Wheel balancer maintenance

Wheel balancer is the most important tool at a tyre bay. When it breaks down, it’s a huge problem. Check what you should do to make sure taht your balancer does not break down in the middle of the season. You can easily avoid it – just be sure to follow the maintenance tips.

First things first – be sure to turn the balancer on before the season.

You turned your balancer off after the last season and it is left unused since them? IT’S AN ERROR! Let’s say it again – a HUGE ERROR!

It is a good idea to turn the unit a few days before the season starts. Do not turn it on when the first cars start to show up. You don’t want to be surprised by errors or problems, do you?

Why turn it on earlier? If you keep it unused for some time, it may turn out that it requires calibration or other service procedures. Do you want to do that while the client looks at it? Just imagine what he thinks about you then…A professional unable to use their equipment would not make the best impression. The best case scenario is – they leave your tyre bay and go to your competition. In the worst – he’s going to publish negative feedback online.

Unit visual check-up

Start with checking the unit visually. First up – the thread. Here’s a list of things to look at:

• check for cracks,
• check if it is not loose,
• check if it rotates at the same speed all the time (no interruptions),
• check for possible damage of the thread.

If you notice any of the symptoms mentioned above, replace the thread immediately.

The quick coupling is just another part worth checking. Take a look at its thread. If it is damaged or seems overused, replace it with a new one.

How to recognize it is no longer good to use? A damaged one simply jumps on the thread – so it fails to work smoothly.

Centering cones are just another important part – make sure to check their condition. Look for possible damage on them. Obviously, if there’s missing paint or scratches – it is no problem. But there must not be any cracks or any other damage.

Turning balancer on

If you are turning the balancer on after the last season, it might be a good idea to perform calibration. How to do it? Check your users’ manual. Procedures may vary, depending on the unit.

If autocalibration produces no errors, it might be a good idea to balance one-two wheels. Just in case. Simply make sure that the wheel you are working on, fulfills the conditions:

• no centering rings
• rim is clean (no dirt, no weights on)
• clean centering hole

What if something fails to work?

Did you notice any electronic failures, do not repair it on its own. Better call the service support. Fixing it on your own can do more harm than good.

Total set

And one more things just at the end. Make sure you got all the parts at hand. That pertains to:

• quick couplings,
• centering cones,
• caliper (measuring wheels),
• pliers for putting weights on,
• a set of weights/valves

Check our wheel balancers.