others like me have not had the opportunity of doing anything to win the war. We merely march about towns, clean off dirty lorries, etc.
Months ago I passed a course as a driving instructor, but have not done any work of this nature. It has been mostly cleaning out billets or the occasional maintenance of a lorry.
Surely we could be better employed in driving buses and relieving the pressure on our fellow workers in passetter transport. Lounging about for week after week becomes monotonous and is bad for morale.
Home Forcei. DarvEa, R.A.S.C.
The ways of the Services are often mysterious, and we know that feeling of helplessness which sometimes comes to men who are in a unit which appears to be doing little. The only thing we can suggest is that this man and others like -him should apply to see the Commanding Officer concerned and ask for a transfer to work more suited to them. It does seem regrettable, however, that men skilled in driving should be apparently wasted for many months, and it might be as well for the War Office to carry out an investigation.—En.] WOULD FEDERATION PRINCIPLE IMPROVE EXPORTS?
BRITISH manufacturers do not seem, as yet, to have made up their mitids about how they propose, when the war ends, to go about selling to other countries what ,they make.
It is true that the Board of Trade set up, last year, a Central Committee of Export Groups, although others have suggested that it would be well if the Groups themselves were to begin to fade out of existence when peace arrives._ The Association of British Chambers of Cornmerce advocates a Council of Industry. The Institute of Export and the Federation of British Industries have probably plans of their own.
Although there is so much diversity in the approach to the problem, the need for an expanding export trade is, naturally, accepted by all. There is an almost equal unanimity that each industry must be left in controlOf its own affairs; that the flexibility of private enterprise (".a good ship," to quote Sir William Beveridge, " which has brought us thus far ") must be reconciled with the rigidities of the planner.
A step out of this confusion about the meansto be taken to attain an end universally desired is indicated by the action of the rubber industry, which has now grouped 24 distinct associations into one Federation of 289 firms with 320 factories. Their common bond is that all of them use the same raw material—for shoes, tyres, belting, gloves, sports goods, garments, and a variety of other products.
The example of this important cross-section of British industry might usefully be considered by other trade associations which will already have been impressed by the advantages of working together in war-time.
Let them federate. When they have done so they will hold the key to regulating the flow of trade into those channels which will yield maximum employment to the men as 'they come home_ STRATHSPEY. Rottingdean.
OPERATORS CAN MODIFY THEIR OWN VEHICLES BEING a goods-transport manager inySelf I was Much interested in Bernard Elston's 'article of October 15. The fleet I Control consisti chiefly of Dodge Major 6-ton, five speed, short 7 wheelbase, semiforward control tippers, some of which are of 1937 vintage. Since the outbreak of war we have been engaged on the-haulage of sand, ballast, etc., over sites which, in peace-time, we should have refused to enter.
All these vehicles (50) come into the 3-ton-unladenweight class; this in spite of modifications we have effected, viz., chassis 'replated (this by reason of theabnormal conditions existing, as already mentioned), the fitting of particularly robust bodies ofwood, steel-lined, and, in some instances, 36 by 8 tyres to rear wheels, a size we would standardize if possible.
With regard to weight distribution, we find that with a 9-ft. body, slightly deeper than is general, we get better than the 85 per cent.-15 per cent. and 95 per cent.5 per cent. mentioned. A mehicle so modified would handle a 74-ton load efficiently. So there you have a vehicle capable of carrying 74 tons and coming into the :3-ton-unladen-weight class, on 36 by 8 rear tyres and 34 by 7 front tyres, at less than £700.
Thanks to present-day-alloys, vehicle weight does not present the difficult problem it once did, for, together with skilful design, unladen weight and unsprung weight ' can be reduced to a safe minimum.
I entirely agree that vehicle-hours lost, which include both repairs and terminal delays, are the heaviest items, but I do think that a good transport manager will buy the vehicle most nearly reaching his ideal and, having regard to his own particular requirements, will unhesitatingly carry out any modifications he deems neces'sary, and do so immediately after the purchase of the vehicle, instead of waiting for a failure t6 occur.
I trust the foregoing has not even raised a whisper, much less a scream, and I extend to all the examination of my fleet, particularly to Bernard Elston for) having a plot of ground and raising pigs and poultry, I can at least satisfy his appetite, if not his critical mind.
St. Austell.G, 0. NEIL, Charlestown manager,
The Heavy Transport Co„ Ltd.