HINTS ON MAINTENANCE.
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How to Get the Best Out of a Vehicle, to Secure Reliability and to Avoid Trouble.
613.—A Stay for Frame Side Members.
The strengthening of side members of frames, particularly those used on heavy steam wagons, by the fitting of stays which can be brought into tension iv becoming increasingly popular, as it obviates risk
of breakage at just those points where the greatest stresses usually occur.
It often happens, however, that these stays are not as effective as they might be. For about 12 months the stays may be kept quite rigid, but, owing
to continual vibration due to road shocks and the excessive stresses set up in the stays due to heavy loads, they become stretched, with the result that the vertical struts are often not in proper contact. This state of affairs soon leads to trouble, for the stays chatter against the struts when the wagon is running and, sooner or later, if big loads be carried, the side members either break or bend and, in some cases, the hammering causes the struts to give way.
Some drivers and mechanics endeavour to overcome this difficulty by fitting sheet-metal packing
between the struts and -the stays This may effect a temporary repair, but the packing soon works loose.
A most satisfactory way of dealing with the trouble is to fit adjustable struts, which can easily be made from old rear-axle radius rods. Each strut is in two pieces, one part. being screwed with a right-hand thread and the other with a thread of the opposite sense, the two being joined by a suitably screwed sleeve nut.
If the old radius rod which is employed he tubular, the base (A) and the guide (B) of each existing strut can be cut off and shaped to suit the tubes ; if the rod be solid, it will be necessary to weld on the base and guide. Now, when the stays became extended, the struts can be tightened up quite easily by rotating the sleeve nuts. The result will quickly repay the small cost of the alteration.
614.—The Care of Hardy Couplings.
The use of flexible couplings of the Hardy type is rapidly increasing on commercial vehicles, particularly on the light and medium sizes, and it is as well to be Lble to detect any trouble which may occur in e4B these couplings before it is allowed to go too far, especially as, if a coupling does break, this generally happens when the vehicle is fully loaded, so causing a long delay, A weak coupling will, however, always give ample warning beforehand, and it should receive attention so soon as possible.
Presuming that the cardan shaft has a Hardy coupling at one end or both, with considerable running and strain the surfaces of the coupling begin to spread, causing play in the bolts retainin them. This, in turn, will cause play in the shaft, which also runs out, of line and, in this condition, will cause a lot of vibration on the dashboard when the vehicle is travelling at high speed, even on a good road.
It is now, particularly, that attention should be given. The vehicle will probably run for some time after the vibration commences, but it is as well to change the damaged parts as soon as possible. It is almost needless to say ti-atthe couplings should be examined at frequent intervals, in order that the nuts may be kept tight. Little troubles should be sought for and corrected before they become worse.
It must not be thought t' 'i:. these flexible couplings give much trouble ; as a matter of fact, they actually relieve the driver of a great deal, as they require no lubrication, are quite silent and, if well treated, have a very long life.
615.—A Suggested Water Gauge for the Foden.
It sometimes happens on the Foden steam wagon that, when it is employed on very rough roads, the gauge glass, which registers the level of water in the tanks, breaks.
In order to obviate this trouble, an ordinary traction engine gauge glass, about 11 ins. long, can be fastened into the bottom connection only, and the top connection plugged with a piece of cloth. By placing a small cork in the upper end of the glass, to ascertain the level of the water in the tank it is only necessary to remove this cork, as the tank is not usually tested until the water has descended to below the centre of the tank and, consequently, below the topof the short gauge glass.