Analytical and Experimental Analysis of Wheel Alignment System for Light Vehicle

Abstract

Wheel alignment is an important factor that influences the performance of automotive vehicles. This study experimentally investigated the effects of wheel alignment, especially front wheel toe angle, tire pressure, vehicle load, and brake application, on fuel consumption and tire travel life for two different models of light vehicles. According to the analysis, the vehicle's wheel started to become out of alignment when its travel distance increased over time. It is observed that vehicle wheels became out of alignment due to changes in different factors, including vehicle load, road condition, brake application, tire pressure, suspension condition, etc. The experimental findings also demonstrate that a number of variables, including engine rpm, rolling resistance, energy consumption, fuel consumption, and tire wear of the vehicles, are strongly correlated with front wheel toe angles, tire pressure, vehicle load, and brake application. The test result shows that the increase in rolling resistance and energy consumption led to an increase in fuel consumption, tire wear rates, and travel costs. It is found that due to the misalignment of the front wheel toe angle, the car travels about 4.77 km (for left toe-in, 2.53°), 5.12 km (for left toe-out, -2.53°), 7.37 km (for total toe-in, 5.06°), and 7.63 km (for total toe-out, -5.06°) less for the same amount of fuel, and the KPL reduction rate is up to 38.22%, 42.24%, 73.99%, and 79.31%, respectively. In comparison to the front wheel's left toe-in angle, the fuel consumption rate is 4.02% higher at the front wheel's left toe-out angle. Additionally, it is found that when both wheels are at a toe angle, fuel consumption is a little bit higher. In the second experiment, the effect of tire inflation pressure on the fuel performance of a light vehicle at a front wheel total toe angle of 0.00°, 1.44° (toe-in), and -1.44° (toe-out) is investigated. The experimental finding shows that when tire pressure changes from over-inflated to under-inflated while maintaining a constant front wheel toe angle, the vehicle's engine rpm, rolling resistance, energy consumption, fuel consumption, and travel cost rates increase. In comparison to a total toe angle of 0.00°, a front wheel total toe-in angle of 1.44° results in a 3.62% increase in fuel consumption, while a front wheel total toe-out angle of -1.44° results in a 4.63% increase. In the third experiment, a Toyota Echo Plus-2ZZ-GE-02 light-duty vehicle is used to investigate the effect of vehicle load on fuel performance. It is revealed that when the vehicle load rose from low to high while x maintaining a constant front wheel toe angle, the engine rpm, rolling resistance, energy consumption, fuel consumption, and travel cost rates increased. The analysis results also reveal that the rolling resistance varies non-linearly with the vehicle load under steady-state conditions, while the fuel consumption varies almost linearly. Interestingly, energy consumption also increases almost non-linearly with vehicle load. In the fourth case, the same vehicle is used to investigate the effect of brake application on fuel performance. According to the test results, increasing the number of brakes applied (0 to 100 times) results in increased rolling resistance and fuel consumption. The rates of rolling resistance coefficient and rolling resistance increased to 198.79% and 198.79%, respectively, and the rates of energy consumption and fuel consumption increased to 198.79% and 81.74%, respectively. In the fifth case, the effect of wheel toe angle on tire wear is investigated experimentally. It is shown that when the vehicle's front wheel total toe-in angle is changed from 0.00° to 4.80° for the Toyota Corolla-2E-86, the engine rpm, rolling resistance, energy consumption, tire wear, and tire traveling life reduction rate are increased. It is observed that the rate of loss in tire travel life with regard to a condition without misalignment is up to 99.08% when the front wheel total toe-in angle is out of alignment (from 0.00° to 4.80°). The rate of increase in rolling resistance is found to be about 167.84%, and the rate of carbon dioxide emissions is nearly 40% higher for the car as the front wheel total toe-in angle increased (from 0.00° to 4.80°). It is also seen that tire outside lateral groove wear, tire inside lateral groove wear, and tire circumferential groove wear change (from 0.03 mm to 3.01 mm, 0.03 mm to 0.29 mm, and 0.04 mm to 4.35 mm) with the changes in the front wheel total toe-in angle (from 0.00° to 4.80°) after the vehicle's traveling distance and tire travel life are recorded to be 3,500 km and 1537.50 km, respectively. Finally, a regression model is proposed using the test data. Such a model might be useful to explain the relationship between the related factors and determine the rate of fuel consumption, tire wear, and travel costs. The light automotive vehicle is expected to benefit from these findings in the form of improved fuel economy, less tire wear, lower energy usage, and prolonging the tire's useful life if the front wheel toe alignment, tire pressure, vehicle load, and brake application are maintained properly.