Jan112024
by Betts Marketing Staff
Proper semi truck wheel alignment is important for maintaining the overall welfare of your commercial vehicle. Poor alignment can lead to premature wear on your tires and bad fuel economy.
Truck alignment also plays a big role in keeping the driver safe. Be sure to regularly address heavy duty truck and trailer alignment issues to prevent costly repairs and ensure safe driving practices.
Betts Truck Parts & Service offers heavy truck alignment services and trailer alignment services for drivers and fleets on the West Coast. We have the expertise and capabilities with state-of-the-art Beeline Laser Alignment equipment to keep your truck properly aligned.
ALIGNMENT BY THE NUMBERS
These statistics (below) highlight just how crucial proper wheel alignment is for vehicles. Misalignment not only affects the handling and safety of the vehicle but also has significant financial implications due to increased fuel consumption and premature wear on tires. The potential savings in fuel and tire costs from maintaining proper alignment can make a substantial impact on vehicle maintenance expenses in the long run.
- 70% of vehicles are misaligned
- 60% of vehicles that need to be aligned have worn or damaged parts
- A properly aligned vehicle will see the following savings:
- 2% fuel savings
- 30% extended tire wear
- Total Annual Savings = $2,226/year
- Fuel savings = $688/year
- Truck tire savings = $818/year
- Trailer tire savings = $720/year
SIGNS YOU NEED A WHEEL ALIGNMENT
These signs (below) are indicative of potential issues with wheel alignment. It’s essential to pay attention to these signs and have your vehicle inspected by a professional if you notice any of these symptoms to ensure your truck or trailer maintains proper alignment for safe and smooth driving.
- Vehicle drifts or pulls to one side
- Steering wheel position is off
- Crooked steering wheel
- Squealing tires
- Steering hesitation
- Tires wearing unevenly
- Vibration
DIFFERENT TYPES OF TIRE WEAR PATTERNS & WHAT THEY MEAN
Various types of uneven tire wear can indicate specific issues with a vehicle’s suspension, alignment, or other mechanical components.
Recognizing these wear patterns can help in diagnosing underlying issues with the vehicle’s components. Regular tire inspections, proper inflation, alignment checks, and timely maintenance are crucial for ensuring even tire wear and maximizing tire lifespan.
Here are some common examples of tire wear patterns:
Tire Camber Wear: Positive camber leads to wear on the outside of tires, while negative camber causes wear on the inside. This is due to the tilting of the wheel away from vertical.
Cupping Wear: Loss of tire-to-road contact due to worn suspension components creates vibrations that result in tire bounce, leading to a series of high and low spots on the tire trea
Thrust/Scrub Angle Wear: Accelerated wear on the inside of one drive tire and the outside of the opposing drive tire occurs due to improperly aligned drive axles (thrust angle). Scrub occurs when axles are not parallel, causing hazardous strain on tires.
Dog Tracking: Misalignment between a tractor’s rear axles and the trailer’s axles causes the trailer to track to the left or right. This wear pattern is similar to thrust angle wear and can indicate problems with drive axle mounting or misaligned trailer axles.
Diagonal Wear: Manifests as localized flat spots across the tire tread in a diagonal pattern due to mechanical drivetrain forces. Alignment problems, worn wheel bearings, differing tire diameters, or mismatched/inflated tires can aggravate this wear.
Flat Spotting: Occurs as a lone scrubbed band of tread across the tire surface due to braking issues like locked or dragging brakes, panic stops, or aggressive braking.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD SEMI TRUCK ALIGNMENT SERVICES BE PERFORMED?
We recommended that an initial truck alignment service be performed between the first 15,000 to 30,000 miles of a truck’s life, or after the first three months, whatever comes first. It is also important to check alignment if you observe irregular tire wear or if the driver reports steering or handling problems. The alignment should also be checked any time the vehicle has been damaged, or if components that affect alignment have been replaced.
WHAT ARE THE FEATURES & BENEFITS OF A BETTS WHEEL ALIGNMENT?
- We provide alignment appointments M-F from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Every alignment comes with a full chassis inspection (the vehicle is raised in the air while checking the following areas: leaf springs, leaf spring bushings, king pins, wheel bearings and steering linkage)
- We can diagnose your problem before it gets out of hand and costs you more money
- Computerized Laser Alignments are the most accurate in the industry
- All alignments come with a computer printout showing specs prior to and post-alignment
- Proper alignment increases tire performance
- Proper alignment increases fuel efficiency
- Proper alignment improves vehicle drivability
- Proper alignment improves the performance of suspension parts
Contact our team at Betts so we can help you keep those wheels aligned. It is our mission to Keep Earning Your Trust, Mile After Mile! ®
Category:January 11, 2024
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