The importance of an AxleFix truck wheel alignment

Melbourne based AxleFix provides a one-stop shop for vehicle wheel alignment and repair. Their attention to detail, convenient location in Melbourne's northern transport hub is what makes AxleFix the preferred wheel alignment specialist to major transport fleets.

Jeff Cain, the founder of AxleFix, maintains that a total vehicle alignment of the prime mover and trailer has the most significant impact on tyre life, wear, fuel economy and vehicle safety.

A recent report suggests that almost 70 per cent of trucks operating in Victoria reveal irregular tyre wear caused by axle misalignment. But more alarmingly is the majority of these vehicles are not old worn-out clunkers. Instead, most are brand new from the manufacturer.

"In tyre testing conducted in the USA over the past decade, it was discovered that properly aligned vehicles could significantly reduce irregular wear and increase tyre life," said Cain.

"Not only does vehicle alignment play a significant role in extending tyre life and reducing tyre costs, but proper re-alignment also makes vehicle handling predictable, driver control easier and improves fuel economy by as much as five per cent since tyres that roll straight and true have much less rolling resistance than tyres that are dragged down the road at an angle."

There is also a growing trend among more innovative fleet operators who are now getting an axle alignment on all their new trucks no more than 90 days after they are put into service.

"A small 10mm axle misalignment will shorten drive tyre life by as much as 18 per cent and up to 31 per cent on the steer tyres," Cain says. "Misaligned trailer axles amplify sideways offset of a trailer while travelling down the road, which contributes to more than five per cent fuel penalty alone," he adds.

Improper toe-in settings are a common misalignment problem and have significant effect on truck tyre wear, said Cain. Toe-in is the setting of the front axle alignment and generally set to point the front wheels toward each other by 1mm inward.

This measurement allows for deflection in the steering system, so the wheels are truly parallel when running down the road. And of all alignment issues, it's probably the easiest to correct, he said.

Tandem rear drive axles that are not parallel to each other or axles that are not perpendicular to the chassis centreline will affect the wear on steer tyres, Cain said. Misaligned tandem drive axles will cause a truck to "thrust" or "scrub", this results in the truck being pushed in a sideways-like direction down the road, which in turn will require the driver to compensate slightly by turning the steering wheel to maintain the truck's travel in a straight line. Tandem drive axle misalignment is also a common cause of alignment-related irregular tyre wear.

When a prime mover's wheels are out of alignment, there are several adverse effects, including:

Take a prime-mover and a single trailer combination with properly aligned wheels, for instance, this unit can benefit from up to a five per cent reduction in fuel consumption, as well as significantly reduced tyre wear, compared to a similar combination with misaligned axles, said Cain. If it's a B-double, the cost savings are even more significant.

Now let us take a look at a couple of real-world examples of the benefits of regular truck wheel alignments.

Example 1: Reduced Fuel Costs
Distance travelled per annum: 200,000 km
Diesel fuel price: $1.45/litre
Fuel consumption: 5 litres/10 km (2km/L)
Fuel cost reduction thanks to wheel alignment: (conservative estimate) 4%
Total cost reduction: 0.04 x 200,000 x 1.45 x 0.5 = $5,800 per year, per truck

Example 2: Reduced Tyre Wear
Additional tyres changed prematurely because of misalignment wear: 2 x Steer tyres + 8 x Drive Tyres.
Tyre cost: $500 per tyre (conservative cost)
Total cost reduction: $5,000 per year, per truck

Even using the conservative figures above, you can see the substantial additional cost that misaligned axles add to your bottom line. Add a set of properly aligned trailer axles, and the savings are even more significant.

An AxleFix wheel alignment diagnosis allows truck operators to plan scheduled wheel maintenance ahead of time. With the help of the detailed wheel angle measurements from AxleFix's thorough diagnosis, they can make any necessary adjustments to your vehicle. Hence, operators avoid unnecessarily high fuel consumption, reduced tyre wear costs, improved safety and driver satisfaction.

AxleFix offers early morning vehicle drop-off, which will allow for an afternoon pick-up. For interstate operators, this means their drivers can take their required rest break while the wheel alignment is performed.

An AxleFix truck wheel alignment is designed to re-align the wheels into a straighter roll position, which reduces the roll resistance on the road.

However, before attempting to re-align any wheels, AxleFix carries out a full suspension component safety inspection. After the safety inspection, any faulty parts are replaced, and the suspension brought back into the OEM's specified tolerance.

Only after completing this process does the AxleFix wheel alignment specialist commence the delicate process of re-aligning all the wheels. First, the front wheels are correctly aligned then the rear axles are aligned to ensure the drive wheels follow the steer wheels.

Less rolling resistance means less friction, and ultimately, better fuel economy, tyre life, component wear and decreased driver fatigue. In the old days, fleet size indeed did dictate where the dollar decision fell. But today, given that fuel and tyres are the top vehicle expenses for fleets, regular wheel alignments are not a cost. It is a saving. Call AxleFix to start saving today.