Wheel Alignment and Fuel Performance Analysis of Light Vehicle Based on Road and Tire Conditions

Abstract

The effect of wheel alignment and fuel performance of light vehicle with consideration of the road and tire conditions are investigated experimentally. A computerized machine vision-based wheel alignment measuring system is used to detect the misalignment of the vehicle and the fuel consumption of ECHO PLUS- 2ZZ-GE-02 model light vehicle is analyzed before and after wheel alignment. The experimental results show that the wheel alignment and fuel performance of the vehicle depends on tire wear, tire size and road conditions. It is found that the proper wheel alignment can improve the safety of the suspension system components and reduces the tire wear and increases the mileage of the vehicle and also provides driver operating satisfaction. The analysis of the result also reveals that the manufacture’ standard tire tread, proper tire size and recommended speed limit can significantly improve the fuel performance, whereas unusual tire wear, improper tire size and over the speed limit can greatly reduce the fuel performance and increasing the wheel misalignment.