At the top of the list, with oil changes and brakes, changing and repairing tires is one of the most common jobs at your local repair shop. A good tire changer will, with regular maintenance and some repairs, last for many years.
Times are a changing in the tire-changing world! The days of easy steel rims and regular valve stems are fast disappearing. These days there are “soft” aluminum rims, tires with stiff sidewalls and TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) valve stems that, if serviced improperly, can break. Click here to see how we change tires with TPMS. Keep this in mind when shopping for a new tire changer.
When you’re in the market for a tire changer, it’s hard to differentiate between all of the different brands out there, each company trying to put their best foot forward in a bid to win over your trust and loyalty. Each brand then has a variety of tire changer models, fashioned to meet the needs of specific niches. Here’s how you can easily select the right changer for you from Eagle Equipment.
Size Matters! What type and size of wheels do you want to work on?
The size of the wheel: Before you shop for a tire changer, you need to know what size tires you will be changing. Look at the rim diameter of the tires to be changed; 20 to 24 inch diameter is the common measurement of most wheels. If you want to go smaller, like motorcycles …. Or larger, like truck tires … that will determine if a different changer is needed.
The type of wheel: Light trucks will utilize a different tire changer from heavy-duty trucks. There are also shops that specialize in run flat tires or low profile wheels. Such tires require special tire changers because the ordinary models may not be able to handle too well.
The style tire shop that you are: Do you do a lot of tires? Are you just getting started? Do you want to be able to work on specialty tires or large truck-tires? The tire changer you choose will determine the style of shop you are.
With these factors in mind, we now need to look at the different types of tire changers available from Eagle. Each style has been designed for specific needs. Now that you know what type of tires you want to work on, here is how to easily find the one that fits. Continue reading Tire Changers: Breaking it Down
