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In the early days of the automobile, as pneumatic rubber tires went into widespread use not unlike now, they had a relatively limited life expectancy. Replacement of worn tires was a robustly performed task using a sledge and a tire iron to remove or replace the rubber from the wheel. There was little concern for scratches created along wheel’s circumference from the use of the tire irons to remove and replace tires.

Later the tire changing machines proved to make the task of removal and replacement of tires much easier and faster. These machines still used steel tire irons or tire spoons incorporated with the machines and these devices still caused scratching to occur on the circumference of the steel wheels. In the 1960’s fancier aluminum alloy wheels started to emerge on the scene. By the 1990’s automobile manufacturers start to entirely abandon steel wheels in favor of the alloy constructed wheels. Alloy wheels were more uniquely versatile to styling, lightweight and led to increases in wheel diameters. This created challenges for existing tire changing equipment and automotive shop operators because the alloy wheel could be more easily damaging by steel tire mount and demount tools. Alloy wheels are expensive, attractive, easy to scratch and damage.

To combat the potential for damage to alloy wheels by tire changing equipment, tire changer suppliers began to fashion or machine the steel mount demount tools to accept plastic wheel protector inserts. The plastic inserts between the alloy wheel and the steel mount demount tools proved as an effective means to prevent damage to expensive alloy wheels. These plastic inserts are now widely used on all tire changing equipment and sacrifice themselves during use to protect the wheels. The protective inserts must be frequently replaced by shop operators to avoid the potential for costly damage to wheels caused by steel demount mount tools directly contacting the alloy wheel surface.

There are hundreds of different models of modern tire changing machines available and all of them use their own uniquely designed plastic alloy wheel protector inserts. These inserts are made in many different shapes, sizes, and profiles to fit the many different makes of machines encountered in use in the field today. Shop operators are keenly aware of maintaining a good supply of plastic inserts so at a moments notice they can properly replace a customer’s worn tires on their tire changing equipment without damage.

INSACOA is a leading supplier for all the various plastic inserts found in use on tire changing machines and is trusted by many shops as their supplier of choice. To learn more about the wide array of plastic inserts or plastic mount demount tools for changer machines, plastic contact INSACOA today. Don’t forget to ask about all the other things INSACOA can help shop operators with as well.