SEMA Show: Hunter Demos Road Force WalkAway

Hunter Engineering Co. says its new Road Force WalkAway wheel balancer can cut tire changeover times by up to 45%.

"The key component for the dramatic timesaving is the WalkAway Inflation System, which automatically releases the inflation chuck when inflation is completed, allowing the machine to then perform the balance spin," say Hunter officials. "This greatly reduces the time spent inflating assemblies on the tire changer.

"The time saved frees up the technician to tend to other tasks during inflation, such as retrieving more assemblies from the vehicle, cleaning vehicle hubs, changing tires on the tire changer, installing and pre-torquing assemblies or removing old wheel weights."

When used in tandem with "a basic tire changer," the Road Force WalkAway can help technicians change tires up to 29% faster, according to Hunter officials. When paired with Hunter's Revolution tire changer, "the time savings jumps to a potential 45%.

"Measured in minutes, the time savings are approximately 10 minutes with a basic tire changer, 12 minutes with Hunter's Maverick tire changer and 15 minutes with Hunter's Revolution tire changer."

Other features include a new two-piece hood that enables the balancer to sit 4.5 inches closer to the wall; a new hood angle sensor to provide a smooth opening; and updated software.

Hunter is demonstrating the new Road Force WalkAway in its SEMA Show booth inside the lower South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.