Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Heavy Truck Front End Alignment Tools
Many auto repair shops are equipped to perform alignment adjustments on regular cars and trucks, but aligning the front ends of buses, RVs or heavy-duty trucks often requires the use of specialized tools. The types of tools used include primary tools such as alignment gauges and axle-correction tools, as well as an array of supplemental tools like wheel-rim straightening tools, wheel-weight tools and lug-nut-cover tools. Adjusting the alignment of a heavy vehicle is not something an amateur should attempt, especially since most shops rely on heavy-duty lifts or a pit to access the underside of vehicles.
Alignment Guages
Because accurately measuring the angles of several aspects of a wheel, particularly the caster, camber and toe, is crucial to correcting the alignment, alignment gauges are perhaps the most important tool when aligning the front ends of heavy-duty vehicles. Companies such as Specialty Products Company, Josam and Bee Line sell manual, computerized and laser alignment gauges. Specialty Products Company offers manual heavy-duty gauges for around $200, as of December of 2010, while Bee Line offers portable and stand-alone computerized gauging systems that use laser measuring the company claims is accurate to 1/1000 of an inch. Bee Line must be contacted for pricing on its computerized systems, and these systems may require additional tools, accessories and training.
Axle Correction Tools
Axle correction is the only way to adjust the camber to the ideal settings on heavy-duty vehicles such as semi tractors. Bee Line and Josam offer portable and pit-based axle-correction tools capable of applying up to 130 tons of pressure to the axle in order to adjust the camber. Axle-correction tools consist of a steel beam with hydraulic rams connected to it. The beam of the tool is fastened to the axle, and the hydraulic rams extend, applying tons of pressure and bending the axle.
Other Tools
There are a wide array of other tools that can be necessary or beneficial to adjusting the alignment of a heavy-duty truck, depending on the vehicle and the types of adjusts being made. Turntables make it easier to move heavy-duty alignment systems from bay to bay or from location to location. Slip plates allow a wheel to move freely while it is being adjusted. A tandem axle caliper can be used to measure the distance between axles of a semi-tractor. A rim-straightening tool can be sued to manually straighten dents and bends in wheel flanges or rims.
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