LASALIGN - Laser Wheel Alignment : Benefits Of Wheel Alignment

Benefits

Benefits Of Wheel Alignment

The benefits of undertaking corrective wheel alignment. These fall in to four main categories as follows:-

IMPROVED FUEL ECONOMY

Incorrect wheel alignment will increase the rolling resistance of a vehicle, as approximately 30% of the vehicle’s fuel is used to overcome tyre rolling resistance and therefore any small amount of misalignment will substantially increase fuel consumption. A saving of in excess of 2% is commonly achieved by our customers.

TYRE WEAR

As you would expect, incorrect wheel alignment has a detrimental effect on the life of the tyres; causing them to wear unevenly, prematurely and consequently effecting the handling characteristics of the vehicle. As proven by many of our customers, correct wheel alignment will rectify this and can increase the tyre life by over 20%.We proven with careful monitoring to include turning on rims or swapping for side to side MUCH MORE THAN THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED and for this reason we are adding this to our service in some cases.

REDUCTION IN CO2 EMISSIONS

There is growing pressure on governments, industry and transport to reduce CO2 emissions which has lead to more efficient engines such as euro IV and V. However, if vehicles are not correctly aligned, as explained earlier their efficiency is compromised and the saving in fuel and potential for reduction in CO2 emissions will still be lost.

SAFETY

If wheels are misaligned it can cause the vehicle to veer to either the left or right, demanding corrective steering by the driver and, as such, can increase fatigue on both the driver and vehicle. Uneven tyres do not adhere to the road or handle efficiently and incorrect wheel alignment puts unnecessary stress on steering joints, wheel bearings and other steering components which can reduce their effective lifespan.

In Holland A Tri-Axle Trailer With Rigid Axles Was Tested

In the first test with the axles corrected aligned the tractive unit consumed 30 litres of fuel per 100kms

In the second test the axles were adjusted parallel to each other but out of square 10mm /m. The fuel consumption increased to 31.3 litre per 100km, i.e. an increase of 4.3%. The trailer would crab and be difficult to manoeuvre

In the third test the axles were adjusted to be opposed to each other by 10mm/m. The fuel consumption increased remarkably to 35.6 litre per 100 km. A dramatic increase of 18.7% without the trailer crabbing.

Our own Government funded test was carried out with a tandem axle trailer at The Road Research Laboratory, Crowthorne, Berkshire back in 1981. The official results being that 1 degree of misalignment between the axles incurred a 3% increase in fuel consumption whilst 2 degrees incurred a massive 8%, these results are set in stone. All conservation test since have conclusively proven that correct wheel alignment is essential for a variety of reasons.

In conclusion, with correct wheel alignment you will attain lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, longer tyre life and safer more stable vehicles. In so doing, you will reduce costs.