Third OEM approval for Hunter balancer
Mercedes-Benz is the latest vehicle manufacturer to grant global approval for the use of the new Hunter Road Force Touch wheel balancing system in its franchise dealer workshops. Although the balancer has only been on the market for a number of months and available in the UK since October, the Mercedes-Benz approval is the third of its kind that the Road Force Touch has received from a major vehicle manufacturer, following sign-offs from the Volkswagen Group and BMW. Exclusive national distributor Pro-Align also expects further OEM approvals for the Road Force Touch.
“To satisfy the ride quality and comfort levels being demanded by modern drivers, vehicle manufacturers are building increasingly sophisticated suspension systems on cars with ever tighter tolerances,” explains Pro-Align managing director Paul Beaurain. “It’s therefore essential that their franchise networks are capable of replicating those same exacting standards in an aftermarket environment, returning the car to how the manufacturer intended. When it comes to ride quality and vibration issues, the Road Force Touch is the only tool currently available which is fully capable of helping in this quest.”
Pro-Align describes the Road Force Touch as a unique wheel balancing system that can be used to solve the most difficult wheel vibration and ride quality issues. To simulate a real life road test, a load roller is applied to the wheel and tyre combination as part of the balancing process. Stiff spots in the tyre are identified and matched with any low spots in the wheel rim, cancelling or minimising any wheel vibration issues. Furthermore, the system can calculate any lateral force variation in the wheel and tyre assemblies and recommend the best on-vehicle position combination to minimise any drift or pull issues.
“Prior to the launch of the Road Force Touch, dealers simply had to rely on guesswork to try and eradicate those challenging vibration issues which can be the source of so many customer complaints,” continues Beaurain. “Thankfully, now this issue can be overcome in a quick and easy manner, using accurate diagnosis to deliver an optimum vehicle solution resulting in total customer satisfaction.”
In Pro-Align’s opinion, dealers investing in the equipment are expected to not only benefit from higher levels of customer satisfaction, but are also expected to “unlock a potentially lucrative new revenue stream by offering the service to other local workshops.”
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