Putnam's Automobile Handbook: The Care and Management of the Modern Motor-Car

by H. Clifford Brokaw; Charles A. Starr

Tires are a great deal like human beings; are just as finicky and contrary; and it takes a great insight into their make-up if one would get the most out of them.

One of the chief causes of tire deterioration is lack of care—absolute neglect. Drivers send their machines over all kinds of roads, regardless of ruts, and stones, and glass or junk in the roadway, and then cannot understand why the tires are all cut up about it. Worse than that, they do not seem to understand that a cut tire needs as much and as prompt attention as a cut finger—perhaps more, for nature will mend the one; the other has no such luck.

The first thing to do when one discovers a cut is to clean it out and jiffy in one of the good solutions sold, which will cement the edges together or press in the putty-like repair material. If the cut is not too large or too deep it will mend easily and give little trouble, if care is taken. If it is a large cut the vulcanizer should be visited. The cement should hold long enough for that. It will keep out water, which rots the fabric easily, and sand, which makes blisters along the tread. Only a slight patch is needed if done promptly, but if water and sand get in it is almost impossible to vulcanize in a patch, and when it is done it probably will not last.

Tires should be inspected regularly and often and attended to intelligently. This will save the automobile owner much annoyance and cut down one of the big items of maintenance.

Some drivers, too, never seem to think of favoring an auto tire at times of greatest strain. They will whirl around a corner as fast as their nerve and the traffic policeman will allow and then wonder why it is that the tread wears away so quickly. They do not seem to understand that under such circumstances there is a steady grind of tire upon pavement, and grind means wear.

Another set of drivers will run along for weeks without noticing that the steering gear is out of true. Perhaps the machine has hit something and the equalizing rod is bent just a trifle, making the front wheels far from parallel. It may not be enough to see with the eye, but it is off true and one or both of the tires grinds with every revolution. The speed with which the tread will wear away depends upon the character of the roadway. On gravel or macadam roads it is fast. The manufacturer will not replace a tire worn out that way if he can detect the cause, and experience has taught him where to look for it. One man wore a pair of front tires through to the fabric in a very short run and raised a fuss because the replacement man disclaimed responsibility after testing the wheels. The roll and slide motion combined will work havoc with the best tire and should be corrected.

A harsh clutch does the same thing in a little different way. A clutch which grips too hard will cause the wheels to slide and wear. The brake, also, should not be too positive, but be adjusted to work easily, so that the wheel will stop turning just as the momentum is spent, to prevent sliding. Both brakes should be adjusted alike, or one will grip the wheel fast and the other turn. The gripped tire will scrape along and the pavement cuts the tire like a rasp.

Another set of men forgets that oil and grease and gasoline are the natural enemies of tires. They allow the machine to stand in the garage where there are pools of oil or gas. Gasoline will dissolve gum rubber. It will disintegrate the tire, which is a combination of rubber, soapstone, and other things, so that it wears out quickly. Lubricating oil and grease hasten the decay of rubber and shorten the life of the tire. Besides there is no sense in wasting oil and gas, and if someone else allows it to spill on the pavement the wise man will keep out of the mess.

In wet seasons there is especial need for care of the tire. Rubber cuts easily when the sharp edge of the cutting agent is wet. Tire workers dip their knives in water to facilitate the work. Go out on a road where there is glass, or sharp stones dripping from a rain, and the tire is an easy mark. A wet day on a sharp gravel road will fill the tires full of small cuts.

Tubes should be kept in the shoes where possible. If folded up they are likely to harden on the creases and crack on the surface, blowing out easily. Tubes in excess of shoes carried should be rolled up carefully and be kept in a bag to prevent chafing on tools or box.