HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1975-04-30, Page 14To avoid shocks,
install absorbers
Standard operating pro-
cedure in many homes at
this time of the year is
installation of screens in
windows, and doors. It is
the time to check hard-
ware, tighten, a few screws
here and there and add
a drop of oil where neces-
sary.
You may find an adjust-
ment needed in the door
closer, too. A combination
of wear on the plunger
and the lighter screen in-
sert makes the door close
differently.
This plunger is not un-
like the shock - absorbers
on your car, which may
be showing signs of wear
after the rigors of winter.
Shock absorbers are, es-
sentially, plungers.
Resists the hop
As the plunger on your
screen door is designed to
resist the forces of the
closer spring, allowing the
door to close gently; so the
shock absorber resists the
tendency of the wheel on
your car to hop as it
bounces off an obstruction
in the road.
Shocks also keep the
car's body from bobbing
up and down like a row-
boat at sea. The shock
absorber's philosophy is to
maintain the status quo;
the wheels shouldn't hop
and the body shouldn't
bop.
Eventually, with age, a
worn shock absorber loses
its control of the situation.
Instead of easing your
wheels over bumps in the
road, it lets them bounce,
sometimes setting up an
oscillation like a ball on
a long rubber band.
• Other problems
If this only caused an
uncomfortable ride, it
would be bad enough. But
there are other problems
created by worn shocks.
Most important is the
safety factor.
When the wheel is
bouncing a few inches in
the air, it cannot contrib-
ute much to the steering
and/or * braking of your
car. During this short but
critical period you are
virtually out of control.
Tires and suspension
parts also take additional
punishment when shocks
lose their control. If a
worn shock absorber per-
mits these parts to suffer
two or three rebounds af-
ter a bump, they will have
taken double or triple
punishment. You'll feel
this in your repair bills
'sooner or later.
Rule of thumb
As, a rule of thumb, any
time after your shocks are
two years old, they may
be due for replacement.
New ones will give your
car a whole new lease on
life:
Think about it the next
time you are driving over
a • bumpy road. Or better
yet, before you do.
* Collision Repairs
* Frame Work
* Spot Repairs
* complete Refinishing
to All Types of Vehicles
Filters stand
guard
against
engine wear'
Popular tourist attrac-
tions in places like London,
Ottawa or Washington are
the famous changing of
the Guard ceremonies.
While not nearly as col-
orful as the rituals at
Buckingham Palace, Par-
liament Hill or the Tomb
of the Unknowns, there is
a guard changing cere-
mony that's important to
a motor vehicle.
The automotive guards
are the filters that protect
a car's engine from poten-
tially serious harm. The
air, oil and gasoline filters
help screen out foreign
materials from vital' en-
gine parts.
The air filter prevents
dirt from entering the
carburetor where the air
and fuel is mixed. When
clogged, the filter can
cease functioning, result-
ing in poor engine per-
formance and, often, a
drastic loss of fuel econ-
omy. Most ca rs today. use
disposable filters which
should be replaced at
10,000 miles as part of an
*engine tune-up.
The oil filter, catches
foreign objects in the oil,
keeping them from dam-
aging engine parts. A
clogged filter cannot
forni this function effl-
Ciently, Especially in these
times of the recommended
lengthened time of oil
change, a new oil filter
should' be installed with
every dfiange Of lubricants:
14-THE BRUSSELS POST APRIL 30 0 1905
A lot of it. In nationwide fuel
economy tests motorists' cars were
tested before and after a tune-up.
Results showed that a tune-up with
new Champion spark plugs saved,
on the average, a gallon of gasoline in
every tankful. Considering that 3 of
every 5 cars on the road need a
tune-up right now, tune-ups'alone
could save us millions of gallons of
gasoline each week
Tune-ups benefit us in other ways,
too. Quicker acceleration for Safer
passing. Dependable starts, Phis a
substantial reduction in emissions.
See your mechanic regularly for a
Champion time-Up. Once :a year or
every 10,000 miles.