A computer-based method to facilitate detecting wheel imbalance, a tire pressure problem, or excessive tread wear on tires of a moving vehicle is disclosed. The method includes collecting (e.g., from an accelerometer of a mobile personal computing device) data that represents vibration that results, at least in part, from the vehicle's motion, and determining, with a computer-based processor, whether the moving vehicle has wheel imbalance, a tire pressure problem, and/or excessive tire tread wear based at least in part on the vibration data produced by the accelerometer (and, possibly other data), where the mobile personal computing device and the accelerometer are moving with the vehicle when the data is being collected.

A wheel-force dynamometer (1) for the measurement of forces and torques acting upon a vehicle tire (2a) and a vehicle wheel (2) using force sensors (4, 24, 44). The vehicle wheel (2) is mounted and able to rotate on a wheel axle. The wheel-force dynamometer (1) has a wheel axle that is in the form of a hollow shaft (9, 29, 49) which is hydrostatically mounted on a rigid, fixed in position bearing journal (3, 23, 43).

A wheel clamping system, for reversibly clamping a motor vehicle wheel with a rim onto a wheel servicing machine, includes a handle for acting on a rim of the wheel mounted on a rotatable spindle. The handle has a coupling surface for engaging with clamping jaws of a pull rod when the clamping jaws are open. The handle includes a force detecting device for determining an amount of force exerted by the handle on the rim of the wheel, and a signal emitter operatively connected to the force detecting device. The signal emitter is configured to wirelessly transmit a control signal to a signal receiver of the wheel balancer operatively connected to an actuator causing axial movement of the pull rod when the determined amount of force reaches a predefined threshold, such that the actuator is actuated and the wheel clamping system performs a reversible clamping operation.

For a vulcanized tire, after executing a third inspection step of inspecting an internal defect, a first inspection step of inspecting uniformity and a second inspection step of inspecting dynamic balance are executed. For the tire of which an internal defect is detected in the third inspection step, the first inspection step and the second inspection step are not executed and the inspection is over.

A vehicle wheel service apparatus that includes: a frame; a plurality of working tools, connected to the frame and movable to perform operations for mounting and/or demounting the tyre relative to the wheel rim; a shaft driven by an actuator rotationally about a longitudinal axis and connectable to the rim; a measuring system for generating vibration signals representing vibrations of the shaft produced by wheel imbalances; a control unit, connected to the measuring system to receive the vibration signals; a support device, connected to the frame and movable between an activated position, where it encircles the shaft while still allowing it to rotate, and a deactivated position, where it is spaced from the shaft; a connector, movable between a working position, where it mechanically connects the measuring system to the frame, and a rest position, where the measuring system is mechanically disengaged from the frame.

A dynamic balancer includes an outer housing and a spindle assembly rotatably mounted to the outer housing. A frameless motor assembly is connected to selected components of the spindle assembly. A chucking assembly receives a locking member to capture a tire therebetween. The chucking assembly and the locking member are captured in the spindle assembly and rotated by the frameless motor assembly. A spring-biased return cylinder may be used with the dynamic balancer to assist in capturing and releasing the locking member with respect to the chucking assembly. An adjustable encoder assembly may be associated with the motor assembly to monitor a rotational position of the tire and/or spindle assembly.

A computer and a method executable by the computer. The computer may include a processor and memory storing instructions executable by the processor. The instructions may include, to: receive sensor data from a sensor in a vehicle operating in a fully autonomous mode; using the data, determine a misalignment value; and based on the value, perform one of a plurality of vehicle driving functions that include stopping the vehicle.

A method is disclosed for mitigating wheel hop of a motor vehicle. The method may involve detecting an oscillation of a wheel speed of a driven wheel of the motor vehicle of the motor vehicle. When oscillation of the wheel is detected, a low amplitude, high frequency ripple braking signal is applied to a brake caliper associated with the wheel to modulate a braking action acting on the wheel.

A wheel balancer incorporates tire bead manipulating tools under control of a processing system to apply a clamping pressure to tire sidewall surfaces of a wheel assembly secured to a spindle shaft, facilitating the proper seating of tire beads to the wheel rim. The spindle shaft is operatively coupled to a drive motor and transmission system under control of the processing system, capable of operating in both a high speed, low torque regime and a low speed, high torque regime to rotate the wheel assembly during either an imbalance measurement procedure or a tire bead adjustment procedure. A load roller assembly, under control of the processing system, is disposed to selectively apply a radial force at a tire circumferential tread surface as the wheel assembly is rotated about the spindle axis, further facilitating the proper seating of the tire beads.

A balance adjustment method for a rotor includes an imbalance acquisition step of acquiring imbalance position and amount of the rotor after a first balance correction step of correcting balance of the rotor by cutting a compressor wheel side, an excision target section determination step of determining, based on the imbalance position and amount of the rotor, an excision target range including an imbalance correction position of the turbine wheel and a removal amount in the excision target range, and a second balance correction step of correcting the balance of the rotor by repeatedly irradiating the excision target range determined in the excision target section determination step with laser light from a laser marker device to remove by the removal amount from the turbine wheel.