The Chassis Designer's Link With Tyre Wear
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"L.V.B." Argues the Case Against Blaming the Designer for Undue Tyre Wear, Which, He Opines, is LargelyCaused by Mtsuse on the Part of Operators
and Drivers
I ET me say at he Outset that I much Lrappreaiate the friendly criticism contained in the letter. from Mr. Fred W. Baker, published in your issue dated January 29, but I cannot entirely agree with him. If I have interpreted his letter correctly he makes these three main points: (1) Saving of tyre rubber depends largely on preventive maintenance. (2) It is up to engineers and designers to "save the situation," presumably by the eradication of those influences which cause undue wear. (3) I have dealt with effects of tyre wear but have not discu,ssed the " creative causes."
To me it appears that the first and second points are conflicting. If it be agreed that most tyre waste. could be• obviated by preventive maintenance, which is the gospel I preached throughout my recent series of articles on " How Tyre Mileage is Wasted " [The last of 20 consecutive articles appeared in our, issue dated February 19.—En.), how can the engineers and designers cure the trouble?
I ' do not deny that many of the stresses to which a tyre is subject could be alleviated by alterations in chassis design. If, for instance, braking efficiencg, acceleration, and maximum speeds, be 'reduced, the tyre's work wOuld be much easier and the rate of wear would be slower. But is this the right way to approach the problem? Are we to build the vehicle down to
the tyre, or Ave to build the tyre up to the vehicle?
The tyre is the ultimate sufferer in ..alinost every instance Of improvement in braking efficiency or engine performance. Vehicle manufacturers, because they do not make the tyres with which their vehicles are equipped, are in the fortunate position of not
" having to maintain a balance between chassis performance and tyre performance. They do their best: to make the vehicles as efficient as pOisible withbut regard to the stresses they. are imposing on the tyresbecause'the tyres are not their .responsibility.
A Mistaken :Belief
I think that Mr. Baker is very much at fault in his view that most of the tyre waste which is taking place can be cured by engineers and designers. The present-day vehicle is designed to give „quite a respectable tyre mileage provided—and this is the great point —that the tyres be properly used..
The misuse to which tyres are subjected by operators and drivers causes an infinitely greater loss of mileage than that caused by any slight _faults in chassis or . tyre design. Thus the cure (or prevention) is in the hands of the operator—not, as Mr. Biker seems to think, the designer. This is my urishakable opinion, based on long experience, and one which can be proved a thousand times over. • '
I am in agreement, then, with his first point, but not with his second, and the series of articles which I recently completed was intended to help operators to evolve a system of preventive maintenance based on a thorough understanding of the 4yre's needs.
Mr. Baker thinks that I have not touched on "creative causes " but have dealt mainly with " effects." Here, again, I cannot agree. My object, throughout the series, was to teach the cause, show the effect, point oat, the cure. • I quite agree' with his quotation from an America a journal that "conditions which contribute to excessive wear should be corrected before the wear is apparent on the part itself "—in other words the " cause " should be eliminated before the " effect" takes place.
What be overlhoks, however, is that most operators simply will not approach the subject from this angle. Until they have experienced a few concrete losses (effect) they will not go to the trouble of obviating the cause, -or applying the cure. Most of them have experienced tyrelosses in some form. or other, and have generally blamed. the tyre.
The object of. my recent series of articles ,was to show, by descriptive matter and illustrations, that most of -these so-called " faulty ." tyres were actually "misused" tyres. Thus the losses of the past, when explained, form. the lessons on which our future preventive maintenance is based. That brings us, by a' rather roundabout but logical route,. to Mi. Baker's idea of how tyre waste should be avoided.