Wheel Alignment & Tyre Maintenance
Transcript of Wheel Alignment & Tyre Maintenance
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TYRE MAINTENANCE TIPS
Check tyre pressure twice a month and visuallyinspect them every day. Don’t overlook the sparewheel
Keep good tyre pressure gauge (pencil or dial type)I” your glove compartment..
Always check tyre pressure when tyres are coldWhile driving, heat causes lyre pressure to increaseand gauge reading will be seen to be high.
Keeping all tyres at 10% above recommendedpressure reduces fuel consumption by about 2%.
Underinflated tyres can increase fuel consumptionsignificantly For every 2 psi (pounds per squareinch) under inflatlon, fuel consumption increases byapproximately 1%
Unequal tyre pressures cause pull or drift to one sidewhile driving.
Radial tyres have less rolling resistance than cross-ply tyres and they can reduce your consumption by3.5% in city driving and upto 10% on highways.
Always use the same size tyres on each axle. Nevermount radial and cross ply tyres on the same axle.
If a car has two radial and two cross ply tyres,always mount tyres in the front and radials at theback.
Out-of-balance wheels cause vlbratlons, excessivewear of tyres and other parts.
Check tyre wear pattern at least once a monthmisaligned tyres increase fuel consumption byapproximately 3%.
If you get a flat tyre while driving, DO NOT STOP inthe middle of the road. Pull off the road and stop assoon as safety allows. DO NOT TRY TO DRIVE TOTHE NEAREST REPAIR SHOP, as this will destroythe tyre and damage the rim. Change the tyreimmediately.
This i s one in a series of ENERCON Driver EnergyEfficiency Tips for car owners and auto mechanics.This series presents basic Information on techniquesfor increasIng fuel efficiency in vehicles. For furtherinformation contact, Fuel Efficiency in Road TransportSector Project. ENERCON Building. G-512. lslamabad.
DRIVERENERGY EFFICIENCYTIPS
ANDTYRE MAINTENANCE
Regular tyre maintenance and wheel alignmentreduces fuel consumption and prevents undue tyrewear. Worn shok absorbers and weak springs canalso contribute to the waste of fuel This leafletprovides information on wheel alignment and tyremaintenance
FACTORS AFFECTING FUEL CONSUMPTION
The information in this pamphlet will help you inobtaining optimum mileage from your tyres and inreducing your monthly fuel expenditure
ENERCON Building, G-512, Islamabad, PakistanTel: + (92-51) 9206005, 9207572
Fax: + (92-51) 9206003E-Mail: [email protected]
A Global Enwonment Fac,l~ty GEF ) Project
Correctly aligned wheels extend tyre life and improvefuel efficiency They also help safe steering of thevehicle and comfortable ride
Wheel alignment is the adjustment of steering andsuspension components so that car steers properly,tyres experience rmnimwr wear and fuel is usedefficiently
WHY DOIES A CAR GO OUT OF AL IGNMENT
Misalignment is caused by impacts from hittingpotholes and bumps, loose steering or suspensionmechanism and deterioration from aging ofsuspension parts.
It is recommended that you have your car’s wheelsaligned at least twice a year or every 10,000 kmwhichever is earlier.
The expected life of a tyre can be reduced drasticallyif a vehicle has a severe misalignment condition.
On most vehicles alignment can be completed inapproximately 30-40 minutes.
HOW LONG SHOULD ALIGNMENT LAST?
an alignment wil l hold for 8,000.10.000 kmNaturally, if your vehicle suffers any severe shocksfrom hitting potholes, curbs, etc your alignment canbe thrown off in a short time.
Uneven wear can be caused by many factors such asimproper wheel balancing, worn shock absorbers,worn front end part alignment problems, etc Thebest advice is to take your vehicle for inspectlon to aworkshop
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Poor alignment usually does not cause specific speedvlbrations. This condition is normally attributed to thetyre and wheel assembly being out of dynamicbalance Therefore, wheel balancing is recommended
Excessively worn wheel bearings, tie-rod ends, balljoints patched tyres, or bent and out-of-round tyrerims can cause tyre wobbling.
It is recommended that tyres be rotated at every00 km in order that they may wear evenly. After
performing tyre rotation readjust each tyre pressure lospecifications.
Radial tyres can save fuel and last twice as long ascross-ply tyres. They improve road-holding capabilItyand maneuverability of your vehicle
THREE FACTORS IN ALIGNMENT:TOE-IN, CAMBER AND CASTER
WHAT IS TOE-IN?
Toe-in is the condition when the front edges of thewheels are closer together than the rear edges. Asaw-tooth or feathered edge tyre wear pattern showsthat the tyre is subjected to road scuff as a result ofimproper toe-in.
IF A CAR HAS MACPHERSON STRUTS,WHAT WORK DOES THE WORKSHOP
PEFLFORM ON IT?
Bent struts can be corrected by using a strutstraightener. Some struts also have a provlsion foradjustment which will correct wheel camber, however,toe will be adjusted in the normal way.
WHAT IS WHEEL BALANCING?
No tyre or wheel is completely round or uniform. Eachtyre has heavy spots that can cause vibrations at highspeeds. The wheel assembly should be dynamicallybalanced. This involves spinning the wheel to identifythe heavy spot and then crimping lead weights to therim to counter balance the heavy spot
WHAT IS CAMBER?
Camber is the inward or outward tilt of the top of thetyre, as viewed from front of the vehicle. Excessivewear, on the edge of the tyre is generally the result ofimproper camber. Unequal camber, from side to sidecan cause pull or drift
Caster is the forward or the rearward tilt of thesteering axis versus vertical.
Caster adds directional stability to the vehicle andreturns the wheels to a straight-ahead position onturns.
HOW DOES TYRE PRESSURE AFFECTWEAR, RIDE, AND HANDLING?
Underinflated tyres cause: (1) sidewalls and tread tobuckle. thus reducing the area of the road contactpatch (2) loss of traction (3) increased fuelconsumption and excessive heat build-up, whichcauses rapld wear and early tyre failure. Properinflation results in maximum road contact area,traction, and fuel economy. Over inflation againreduces the road contact area and traction, howeverfuel economy increases slightly.
WHAT IS A RETREADED TYRE?
It is a used tyre which has been given a new tread
WHAT IS THE LIFE OF ARETREAD?
Depending on the quality of the tread compound andcondition of the vehicle, retreads can last as iong asnew tyres
HOW MUCH DOES A RETREAD COST?
The cost of a retread willprice of a new tyre.
vary from 30 to 40% of the
WHEN SHOULD A TYRE BERETREADED’?
Ideally when the tyre wear marks show or when treaddepth is approximately 1 to 2mm.
HOW MANY TIMES CAN A TYRE BE:RETREADED
A cross ply tyre can be retreaded at least once, whileradials can be retreaded 2 to 3 times
C A N D A M A G E D TYRES BERETREADED’?
Yes. but tyres with broken beads. cracked sidewallsand excessively worn treads with holes or bare pliescannot be retreaded
WHAT IS REGROOVING’
Increasing tread depth by removing rubber andreinforcement plies by a hand tool is known asregrooving. Tyres, if specified on sidewalls can beregrooved . Regroovng otherwise is dangerous andillegal.
All tyres whether n e w or retreaded must be balancedafter mounting on the tyre rim.
TYRE WEAR PATTERNS