Abstract |
With the vital need to conserve the nation's resources, there is an increasing demand for vehicle fuel economy. One factor that may considerably affect fuel consumption is tire rolling resistance. This report analyzes the effect of toe-in and toe-out on rolling resistance, based on the road load results of an EPA test program. It also correlates these results with the results of slip angle vs. rolling resistance data, found in the existing literature. Then a survey of vehicle safety inspections is used to approximate the number of vehicles in a misaligned state, and finally an estimate of the effect on fuel economy is discussed. |