ALI Elects Board Members, Chairman
During its annual membership meeting, held in conjunction with the AAPEX/SEMA shows in Las Vegas, Automotive Lift Institute members re-elected Douglas Grunnet, Stertil KONI USA, as chairman of the board of directors. Also elected to the board were: Jerry Lentz, Challenger Lifts; Gary Kennon, Vehicle Service Group; Gary DiAngelo, Wheeltronic Ltd.; Jeff Kritzer, BendPak Inc.;
Product Spotlight: Tire Changers
One of the most important pieces of equipment in any tire shop, the tire changer can be a simple, welded steel-tube device to raise a tire and wheel to comfortable work height up to a nearly fully automated tire-changing robot. There are many features to consider: roller or shovel-type bead separators, integrated tire inflation systems,
Vertical Scissors Alignment Lift
Unlike parallelogram-style scissor lifts that require more floor space due to lateral lifting, BendPak’s newest heavy-duty Quatra quad-opposing scissors design has no horizontal movement. This gives the lift a compact footprint that fits smaller bays and work areas, according to the company. Additionally, all integral system components are enclosed within the runways to protect them
Product Spotlight: Shop Air Compressors
Air compressors are the heart – or maybe it’s better to say the lungs – of any tire shop. Not only have they traditionally provided compressed air to inflate tires, but they are the essential engine of the dozens of air-powered tools found in a typical tire and auto service center. There are seemingly as
New Ranger Heavy-Duty Brake Lathe
BendPak said its redesigned Ranger RL-8500XLT heavy-duty combination brake lathe features an extended capacity spindle that can turn heavy drum rotors up to 10 inches deep. The maker added that the new brake lathe features unlimited feed rate settings to allow the user to modify resurfacing rates with an easy turn of the dial from
Product Spotlight: Lifts
The features and benefits of automotive lifts keep improving. With so many options to choose from – two-post, four-post, scissor, in-ground, above ground, etc. – making a selection can require quite a bit of research.BendPak said its new XPR-9FS is a full-featured, two-post lift sporting a 113-inch column height and a maximum rise of six
Product Spotlight: Tire and Wheel Balancers
Tire and wheel balancers continue to become more sophisticated. Many now incorporate onboard LCD touch screens with easy-to-understand graphics and step-by-step instructions to help even inexperienced tire technicians properly perform each procedure. unbalance detection. These sensors are extremely sensitive and offer superior long-term stability. LED rolling wheel indicators show weight positions as the wheel rolls
Height-Adjustable Spreader From Ranger
BendPak/Ranger has developed a heavy-duty, height-adjustable tire spreader specifically to ease the strain placed on technicians. The Ranger TS-150 tire spreader quickly lifts tires to a convenient working height for superior productivity, efficiency and speed, the company said. With air-powered ergonomic controls, lifting and spreading operations only require the strength to move a joystick. The
Ranger’s Extra-Long Floor Jack Reaches a New Low
Ranger Products, a division of BendPak, recently entered a niche market with a new RFJ-3000LPF Low Rider Super-Long Floor Jack. Specifically designed to cater to the automotive service needs of low ground clearance vehicles, the Ranger RFJ-3000LPF features a lowered height of 2-3/4 inches and a 34-inch long chassis. With these dimensions, the jack is
Ranger’s NextGen Tire Changers are Shop-Tested
BendPak/Ranger has updated its entire line of tire changing equipment, with seven new NextGen tire changer models already shipping from BendPak’s Santa Paula, Calif., facility. “We wanted to rethink everything about how people change tires," said Jeff Kritzer, senior vice president of BendPak sales and marketing. “To do that, we knew we had to rebuild