Newspaper Page Text
brakes
LAWLER MOTOR COMPANY
332 Washington Street
pJJBAT, OCTOBER 7, 1923.
STUDEBAKER COMMENTS
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On Four-Wheel
There !• little difference mechanically between two-
wheel brake and four-wheel brake mechanisms.
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Front-wheel brakes are merely added capacity, of
conventional design. All four brakes are operated by
the foot pedal.
The emergency brakes on rear wheels or transmis
sion, operated by the hand iecer, are retained in all'
four-wheel brake systems.
Controversy already exists between four-wheel
brake advocates as to the relative merit of external or
internal types of brake pressure on front wheels.
The duplication of parts, added weight, and increased
friction of four-wheel brakes are common knowledge.
If four-wheel brakes were necessary, safe, and simple
in operation, their existence would be justified, even
with these impedimenta. (
The factory makes proper ad justment of clearances ^
between brake linings and drums.
After the factory ships the car, it* responsibility
ceases for brake adjustments, and the responsibility
is shifted to the owner. j
Electric starters, battery ignitionjTand'vacuum'
tanks are acknowledged developments in the evolu
tion of the automobile. They are built complete,
encased in housings by the factory, are practically
automatic and require few adjustments. Four-wheel
brakes are in an entirely different categoryJ*j^ > f^>r
—Numerous dealers and factory branch^salesmen^
selling four-wheel brake cars, are already advising
buyers that the front brakes may be disconnected, if
they are not wanted. This would mean, of course,
that the extra weight and Impedimenta would be car
ried around uselessly.'
Other front-wheel brakes~are~adjusted for'such
weak pressure that they cannot lock the front wheels,
and the brakes are thus merely camouflage.
Four-wheel brakes wlljl cause more trouble and
accidents in a month than they will provent in a year.
In fact, the Rolls-Royce Company states that "they
show such decidedly dangerous disadvantages that
they are considered unsafe to put in the hands of the
general public, and are not nearly tha equal of the
powerful, efficient, lasting, and easily equalized brake
design now employed in our design."
’Four-wheel brakes have been a bone of contention'
in England since 1910, and yet today only 5 or 6 of tho
ISO odd English makes of cars use them at all. Several
manufacturers use them as optional equipment, or
furnish ihem on one of their models only.
Adherents of four-wheel brakes claim that they
(/) permit quicker stopping and (2) prevent skidding.
These art the only claim* made tor four-wheel brakes.
With front-wheel brakes fully applied, quicker stop
ping if possible. This is not denied. -
That quick stopping which locks the front wheels
is an advantage, is vigorously denied. Such stopping
Is positively dangerous, because steering control is
immediately lost.
The claim that four-wheel brakes prevent skidding
and sliding is denied. No matter what kind of brakes
are used, skidding will occur if wheels are locked be•
fore the momentum of the car is offset by the resist
ance of the road or pavement, whether dry or wet.
Skidding on wet pavements can be reduced to the
minimum, with either two- or four-wheel brakes, only
by slowing down speed and gentle brake pressure with
clutch engaged.
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Disadvantages of Four-Wheel Brakes
p Against tjie only advantage (?) of four-wheel brakes,
namely, quicker stopping, there are six serious dis
advantages which make them mechanically imprac
ticable, dangerous, uncomfortable, and expensive to
.owners, as followst - ,
i* 1. Danger of Accidents. With permission, we quote
from a recent circular of the Rolls-Royce Company to
their dealers, upon which we cannot improve:
"Basically, the fault with front-wheel brakes lies in the
danger of front-wheel skids, which are uncontrollable and
consequently vastly more dangerous than a rear-wheel skid.
I "It must be appreciated, first of all, that for their ability to
steer the ear the front wheel* depend on their rolling motion.
When front wheels cease to roll they lose all power to steer
the car, which slides straight ahead on a flat road, or into
the ditch if on a crowned or cambered road.(
1 "When the brakes are used in an emergency it is of primary
importance that the direction of the car should be under con- ’
trol; that is, that the car can be steered from the time that
the brakes are applied until it is brought to a complete stop.
) "WHen an obstacle suddenly present# itself (a# in night
driving) the driver’s instinct is to immediately apply the
brakes as hard as possible. •
1 "If, under these conditions, the front wheels are suddenly
locked, disaster may overtake the driver, through inability
to. control the car’.. direction, even though it may stop
before meeting the obstacle.
) "In traffic driving the ability to dodge—to control tha
v direction of the can—Is of almost equal importance with tha
• ability to stop. i
I "On a wet Tor sprinkled city street, granting that the
front-wheel brakes were perfectly equalized, the car would
slide straight ahead unable to take advantage of traffic
conditions, either right or left. i
"If the brakes v/ero not perfectly equalized, immediately
the pressure was applied, the front wheels would take on a
skid, which would be uncontrollable, in whichever direction
the equalization of the brakes was faulty.
"In traffic driving, under most favorablo conditions (per
fectly equalized brakes and dry pavement) a sudden applica
tion of the brakes checks the car so precipitately that cars
following have been known to crash into the car ahead,
causing a rear end wreck through not having stopping room
and time. i
"It is, of course, obvious that front-wheel brakes present
double the di/ficuityof keeping the brakes properly equalised.
"Aside from the above apparent defects in front or four-
wheel braking, there is tho stiffening effect on the steering
to take into consideration when the brakes are applied, and
the dreg on the steering unless the braking effects on both
whocls is absolutely equalized. This, of Itself, constitutes
a serious disadvantage reflected in the handling of the car.’’
2. Adjustments by Owner. Brakes must be properly
adjusted, lubricated, and kept free from dirt, gravel,
and foreign substances, to prevent unequal pressure .
of brakes and possible locking of front wheels. The
burden of this responsibility rests on the owner, not
on the factory. ,
3. Added Impedimenta and Lubrication. Four-,
wheel brakes double the number of parts in the brak
ing mechanism, add about one .hundred pounds of
Ainsprung weight to the front end of the car, and
create from twenty to thirty additional places (mostly
inaccessible) requiring lubrication which mutt be
applied by hand.
4. Decreased Car Efficiency. The added weight,
extra parts, end increased friction resulting from four-
wheel brakes decrease to some degree me enicicncy
the car. Poorer acceleration, reduced hill-climbing
ability, and increased gasoline consumption result.
5. Harder Steering and Control. The increase in
unsprung weight, added parts, and friction neces
sarily increase the strength required to steer the car
and to operate the brakes.
6. Expense of Maintenance. Extra service work in
repairing, adjusting, and relining brakes puts the car
in the shop oftener and increases the expense of
maintenance.
Patent Situation
Four-wheel brakes have been in existence for about
twenty years, during which time thousand? of patents
have been taken out in Europe and the United States,
many of which have expired, and it is very doubtful if
there are any basic patents preventing the use of
four-wheel brakes,^
European Experience^**
European manufacturers have experimented with
four-wheel brakes for two decades. English 'manu
facturers generally refuse to use them, although there
are a few exceptions/
French manufacturers use them more generally,hut |
many cars are equipped with "servo mechanisms,”
which are an added attachment intended to prevent
locking of front wheels, insure equalization, ease the
pedal pressure, etc., but this device introduces further
complications of weight, lubrication and expense.
Trade Authorities^ -
AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIES—July 12,*1923
"In some cases the layout is such that the act of steering
• tends to release the front-wheel brake, rendering it leu
effective when the wheels are cramped.. If, with this arrange
ment, steering is made harder, or the brakes leu effective on
a curve, or when the vehicle must make a sudden turn—ns it
must often do in an emergency—there is grave reason to
doubt whether the braking is any safer with four- than with
two-wheel brakes.’’
MOTOR WORLD—June 6,1923
"If necessary precautions are not taken, skidding is liable
to be moro frequent and moro serious than with rear brakes
only.” ,
Studebaker's Position
Studebaker research and engineering departments
have been studying, experimenting with, and tasting
four-wheel brake mechanisms for two years.
These tests merely convince us that four-wheel
brakes are unnecessary, mechanically impracticable,
-and dangerous in the hands of unskilled drivers.
The 1924 model Studebaker cars are equipped with
brakes on the rear wheels only. The foot pedal op
erates the external contracting brakes and easily locks
bothwheels.
The hand lever operates the internal expanding
brakes, and likewise locks tk» ; wheels easily.
The foot brakes are used in driving, and the hand
brakes, to hold the car still when parked on' grades,
also in emergencies, if necessary.
Studebaker brakes are safe, simple, and practicable.
There are no more reliable brakes in use on any
automobiles.
Th* model Studebaker ears are aaot, and wW be* equipped wifb four-wbeef
South Bend, Indiana
C.'«rber «, J?23
The Studebaker Corporation of America
