MOT Workshop 38 – Equipment Review – Wheel Alignment

As noted earlier, this equipment is essential for any modern MOT workshop, but it is also a significant contributor to sales revenue. The type of equipment required will depend on the sort of customers the Testing Station gets, the type of work most regularly carried out, and – inevitably – how much you want to pay. Here then are the key suppliers of this equipment, and what they have to offer:

Actia Muller (UK) Ltd

From, they claim, the pioneers of wheel alignment development, the latest Actia Muller solutions are claimed to maximize profit for MOT/ATL test lanes through added benefit testing. Actia Muller’s next generation of rapid laser alignment gauges feature Bluetooth connectivity to enable live data transfer to any suitable workshop PC for data storage, and to print out readings before and after adjustment. This equipment is claimed to be deal for increasing sales of alignment adjustment services in both MOT stations and fast-fit workshops. A complete range of entry-level laser equipment, as well as computerized systems are available.

Product Price: From £595 to £7750
Contact: Melanie Cox
Tel: 01686 611177
Fax: 01686 621068
E-mail: mail@actiamuller.co.uk
Web: www.actiamuller.co.uk

MOT Workshop Magazine

Bradbury Equipment

WCA86RF / CV – The new Computerised wheel aligner for cars, LCVs, buses & HGV! It is claimed to save time, and increase revenue…

• IR Wireless, 8 CCD cameras, 6 inclinometers, • Push-pull run out, • Input screen for ride height specs, • Quick alignment programme, • Camber adjustment in jacked up position • Exclusive screen for pre-loading positions • Spoiler programme • International vehicle database • 2D & 3D printouts”

Product Price: £6659 + VAT
Contact: Bradbury Sales Office
Tel: 01604 828648
Fax: 01604 609684
E-mail: sales@bradburyequipment.co.uk
Web: www.bradburyequipment.co.uk
Distribution: National network of major distibutors

MOT Workshop Magazine

Beissbarth UK

The Beissbarth Microline ML1800 is an entry level wheel alignment unit aimed at smaller body shops and garages.

It runs on a ‘user friendly’ Windows computer programme and includes car and van database details.

The unit comes in an easy glide cabinet and includes a colour printer for results for both customer presentation and workshop records. It offers complete wheel alignment based on geometric driving axis and users can use the clear graphics and displays to compare actual and reference data.

Product Price: £7100 including training
Contact: Nick Lauff
Tel: 0115 9380220
Fax: 0115 9380228
E-mail: enquiries@beissbarth.co.uk
Web: www:beisbarth.com
Distribution: Direct to end user

MOT Workshop Magazine

Pro-Align

Hunter’s HawkEye range of imaging four-wheel aligners is claimed to be the largest, most innovative and accurate currently on the market, which, they say, is simple to use, with low cost ownership and high productivity with the greatest return on investment. With a choice of configurations, the Hunter complies with all requirements. The Hunter HawkEye WA’s software is claimed to streamlines the alignment procedure, and ‘ShopResults’ enables customers to be sent the alignment results at home or at work, offering integrated ‘Codelink’ for reset of Steering Angle Sensor and much more. All supported by Pro-Align’s specialist guidance and aftersales service.

Product Price: Starting from £8995 + VAT – Hunter HawkEye Special
Contact: Kathryn Beaurain
Tel: 01327 323007 Fax: 01327 354529
E-mail: enquires@pro-align.co.uk Web: www.pro-align.co.uk
Distribution: Nationwide

MOT Workshop Magazine

Gemco Equipment Ltd

Dunlop Garage Equipment a division under GEMCO Equipment Ltd are able to supply a wide range of wheel alignment equipment including the very popular AGO40 two wheel optical alignment gauges. In addition to this product, they can offer four wheel aligners in a space saving wall mounted version or a mobile trolley version. All units include on-site operator training.

Product Price: POA
Contact: Sales Department
Tel: 01604 828500 Fax: 01604 633159
E-mail: sales@gemco.co.uk
Web: www,gemco.co.uk / www.dunlopge.co.uk
Distibution: Worldwide

MOT Workshop Magazine

Snap-on Equipment (Hoffman & John Bean)

Snap-on Equipment claim to offer world-leading wheel alignment expertise. Their range includes laser and the Prism aligner under the John Bean and Hofmann brands, as well as machines featuring the latest full 3D four-wheel alignment technology. A key benefit, they say, of 3D is the facility to take accurate alignment readings to OEM specification in under three-minutes from vehicle set-up. All John Bean Visualiner and Hofmann geolite and geoliner 3D wheel aligners are supplied with global OEM passenger car data for vehicles up to 25-years old, as well as after sales support, including a two-year warranty, installation, training and service.

Contact: Sales Department
Tel: 0118 966 9121 Fax: 0118 906 0046
E-mail: sales-soeuk@snapon.com Web: www.snapon-equipment.co.uk
Distribution: Via Snap-on Equipment’s distributor partners

MOT Workshop Magazine

Supertracker Ltd

Supertrackers claim their ‘Supertracker STR410R’ is the most popular Computer Aligner in this market sector, and that it offers all that is needed to generate a very handsome profit. Features include colour print out, cable free, on screen help data, vehicle data base, customer data base and SST technology. They also claim, “the ease of use and speed of the STR410R out sells the bells and whistles of the others”.

Product Price: P.O.A
Contact: Sales Team
Tel: 02380 443325
Fax: 02380 441844
E-mail: info@supertracker.com
Web: www.supertracker.com

MOT Workshop Magazine

Tyre Bay Direct

Trak-Rite XY from Tyre Bay Direct claims to be able to centre steering and check front and rear tracking and alignment quickly and efficiently. With sprung aluminium contact pins, which are gentle on alloys and a low clearance height (making it easier, they claim, to work on vehicles with low spoilers, suspension and wheel arches), the Trak-Rite XY is suitable for any vehicle. All measurements are clearly marked to be readable from any angle and as with all garage equipment from Tyre Bay Direct, full training and warranty are available.

Product Price: TBDWA02 Trax-Rite XY £1649
Contact: Mark or Leigh
Tel: 0845 900 2130 Fax: 01527 883588
E-mail: info@tyrebaydirect.com Web: www.tyrebaydirect.com
Distribution: UK & Europe

MOT Workshop Magazine

Tecalemit Garage Equipment Co Ltd

The Trackalign GTR 400 from Tecalemit is claimed to be a compact and ‘easy-to-use’ high precision 4-wheel laser alignment system with a high resolution class B laser. Manufactured, they say, to exacting standards, it has been developed by Tecalemit to provide rapid measurement of key vehicle geometry angles. It is suitable for measuring wheels of 12 – 23″ in diameter and has particularly low clearance measuring heads to clear front spoilers. An optional camber caster gauge is available which attaches via a magnetic hub. The system comes with a wall-mounted storage unit with the option of a trolley-mounted version being available.