The importance of wheel alignment
Stupertracker emphasises the importance of wheel alignment for commercial vehicles.
For commercial vehicles, proper wheel alignment is essential to ensure safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Misaligned wheels can lead to uneven tyre wear, increased fuel consumption, and stress on suspension components. For fleet operators, these issues result in higher operational costs and reduced vehicle availability.
There are some fundamental key benefits of regular wheel alignment checks:
● Extended tyre life: Even a slight misalignment can reduce tyre life, increasing replacement costs.
● Improved fuel efficiency: Proper alignment minimises rolling resistance, reducing fuel consumption, particularly in larger vehicles like HGVs and buses.
● Enhanced safety: Misaligned wheels can compromise handling and stability, posing risks to drivers and other road users.
Electric commercial vehicles face additional challenges, with higher torque levels that can accelerate tyre wear, making alignment checks even more critical for businesses adopting zero-emission fleets.
Wheel alignment equipment
For workshops, wheel alignment is a service that can be offered as preventative maintenance, ensuring fleets can remain active while reducing pressure on repair budgets. With various systems on the market, from traditional laser aligners to advanced 3D and CCD technologies, how do you find the perfect fit for your needs?
Here’s some informed questions to help:
● How frequently do you need to use the equipment?
● What range of vehicles do you need to use the equipment on?
● Do you require just a quick tracking check or a full 4-wheel alignment?
● What space requirements do you have for wheel alignment?
Wheel alignment equipment options
Modern alignment systems come equipped with various technologies, each offering unique benefits.
Laser wheel alignment is affordable and reliable and is excellent for workshops looking for straightforward functionality, with the added benefit of being not being anchored to one bay in order to operate. Look for systems with upgraded green lasers, which offer increased visibility in a wider range of light conditions.
Charged coupled device systems are ideal for high-precision work, these systems use sensors and cameras to provide detailed alignment data in real time. Easy to operate for technicians with alignment help screens and vehicle databanks as well as being able to store customer data and provide printable visual reporting. In addition, these systems also don’t limit technicians to one bay.
3D alignment systems are cutting-edge and highly efficient, using cameras and targets to create a complete picture of the vehicle’s geometry. As with any advance technology this comes with a price. In addition, as cameras are usually installed on a fixed totem pole/crucifix, this does limit alignments to one bay.
Supertracker’s range of laser wheel alignment systems aim to offer an affordable solution for those looking for simple tracking with the STR1500 tracking gauges or a more advanced single and twin steer wheel alignment solution that the STRT4 offers. Supertracker has also taken a significant step forward by introducing green laser technology to its commercial wheel alignment systems.
