BendPak Introduces New Ranger R80EX Tire Changer

BendPak has released the new Ranger R80EX tire changer featuring a dual-assist, tilt-back tower design.

The machine features a multi-profile traveling drop-center tool, top bead assist rollers, dual lower bead lifting discs and a nylon non-marring wheel restraint device.

The tilt-back design offers several advantages over swing-arm wheel-clamp tire changers, the company says. According to BendPak, it reduces operator fatigue because the head assembly is automatically moved away when the wheel assembly is ready to be removed from the turntable. When the next wheel is placed on the turntable, the operator presses the foot pedal, and the arm swings back into the correct position automatically.

Other key features of the R80EX include:

Multi-axis and adjustable bead loosener shovel blade that helps accommodate a larger variety of tire and wheel combinations;
Balanced flywheel that makes the machine run smoothly, reduces vibration and minimizes stress on other machinery components;
A 34-inch capacity turntable with adjustable hardened-steel RimGuard wheel clamps that broadens shops’ service range;
Maintenance-free gearbox with a large oil and grease reservoir to help provide efficient heat dissipation and improved lubrication for longer service life.

The Porsche 959 was another first to use a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) because it was equipped with the world’s first self-supporting run-flat tires made by Bridgestone. This TPMS setup was again used on the 928 for model years 1990 to 1994.

The early system used two sensors mounted 180 degrees apart in special holes in the valley of the wheel. The sensors looked like a stack of poker chips. A diaphragm inside the sensors connected to switches that were set to a reference pressure. The receiver was mounted on the knuckle and was an inductive coil that would pass current through the sensors. Depending on the position of the diaphragm and which switches were open or closed, the amount of current flowing through the receiver’s coil would change.