WHAT IS WHEEL ALIGNMENT?

Wheel alignment, or tracking, is the process of ensuring your vehicle's wheels are set to the optimum position, as per the vehicle manufacturer's specifications. The process involves checking the direction and angle of the wheels and it is an important part of vehicles maintenance. Misaligned wheels cause uneven and rapid tyre wear and can also ultimately effect the handling and safety of a vehicle. Regular alignments are highly recommended. The typical signs of poor wheel alignment are:

Uneven or feathered tyre wear
Steering wheel vibration
Drag or pulling
Audible distress while turning corners

Wheels can become out of alignment from simple things such as knocking kerbs or hitting potholes. Also wear on steering and suspension components can throw wheels out of alignment. Whenever replacing any of these components its important to have an alignment to ensure accuracy.

HOW CAN IT BENEFIT YOUR BUSINESS?

Poor wheel alignment increases tyre heat & scrub which makes your engine work harder, Therefore, Your fuel and tyre expenses increase dramatically!

INCREASED TIRE LIFE
For every 1mm of misalignment an average truck is dragged 1.5m sideways per mile in a forward direction; this can dramatically increase heat in the tyre & decreases the tyre life up to 300% in severe cases, which makes a laser alignment from Steertekk a huge saving and a necessary part of your maintenance schedule.

IMPROVED FUEL ECONOMY
If tyres are being dragged sideways due to misalignment, the increased load on your engine will dramatically affect your fuel consumption; many independent studies have proved that it is possible to save as much as 11% of fuel consumption by correct wheel alignment.

DRIVER COMFORT & SAFETY
A correctly aligned vehicle will run true, the driver will not have to constantly correct the steering to keep driving straight, and this will reduce driver fatigue and lower the risk of shoulder, neck and back problems.

REDUCED CARBON FOOT PRINT
With the increased pressure to reduce CO2 emissions and greenhouse gases. A properly aligned Truck and Trailer will reduce fuel consumption and in turn have an immediate impact on in reducing the carbon footprint.

REAL WORLD SCENARIOS & SAVINGS

A HGV with an average fuel consumption of 10 MPG (28l/100km) covering 100.000 miles per year will burn 45,000 litres of diesel. At a Diesel price of £1.40 That's £63,000 per year. If the wheels are not aligned correctly this can be costing a lot more. At an average of 10% reduced fuel economy before alignment you could be spending an extra £6300 per year! Volvo Trucks conducted a study and found that if tyre pressures are not correct this figure can increase to as much as 15%* to £9450 per year.

Now, let's look at tyres. The average price for medium class tyres is around £450 per tyre, £3600 per full set. The lifetime of a tyre set can be reduced by as much as 25% if your alignment and pressure are not maintained correctly. Front tyres usually need to be changed every year with middle and rear, every two. With correct alignment and tyre pressure maintenance you can increase the life time by up to 3 months per front tyre and up to 6 months per middle and rear.

With a fleet of 4 vehicles, you could save £3600 or a whole set of tyres per year, every single year.

IN SUMMARY

A fleet of 4 Vehicles with correctly aligned wheels & correct tyre pressures could save up to £41,400 without taking into account for money saved on reduced stress on other steering & suspension components.