Wheel alignment refers the process whereby car wheels are adjusted to the optimum standards recommended by the manufacturer. We adjust alignment angles using sensitive computerized equipment to the desired angles, but they can be adjusted beyond to achieve the required specifications. Incorrect wheel alignment results in some undesired effects. The wheel alignment will reduce tire wear and for the car to travel in a straight line (Pacejka, 2005). Suspensions are made of springs, shock absorbers, tire air, the system of tires and linkages that connect the vehicle to the wheels and allow motion between the two. Suspensions contribute to vehicle's road holding and braking to provide good safety and driving pleasure. There are two types of suspensions namely; rear and front suspensions. The front suspension is the one holding front wheels whereas the rear suspension is the one that holds the rear wheels (Yamada, & Okuyama, 2008). Suspensions can also be categorised as; Non-independent and Dependent suspensions. A non-dependent suspension has both left and right wheels that are all attached to similar solid axle. When one wheel hits a bump on the road, its movement upward and downward will cause a slight tilt to the other. Independent suspension, on the other hand, allows one wheel to move up and down with less impact on the other (Yamada, & Okuyama, 2008). Wheel bearing checking involves looking into the wheel bearings to see if it is still working well. Wheel bearings enable car wheels to spin freely and stay attached securely to the car. They are found in each wheel. If they wear out, the driver will feel the wheels and the steering shaking while driving. A car in that condition should be checked and repacked the worn out wheel bearings. Before checking wheel bearings consult the owner's manual to see if they are sealed or not, if they are sealed then you won't repack. Trim height is a predetermined measurement related to ride height. It is done during suspension diagnosis and before doing wheel alignment. A number of things should be done before measuring trim height. Make sure that the car is in a level ground. Set tire pressure to a same standard and remove alignment rack floating plate pins. Check fuel level and add extra weight in order to achieve full tank weight. Finally close the hood and the doors (Bastow, Howard, & Whitehead, 2004). The Hunter Hawkeye wheel alignment technology is well known for its accuracy. To achieve this it uses high-definition imaging sensors to measure 14 primary alignment angles on the car. It has sensors for Caster, Camber, Toe in, Toe out, and Trust Line. The orientation and position of sensors of the car wheels are checked and compared to the manufacturer's specifications thus ensuring the wheels are set well (Fukumura, 2009). The Servex Laser wheel aligner has two headings attached to front and the rear wheels. This machine will measure the Camber, Caster, SAI (Steering Axis Inclination), Toe in and Toe out angles. The included angle will be found by addition of Camber and SAI angles (Pacejka, 2005). Removal and installation of suspension struts need raising the car by use of lift to safely raise the car. After raising the car remove the wheel and use spring compressor to remove springs integrated with struts. The bolts that holds the bottom of the struts in place are loosen using a socket wrench. Remove the old struts and put the new ones then return it and tighten it in place again using its bolts (Bastow, Howard, & Whitehead, 2004). Steering box is checked for oil leaks and wear whenever we inspect the rest of the car’s steering system. A low oil level in the box is a sure sign of leak. To obtain the leak, top up the oil and clean the box then drive for a few kilometres. After which you check for the leak. Steering rack is made up of a rack that is enclosed with a steering pinion and joined to the wheel through U joints and shafts and U-joints. Their ends are joined to the front wheels such that it will turn the wheel to left or right according to input on steering wheel. Power steering racks use pumps driven by the engine to supply high-pressure fluid to the steering rack on wheel is turning. This will ease the turning of steering rack. There are a number of seals, hoses, and O-rings to contain this fluid. Power steering pressure system test is the checking the operation of power steering pump, the control valve, the hoses, the power piston and the pressure relief valve. It is achieved by attaching the pressure gauge and the shutoff valve to power steering pump outlet and hose by use of steering pressure system tester. Start and idle the engine while turning steering wheel back and forth. The shut off valve should be closed, pressure levels read and compared to specifications from the manufacturer. (Pacejka, 2005). Wheel bearings are several steel balls held together by a metal ring called a race. Tyre changing involved loosening the wheel nuts using wheel wrench then raising the car slowly using the jack. Once the tyre is above the ground, you finish loosening the nuts and remove the wheel. Take the new tyre and lift it into a place of the one you have removed, tighten the nuts and remove the jack slowly. Tighten the wheel nuts fully once the wheel has touched the ground. Wheel balancing is achieved by use of wheel balancing machine that rotates the tyre and the wheel assembly, calculate the weight difference and provide the exact position where balance counter weight should be applied (Rogers et al, 2003).
References
Bastow, D., Howard, G., & Whitehead, J. P. (2004). Car suspension and handling (p. 29). Warrendale: SAE international.
Fukumura, T. (2009). U.S. Patent No. 4,746,106. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Pacejka, H. (2005). Tire and vehicle dynamics. Elsevier.
Rogers, S. W., Dale Jr, J. L., Monroe, H. D., Pruitt, C. W., & Paul, S. (2003). U.S. Patent No. 5,208,646. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Yamada, T., & Okuyama, T. (2008). U.S. Patent No. 4,485,371. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
