Proper wheel alignment is “extremely important” to protect tire life, maximize fuel economy and stop safely, especially in wet weather conditions. That’s the word from officials at Hunter Engineering Company (www.hunter.com), a global leader in alignment systems, wheel and tire service, brake service and inspection lane equipment.
They cite the following statistics:
- A vehicle that is 1” out of alignment is equivalent to dragging the tire sideways 100’ per mile. Source: Tire Business.
- Vehicles with wheel alignment conditions can suffer a decrease in fuel efficiency by up to 7 percent. Source: U.S. EPA.
TREAD
The amount of tread on a tire has a direct impact on the stopping distance of the vehicle, note Hunter officials. For example, stopping power is reduced on wet roads when tires have too little tread.
Tires have grooves designed to move water from under the tire so the tire can stay in contact with the road surface. If the tread is not deep enough, the tire may not be able to remove the water quickly enough, negatively affecting the vehicle’s ability to stop.
RESET
As vehicle manufacturers equip more vehicles with onboard driver-assist systems, Hunter Engineering officials note that an increasing number of OEMs now require a steering system reset during alignment service.
These onboard driver-assist systems include:
- Electronic stability control.
- Parking assist.
- Traction control.
- Active steering.
- Lane assist.
