Wheel Alignment Calculator

Project Background

Adjusting wheel alignment at home (string or laser alignment) traditionally requires complex manual calculations. The goal of this project was to create a precise calculation tool to eliminate human error when measuring toe-in and toe-out. The tool is designed for DIY mechanics who want to align front wheels accurately without expensive professional equipment.

Technical Implementation and UX

The application is built with Next.js and styled using module.scss, ensuring high performance and a modular codebase. The UX focus was on providing the user with the exact measurement values instantly, formatted for easy reading in a garage environment.

Key Features:

• Automatic Correction: The calculator accounts for rear-wheel toe effects, providing a pre-corrected value for the front wheels.
• Pre-calculated Reference: The app explicitly tells the user the value to add or subtract from the rear rim measurement to determine the correct front rim measurement.

How it Works

The app’s output guides the user during the physical measurement, assuming a fixed laser line distance from the rim:

1. Toe-in: If the result is "1 mm toe-in per wheel," the user must add 1 mm to the distance measured from the rear edge of the rim to the laser line. This new value is then measured at the front edge of the rim.
2. Toe-out: If the result is "1 mm toe-out per wheel," the user must subtract 1 mm from the distance measured from the rear edge of the rim to the laser line. This new value is then measured at the front edge of the rim.

Lessons and Results

This project demonstrated how a complex physical measurement process can be simplified into a digital utility. The main challenge was integrating the compensation for rear-wheel angles into the formula so that the end-user can focus on the mechanical adjustment rather than the mathematics.

Links and resources:

• 🌐 Live Project: Aurauskulmat (In Finnish)
• 💻 Source Code: GitHub