Abstract: A system for monitoring the alignment of the wheels, such as the front wheels, that control the steering of a vehicle is provided. The system includes a pair of alignment sensing devices that extend between each steering arm and a tie rod coupled to the arm, of the vehicle's steering assembly. The sensing devices include a pair of concentric tubes retained in a slidable relationship and an alignment sensing system. After the wheels are aligned, the tubes are coupled to the steering assembly and are slid relative to each other, until the sensing system indicates that the tubes are aligned, thus indicating that the wheels are aligned. The sensing system is activated whenever desired by an operator of the vehicle. The sensing system provides a first signal to indicate that the front wheels are aligned and a second signal to indicate that at the front wheels are not aligned.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for providing an on board sensor for determining the relative position of linkage members in an automobile linkage which connects a wheel to an automobile body. The sensor includes a trackable object which is configured to be physically coupled to a first linkage member. A tracking device that is suitable for association with a second linkage member is configured to be magnetically coupled to the trackable object so that the movements of the trackable object are tracked by the tracking device as a result of the magnetic coupling between the trackable object and the tracking device. A detector is configured to determine the position of the tracking device so that the determined position of the tracking device associated with the second linkage member determines the position of the first linkage member which is physically coupled to the trackable object.