Method and system for determining symmetry and Ackermann geometry status of the steering system of a vehicle

A system for determining symmetry of the steering system of a vehicle of a type having first and second steerable wheels normal to a common axis when the wheels are aligned to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, wherein the system is configured to connect to a measurement device for generating toe angle signals representative of toe angles of the steerable wheels, the system comprising:

• a processor for processing data;
• a memory;
• a data storage device for storing data;
• an input device for inputting data;
• and
• a bus coupling to the input device, the memory, the data storage device, and the processor;
• the data storage device bearing instructions to cause the system upon execution of the instructions by the processor to perform the machine-implemented steps of:
• a) receiving a first signal representative of a first measured toe angle of the first steerable wheel when the second steerable wheel is positioned in a first direction at a reference toe angle;
• b) receiving a second signal representative of a second measured toe angle of the second steerable wheel when the first steerable wheel is positioned in a second direction at the reference toe angle, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle;
• and
• c) determining symmetry of the steering system based on the first measured toe angle and the second measured toe angle.

A system for determining symmetry of the steering system of a vehicle of a type having first and second steerable wheels normal to a common axis when the wheels are aligned to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, wherein the system is configured to connect to a measurement device for generating toe angle signals representative of toe angles of the steerable wheels, the system comprising:

• a processor for processing data;
• a memory;
• a data storage device for storing data;
• an input device for inputting data;
• and
• a bus coupling to the input device, the memory, the data storage device, and the processor;
• the data storage device bearing instructions to cause the system upon execution of the instructions by the processor to perform the machine-implemented steps of:
• a) receiving a first signal representative of a first measured toe angle of the first steerable wheel when the second steerable wheel is positioned in a first direction at a first toe angle;
• b) receiving a second signal representative of a second measured toe angle of the second steerable wheel when the first steerable wheel is positioned in a second direction at a second toe angle, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle;
• c) generating a normalized first measured toe angle based on the difference between the first toe angle and a predetermined angle stored in the data storage device;
• d) generating a normalized second toe angle based on the difference between the second toe angle and the predetermined angle;
• and
• e) determining symmetry of the steering system based on the normalized first measured toe angle and the normalized second measured toe angle.

A system for determining Ackermann geometry status of the steering system of a vehicle of a type having first and second steerable wheels normal to a common axis when the wheels are aligned to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, wherein the system is configured to connect to a measurement device for generating toe angle signals representative of toe angles of the steerable wheels, the system comprising:

• a processor for processing data;
• a memory;
• a data storage device for storing data;
• an input device for inputting data;
• and
• a bus coupling to the input device, the memory, the data storage device, and the processor;
• the data storage device bearing instructions to cause the system upon execution of the instructions by the processor to perform the machine-implemented steps of:
• a) receiving a first signal representative of a first toe angle of the first steerable wheel;
• b) receiving a second signal representative of a second toe angle of the second steerable wheel when the first steerable wheel is positioned at the first toe angle;
• c) calculating a theoretical Ackermann angle based on a wheelbase value representing the length of the vehicle's wheelbase, a track width value representing the length of the vehicle's track width, and the first toe angle;
• and
• d) determining Ackermann geometry status of the steering system based on the second toe angle and the theoretical Ackermann angle.

A system for plotting an Ackermann curve for the steering system of a vehicle of a type having first and second steerable wheels normal to a common axis when the wheels are aligned to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, wherein the system is configured to connect to a measurement device for generating toe angle signals representative of toe angles of the steerable wheels, the system comprising:

• a processor for processing data;
• a memory;
• a data storage device for storing data;
• an input device for inputting data;
• and
• a bus coupling to the input device, the memory, the data storage device, and the processor;
• the data storage device bearing instructions to cause the system upon execution of the instructions by the processor to perform the machine-implemented steps of:
• a) receiving first signals representative of first toe angles of the first steerable wheel when the steerable wheels are being turned to a first direction;
• b) receiving second signals representative of second toe angles of the second steerable wheel when the steerable wheels are turned to the first direction;
• c) calculating theoretical Ackermann angles based on a wheelbase value representing the length of the vehicle's wheelbase, a track width value representing the length of the vehicle's track width, and the first toe angles;
• and
• e) displaying an Ackermann curve of the steering system based on the second toe angles and the theoretical Ackermann angles.

A method for determining Ackermann geometry status of the steering system of a vehicle of a type having first and second steerable wheels normal to a common axis when the wheels are aligned to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, wherein the system is configured to connect to a measurement device for generating toe angle signals representative of toe angles of the steerable wheels, the method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

• a) receiving a first signal representative of a first toe angle of the first steerable wheel;
• b) receiving a second signal representative of a second toe angle of the second steerable wheel when the first steerable wheel is positioned at the first toe angle;
• c) calculating a theoretical Ackermann angle based on a wheelbase value representing the length of the vehicle's wheelbase, a track width value representing the length of the vehicle's track width, and the first toe angle;
• and
• d) determining Ackermann geometry status of the steering system based on the second toe angle and the theoretical Ackermann angle.

A system for determining symmetry of the steering system of a vehicle of a type having first and second steerable wheels normal to a common axis when the wheels are aligned to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, wherein the system is configured to connect to a measurement device for generating toe angle signals representative of toe angles of the steerable wheels, the system comprising:

• processor means for processing data;
• memory means;
• data storage means for storing data;
• input means for inputting data;
• and
• bus means coupling to the input means, the memory means, the data storage means, and the processor means;
• the data storage means bearing instructions to cause the system upon execution of the instructions by the processor means to perform the machine-implemented steps of:
• a) receiving a first signal representative of a first measured toe angle of the first steerable wheel when the second steerable wheel is positioned in a first direction at a reference toe angle;
• b) receiving a second signal representative of a second measured toe angle of the second steerable wheel when the first steerable wheel is positioned in a second direction at the reference toe angle, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle;
• and
• c) determining symmetry of the steering system based on the first measured toe angle and the second measured toe angle.

A system for determining symmetry of the steering system of a vehicle of a type having first and second steerable wheels normal to a common axis when the wheels are aligned to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, wherein the system is configured to connect to a measurement device for generating toe angle signals representative of toe angles of the steerable wheels, the system comprising:

• processor means for processing data;
• memory means;
• data storage means for storing data;
• input means for inputting data;
• and
• bus means coupling to the input means, the memory means, the data storage means, and the processor means;
• the data storage means bearing instructions to cause the system upon execution of the instructions by the processor means to perform the machine-implemented steps of:
• a) receiving a first signal representative of a first measured toe angle of the first steerable wheel when the second steerable wheel is positioned in a first direction at a first toe angle;
• b) receiving a second signal representative of a second measured toe angle of the second steerable wheel when the first steerable wheel is positioned in a second direction at a second toe angle, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle;
• c) generating a normalized first measured toe angle based on the difference between the first toe angle and a predetermined angle stored in the data storage device;
• d) generating a normalized second toe angle based on the difference between the second toe angle and the predetermined angle;
• and
• e) determining symmetry of the steering system based on the normalized first measured toe angle and the normalized second measured toe angle.

A system for determining symmetry of the steering system of a vehicle of a type having first and second steerable wheels normal to a common axis when the wheels are aligned to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, wherein the system is configured to connect to a measurement device for generating toe angle signals representative of toe angles of the steerable wheels, the system comprising:

• processor means for processing data;
• memory means;
• data storage means for storing data;
• input means for inputting data;
• and
• bus means coupling to the input means, the memory means, the data storage means, and the processor means;
• the data storage means bearing instructions to cause the system upon execution of the instructions by the processor means to perform the machine-implemented steps of:
• a) receiving a first signal representative of a first toe angle of the first steerable wheel;
• b) receiving a second signal representative of a second toe angle of the second steerable wheel when the first steerable wheel is positioned at the first toe angle;
• c) calculating a theoretical Ackermann angle based on a wheelbase value representing the length of the vehicle's wheelbase, a track width value representing the length of the vehicle's track width, and the first toe angle;
• and
• d) determining Ackermann geometry status of the steering system based on the second toe angle and the theoretical Ackermann angle.

A system for determining symmetry of the steering system of a vehicle of a type having first and second steerable wheels normal to a common axis when the wheels are aligned to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, wherein the system is configured to connect to a measurement device for generating toe angle signals representative of toe angles of the steerable wheels, the system comprising:

• processor means for processing data;
• memory means;
• data storage means for storing data;
• input means for inputting data;
• and
• bus means coupling to the input means, the memory means, the data storage means, and the processor means;
• the data storage means bearing instructions to cause the system upon execution of the instructions by the processor means to perform the machine-implemented steps of:
• a) receiving first signals representative of first toe angles of the first steerable wheel when the steerable wheels are being turned to a first direction;
• b) receiving second signals representative of second toe angles of the second steerable wheel when the steerable wheels are turned to the first direction;
• c) calculating theoretical Ackermann angles based on a wheelbase value representing the length of the vehicle's wheelbase, a track width value representing the length of the vehicle's track width, and the first toe angles;
• and
• e) displaying an Ackermann curve of the steering system based on the second toe angles and the theoretical Ackermann angles.