Hunter Engineering Company

David M Scribner

Michael Wayne Douglas

Joel A Clasquin

Michael D Gerdes

William B Feero

Nicholas J Colarelli, Iii

Paul Daniel Parker

Micah Nathan Vaninger

A vehicle wheel assembly service system configured to acquire measurements of the physical characteristics of a vehicle wheel assembly such as during a vehicle wheel balancing procedure, with the functionality to obtain and utilize a measurement of a vehicle wheel assembly offset or rear spacing. The vehicle wheel assembly service system is configured to display the wheel assembly offset or rear spacing measurement to an operator, and optionally, to display guidance and/or installation instructions to the operator associated with the installation of the vehicle wheel assembly on a vehicle. The displayed guidance and/or installation instructions may optionally include fitment information, vehicle performance data, or vehicle braking data.

Method and apparatus determination of wheel assembly configuration

Methods and systems for a computer implemented method of analyzing a vehicle wheel assembly including a tire and a rim is provided. The method includes removably mounting a wheel assembly on a shaft having a longitudinal axis and being rotatable about the longitudinal axis to rotate the wheel assembly, applying a substantially radial force to the wheel assembly during rotation thereof, and measuring variations in the radial force from at least one of radial runout, tire uniformity, and tire flatspotting. The method also includes determining a condition of the wheel assembly based on a spectral density analysis of the measured variations.

Methods and systems for wheel balancer matching and flat spot correction

Methods and systems for facilitating weight placement on a vehicle wheel assembly that includes a tire and a wheel are provided. The method includes determining an imbalance characteristic associated with a plane of the vehicle wheel, determining a correction weight placement position associated with the determined imbalance characteristic, and directing a line of visible light at the determined weight placement position.

Methods and systems for wheel balancer weight placement aid

A method for determining weight display thresholds for static and dynamic imbalances and correction weights on a rotating body such as a vehicle wheel assembly, which vary with parameters of the rotating body, wheel and/or tire, and for displaying measured imbalances in relation to determined imbalance thresholds.

Vehicle wheel balancer system

A method for providing a centering check for a rotating body mounted on a wheel balancer which is based on measuring at least one imbalance parameter or tire runout of the rotating body. The rotating body is mounted on a spindle of the wheel balancer and an imbalance parameter or tire runout measurement taken. The mounting of the rotating body on the spindle is then altered, and a second measurement of the imbalance parameter or tire runout is taken. A processor in the wheel balancer utilizes the first and second measurements together with a threshold to provide an indication of off-center mounting of the rotating body one the spindle.

A method for providing a centering check for a rotating body mounted on a wheel balancer based on measuring at least one imbalance parameter and for determining weight display thresholds for static and dynamic imbalance correction weights which vary with parameters of the wheel and/or tire. The rotating body is mounted on a spindle of the wheel balancer and an imbalance parameter or runout measurement taken. The mounting of the rotating body on the spindle is then altered, and a second measurement of the imbalance parameter or runout is taken. A processor in the wheel balancer determines if the difference between the first and second measurements exceeds a predetermined threshold value, indicative of off-center mounting of the rotating body one the spindle. Upon centered mounting of the rotating body, imbalance measurements are acquired, and required correction weights are displayed to an operator if they exceed an identified imbalance threshold level.

A method of matching a tire to a wheel rim of a wheel to compensate for wheel rim run-out and tire force variations includes the steps of mounting a bare wheel on a spindle of a balancer and measuring the rim run-out, said wheel rim having a bead seat, mounting a tire on the wheel to form a wheel/tire assembly, mounting the wheel/tire assembly on the spindle and measuring tire force variation, determining a desired change in wheel rim run-out to reduce the tire force variation, removing the tire from the wheel, adding a shim to the bead seat of the wheel rim, the shim being selected to correspond to the desired change in wheel rim run-out, and remounting the tire on the wheel. The wheel shim is preferably elongate and has a width sized to fit in the bead seat of the wheel rim, the thickness of the wheel shim being substantially less than the width of the wheel shim, and the length of the wheel shim being substantially greater than the width of the wheel shim. The wheel shim has a bottom surface adapted to be disposed in the bead seat and has a top surface adapted to be in contact with the bead of a tire to be mounted on the wheel.

Wheel shim apparatus and method

Matching multiple wheel rims and tires based upon runout and force variation measurements using balancing equipment. Centering errors and mounting errors are also reduced or eliminated. The method includes adjusting the rotational positions of the tires with respect to the wheel rims to compensate for wheel rim run-out and wheel/tire assembly force variations. This is accomplished in one embodiment by sequentially mounting a plurality of wheel/tire assemblies on a spindle of a balancer, measuring the rim run-out for each assembly and the force variations for each assembly, marking each tire of each assembly to identify both the individual tire and the rotational position representing the first harmonic of the tire force variation at which each tire is mounted with respect to its wheel rim, removing each tire from its wheel rim, sequentially mounting the wheel rims with tires removed on the spindle of the balancer, measuring the rim run-out for each rim, and visually indicating to a user a preferred matching between the tires and the wheel rims to minimize assembly vibration.

Wheel balancer system with improved matching capabilities

A wheel balancer includes a method that provides a centering check for a wheel that is based on measuring wheel runout. The wheel is mounted on a spindle of the wheel balancer and runout measurements are taken. The wheel is remounted on the spindle and runout measurements are taken again. The wheel balancer has a processor that checks the differences in the runout measurements according to a predetermined threshold for proper centering. The wheel balancer can compensate for the difference in the runout measurements and can signal the user of the wheel balancer to remount the wheel.

Growing community of inventors

St. Charles, MO, United States of America

David M Scribner