Wheel alignment measurement method and system for vehicle wheels

A method of determining vehicle tire and wheel assembly alignment orientation, said method comprising:

• determining a rotational axis of a tire and wheel assembly mounted to a vehicle via an alignment sensor disposed adjacent an outward facing side of the tire and wheel assembly;
• imaging at least a portion of suspension components of the vehicle associated with the tire and wheel assembly with an imager disposed inwardly of the tire and wheel assembly;
• processing an image of the suspension components with a control, wherein said processing comprises identifying a pivot feature of the tire and wheel assembly;
• and
• determining a contrived line extending from the pivot feature and intersecting the rotational axis of the tire and wheel assembly, wherein the contrived line represents the steering axis of the tire and wheel assembly;
• wherein the pivot feature comprises an axially extending feature, and wherein said determining a contrived line extending from the pivot feature and intersecting the rotational axis of the tire and wheel assembly comprises determining a contrived line extending from the axis of the axially extending feature based on the three dimensional orientation of the axially extending feature.

A system for determining vehicle tire and wheel assembly alignment orientation on a vehicle, said system comprising:

• an imager mounted to view at least a portion of suspension components associated with a tire and wheel assembly of a vehicle from below the level of an underside of the vehicle;
• a device configured to image at least a portion of the tire and wheel assembly, wherein said device comprises said imager or an alignment sensor configured to be disposed adjacent an outward facing side of the tire and wheel assembly;
• a control, wherein said control is operative to receive images from said imager and identify a pivot feature for a steering component of the vehicle associated with the tire and wheel assembly, wherein said control is operative to determine a rotational axis of the tire and wheel assembly, and wherein said control determines a contrived line extending from the pivot feature and intersecting the rotational axis of the tire and wheel assembly with the contrived line representing the steering axis of the tire and wheel assembly, and wherein the pivot feature comprises an axially extending feature, and wherein said determining a contrived line extending from the pivot feature and intersecting the rotational axis of the tire and wheel assembly comprises determining a contrived line extending from the axis of the axially extending feature based on the three dimensional orientation of the axially extending feature.