July_2021 - 13

F
leets spend a lot of time and money trying to get
more life out of their tires. But according to John
Ashal, president of Big Rig Alignment Co., many
fleets are missing the one essential ingredient in
a holistic tire management program: alignments.
" A high-performing tire is not only properly
mounted and inflated, but also properly balanced, "
Ashal explained. " Furthermore, a high-performing
tire must be centered on the hub of a mechanically
sound, properly aligned vehicle. " Big Rig Alignment
specializes in OEM factory alignment programs.
It's not just tire wear that fleets should be
concerned about.
" Wheel alignment affects a multitude of vehicle
characteristics, " said Doug Felt, technical training
manager for Hunter Engineering, a manufacturer
of heavy-duty vehicle alignment equipment, wheel
service equipment, and other products. In addition
to premature tire wear, Felt points to:
ÜFuel economy
ÜDirectional stability
ÜBraking performance
ÜCornering
ÜSteering effort
ÜRide quality
While some of those characteristics impact the
bottom line, some also affect the driver.
" Constantly fighting the vehicle's tendency to
leave the intended path will fatigue a driver quickly, "
Felt pointed out. " Poor ride quality makes for
an uncomfortable trip. "
Don't forget about safety, which is compromised
when braking performance is less than intended
and/or the vehicle is constantly moving to the left
or right of the intended path.
" An improperly
aligned vehicle is
placing additional
stress on suspension
and steering
components. "
Doug Felt, technical training
manager, Hunter Engineering
Regular alignment checks can help keep
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scores
lower by reducing a fleet's exposure to out-of-service
violations and associated vehicle downtime.
" Infractions relating to tires, wheels, suspensions,
steering mechanisms, frames, and driveline components
can often be avoided by identifying problems
during alignment checks, " said Chris Schutt, technical
training specialist for Bee Line Co., a manufacturer
of computer laser wheel alignment, tire
balancing, and frame correction equipment.
" An improperly aligned vehicle is placing additional
stress on suspension and steering components, "
Felt added. " Premature failure of kingpins,
wheel bearings, and tie rod ends is common. "
As noted, there are numerous reasons why a
fleet should take alignments seriously. The reason
why many don't, however, is because an alignment
sometimes isn't the solution. Alignments must be
performed correctly at the right times.
" As we go out and look at tires in the field, only
50% of the irregular wear on steer axle tires is
due to an alignment problem, " said Mike Beckett,
president of MD Alignment Services, a provider
of alignment equipment, training, and consulting
services. " That means half of the steer axle
problems are the result of other causes. On drive
and trailer tires, less than 10% of the tire wear
problems result from misalignment. If a fleet is
just sending trucks in to get alignments to fix
all of their tire problems, the odds are that they
won't be happy. "
Warning signs of a
bad alignment
Beckett has personally been performing heavy-duty
alignments for roughly 50 years. He said there
are a handful of common causes of irregular tire
wear that are not alignment related. " The ability
to identify the tire-wear pattern before taking any
corrective action is the most important part of the
diagnostic, " Beckett said.
Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC)
Recommended Practice (RP) 642 has a section on
tire wear identification. The RP explains how wear
patterns such as cupping and diagonal wear are
indications of a non-alignment problem. Possible
signs of an alignment issue are rapid shoulder
wear and one-sided wear. The biggest indicator
is feathering.
" Feathering occurs when you slide a tire sideways, "
Beckett explained. " That's why feathered
wear always indicates an alignment problem,
whether there's feathering on one front tire or both
of them. Drivers and technicians should regularly
check for feathered wear. "
TMC RP 642 explains that if the steer tires have
feathered wear in opposite directions, the problem
is likely a toe condition that could be remedied
per the guidelines in TMC RP 219. However, if the
feathered wear goes in the same direction on both
steer tires, there is a definite alignment issue to
correct. Or, if one steer tire shows normal wear but
the other is feathered, it could be a combination
of toe issue and misalignment. Beckett's advice is
very simple: " If you feel feathered wear at all, get
an alignment done. "
" A simple, quick check for feathering can be
done during the pre-trip inspection, " Big Rig
Equipment's Ashal added. " The driver can run
their hand across the steer tires. If it feels smooth
in one direction but rough in the other direction,
there is some feathering going on. There's also a
good chance that some rubber has worn off. The
vehicle is also starting to pull a little, typically
to the right. An experienced driver is going to
notice that right away and should let the fleet
manager know. "
Hunter Engineering's Felt says technicians
can also help keep an eye out for feathered wear.
Additionally, there are some other signs of improper
wheel alignment to look for.
July 2021 | FleetMaintenance.com
13
» The MD Alignment QCT system reportedly
allows a technician to conduct a 10-minute
alignment check on any truck. It consists
of two hard-metal laser bar instruments
and two high-readability laser targets.
Rather than rely on expensive computers,
this alignment system relies on analog
targets and a technician's eyesight.
Photo courtesy of MD Alignment Services
Evaluating an
alignment provider
If a fleet decides that it would rather
outsource its vehicle alignment
services, Technology & Maintenance
Council (TMC) Recommended
Practice (RP) 642 has some advice on
choosing a good alignment partner.
* Ask the alignment provider specific
questions. This will help expose any
" holes " in their alignment service itself
and/or their level of expertise. For
example, ask for data showing how they
maximize tire tread life. Ask if their alignment
service includes the rear axles.
* Ask the alignment provider for
references. Michael Beckett of MD
Alignment Services couldn't agree
more. " Talk to other fleets and find
out what they think, " he suggested.
* Ask questions to help authenticate
the alignment provider's credentials.
Ask if their shop is certified by
an alignment equipment supplier or
association. Are the individual technicians
certified? Do the technicians have the
proper commercial driver's licenses so
that they can test drive a vehicle after
performing the alignment? Does the
shop keep a calibration log you can view
so you can get an idea as to how precise
and repeatable their alignments are?
* Other alignment-related services.
Can the shop also do steering wheel centering,
tire rotations, vibration analysis,
wheel balancing, truing, and suspension
and spring services? All of these services
go hand in hand with alignment as part
of a holistic tire management program.
http://www.FleetMaintenance.com
July_2021

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