Magazine for the professional tire industry
Issue link: https://mtd.epubxp.com/i/664171
Quik-Link: 800-687-1557 ext. 15118 RavAmerica, Nick McCullough, managing director: Improper lubing of the bead can make the task much more diffcult and can even result in damage to the tire or rim. It is important to lube the outside of each tire bead and the inside of the upper bead. Another practice commonly not adhered to is to keep the bead of the tire within the drop center area of the wheel. If your tire changer is equipped with one helper arm it is common to see the operator push the bead too far downward to compensate for the lack of a second and third helper arm. The most common source of balancing error is improper mounting. Mount the wheel using proper adaptors that simulate how the wheel is mounted on the vehicle. Be sure to determine which surface on the wheel is truly the centering surface and mate the right adaptor to that reference surface. The new RAV GP7340RS greatly simplifes the mounting process with its unique pneumatically driven locking of the wheel which provides better centering than a conventional wingnut. Another source of balancing issues is improper programming of the balancing machine. Most balancers require operator input for programming. Many balancers use data arms for programming and these devices require calibration. The new RAV GP7.340 SCAN bypasses the possibility of both operator error and data arm inaccuracy. A third common mistake is improper placement of wheel weights on the rim. If a balancing machine depends on the human eye for weight placement, it is fairly easy to be off target enough to cause a vibra- tion issue. Machines like the RAV GP7.340 utilize a laser pointer that indicates the spot where the weight must be located. ■ Hennessy says the Coats brand 8-Piece Collet Set provides a du- rable and precise mounting method that replicates the mounting of the wheel on the vehicle. Flange plates are valuable when servicing high performance and ultra high performance tires because they prevent adaptors from contact- ing the fnished surface of the wheel when mounted on the balancer. The Hunter fange plate can handle almost any rim up to a 160 mm bolt circle and three- to eight-lug wheels. 30 Feature