Truck tire changer maintenance – tips

Your tire changer is prone to serious damage. Every day! This especially pertains to the high season. when you have to deal with hundreds of wheels. If you take proper care of various parts, you may keep it in intact condition.

Even the most reliable tire changers can get damaged. Obviously, this tool was designed to deal with thousands of wheels everyday. So, just a few tips on taking proper care of the tire changer.

These tips can be used in case of every tire changer. Regardless of the make or model. You just need to remember that some models may require additional maintenance jobs. Better consult your users’ manual on that.

After all, the tire changer is your tool that brings you money. If you take care of it, you would enjoy hassle-free use for many years.

Daily maintenance

Everyday, before you start working with a tire changer, better check its condition. It takes just a few minutes. Consider the few things you need to remember:

•check if all the nuts are tight

•check if all the connections are tight

•check if all the moving parts work properly – without any sudden brakes

•check for any air leaks on the pneumatic hoses. If you spot any, better replace them

•check if all the electrical cables are tight

•DO NOT start the tyre changer if you notice any problems on the electric cables – reach the support

After you’re done working with the tyre changer, it might be a good idea to clean the equipment. This pertains to the table, jaws, as well as guiding rails.

Weekly maintenance jobs

Once a week, do the following:

•clean the head’s arm (in the spring)

•remove the content from the water separator

Monthly maintenance jobs

Do the following once a month:

•check the oil level (oiler)

•check if the oil is distributed evenly (one movement of the bead breaker – one spot of oil in the oiler)

•check the belts’ tightness

You should also remember about:

•cleaning the pressure regulating valves (use compressed air, for instance)

•setting the arm

Checking the oil level

Regular oil level checking is important. In truck tire changers, you have to do it in two spots:

in the hydraulics

in the transmission

How to understand it? Let’s consider the procedures of checking the oil in our tire changers. In order to check the oil level in hydraulics, just use the dipstick.

In order to check the oil level in the transmission, you should do the following:

lower the arm with jaw handle to the lowest position,

•look through the speculum in the transmission’s tank

How about oil change?

Many forget about it. Yet, it’s really important. And we often hear from the client that their tire changer is working slowly. And we often ask them – when did they change oil in the tyre changer. And then we get a surprised look or a shrug of the shoulders.

Any oil loses its qualities after some time. As a mechanic, you perfectly know about it. And the rule of a thumb is – take care of changing the oil regularly. We all know that car engines which underwent the oil changes according to the Longlife schedule (like every 30 000 km) are more prone to damage than the ones in which the oil was changed every 10-15 000 km.

How often should you change the oil in the tire changer? This depends on the model. Better check your users’ manual. And act accordingly.

What if the manufacturer provides no information regarding the oil changes? A safe interval would be at least once a year. And in case of more intensively used tire changers, you may consider doing it twice a year.

Why is the oil so important? It affects the work of:

•bead breaker

•jaws

•whole pneumatic system

Also, the oil provides lubrication for the internal parts of the tire changer. Like various gaskets.

What oil should you choose for the tire changers?

See the manufacturer’s recommendation. In most cases it is transmission oil.

AVOID PNEUMATIC TOOLS OIL!

If the turntable is based on an electric motor, you should never use such oil. Obviously, in older generation of tire changers, where the turntable was powered pneumatically, you can use it. In most newer ones, it is not thick enough. So, it won’t provide proper lubrication.