Method for assessing a condition of an axle of a moving vehicle

1. A method for assessing a condition of an axle of a moving vehicle, comprising:

for each outermost wheel assembly on an axle, contactlessly determining a distance from an associated fixed point not on the wheel, to a first identified location on the wheel assembly outer surface, along an associated fixed path while the vehicle is moving;

for each outermost wheel assembly on said axle, contactlessly determining a distance from said associated fixed point to a second identified location on the wheel assembly outer surface along said fixed path while the vehicle is moving; and

establishing a representation of the total toe associated with said axle of the moving vehicle using each of the determined distances to the respective first and second locations on the outer surfaces of each outermost wheel assembly on said axle.

2. The method of claim 1 for assessing a condition of an axle of a moving vehicle wherein said step of establishing said representation of total toe includes:

evaluating each of the determined distances to the respective first locations on the outer surfaces of each outermost wheel assembly on said axle, together with a fixed separation distance between each of said associated fixed points, to calculate a separation distance between said respective first locations on each of said outermost wheel assemblies on said axle;

evaluating each of the determined distances to the respective second locations on the outer surfaces of each outermost wheel assembly on said axle, together with said fixed separation distance, to determine a separation distance between said respective second locations on each of said outermost wheel assemblies on said axle; and

comparing the determined separation distance between the respective first locations and the determined separation distance between the respective second locations to determine a separation distance difference, said separation distance difference establishing said representation of the total toe associated with said axle of the moving vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 for assessing a condition of an axle of a moving vehicle wherein said step of establishing said representation of total toe includes subtracting each of the determined distances to the respective first locations on each of said outermost wheel assemblies on said axle from a sum of the determined distances to the respective second locations on each of said outermost wheel assemblies on said axle.

4. A method for assessing a condition of an axle of a moving vehicle, comprising:

for each outermost wheel assembly on opposite ends of an axle, contactlessly determining a distance, from an associated fixed point not on the wheel assembly, along an associated fixed path, to a first identified location on the wheel assembly outer surface while the vehicle is moving, and subsequently, a distance along said associated fixed path to a second identified location on the wheel assembly outer surface while the vehicle is moving;

combining said four determined distances together to provide a representation of the total toe associated with the axle of the moving vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said vehicle is moving non-orthogonally relative to at least one of said associated fixed paths.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said fixed path associated with an outermost wheel assembly at one end of said axle is parallel to said fixed path associated with an outermost wheel assembly at an opposite end of said axle.

7. A method for evaluating a condition of an axle of a moving vehicle, said axle having left and right outermost wheel assemblies, comprising:

moving said vehicle so as to impart a rolling movement to said left and right outermost wheel assemblies on said axle;

acquiring, for the left outermost wheel assembly, a first associated displacement measurement from a first fixed point to a first point on a surface of the left outermost wheel assembly along a first measurement axis, and, at a subsequent point in time during said movement of the vehicle, a second associated displacement measurement from the first fixed point to a second point on the surface along said first measurement axis;

acquiring, for the right outermost wheel assembly, a first associated displacement measurement from a second fixed point to a first point on a surface of the right outermost wheel assembly along a second measurement axis, and, at a subsequent point in time during said movement of the vehicle, a second associated displacement measurement from the second fixed point to a second point on the surface along said second measurement axis;

wherein a direction of said movement of the vehicle is independent of said first and second measurement axes; and

collectively combining each of said first and second displacement measurements associated with said left and right wheel assemblies to establish a representation of axle total toe.

8. The method of claim 7 further wherein collectively combining each of said first and second displacement measurements associated with said left and right wheel assemblies includes adding together said second displacement measurements associated with said left and right wheel assemblies to produce a sum, and subtracting from said sum, each of said first displacement measurements associated with said left and right wheel assemblies to establish said representation of said axle total toe.

9. The method of claim 8 further including transforming said representation of said axle total toe into an angular representation.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein a direction of said movement of the vehicle is non-orthogonal to each of said first and second measurement axes.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said representation of said axle total toe is established only from each of said first and second displacement measurements associated with said left and right wheel assemblies on said axle.