Colorado repair shop owner invents tire installation tool

DENVER — File this one under the “Necessity is the mother of invention” maxim.

Kevin Robinson, a Denver-area car repair shop owner, has designed and patented a shop tool that is built to make tire rotations and new tire installations less strenuous, thereby minimizing the risk of injury from lifting heavy wheels and tires.

The product, dubbed TRAC (Tire Rotation Assistance Cart), was recognized at the recent SEMA Show as the best new product in the Tools & Equipment category.

• This story appears in the Dec. 23 print edition of Tire Business.

Mr. Robinson said he was inspired to design the TRAC after watching techs in his shop, Clean Cars of Denver, struggle with handling tires and wheels during tire servicing.

The TRAC is a mobile tool that supports and lifts/lowers the tire/wheel assembly and allows technicians to move the assembly from one wheel position to another without having to lift or lower it themselves.

The TRAC uses a Quick-Lift hydraulic pump that allows for precise height adjustments and support, Mr. Robinson said, and steel base rollers in the cradle to permit rolling the tire for precise alignment with the wheel studs.

Locking swivel-stem casters in the base provide mobility, while a telescoping support bar keeps tires securely in place.

The unit is designed to support up to 500 pounds and can accommodate tires with outside diameters of up to 43 inches, Mr. Robinson said.

Since showing the device at SEMA, Mr. Robinson has secured orders from the California and Colorado departments of transportation and is in negotiations with a major auto parts distribution chain about supplying it.

He said he contacted the American Lift Institute (ALI) about certification but was told since the TRAC's capacity is under 1,000 pounds and doesn't rely on a power source, it doesn't fit any of its categories.

In addition to the safety, ergonomic and productivity advantages of the TRAC, Mr. Robinson mentioned another potential benefit: less concern about damaging a customer's vehicle in a day and age where some vehicles come equipped with $5,000 custom brake rotor packages.

Mr. Robinson and his wife Jennifer have formed TRAC L.L.C. to support the new business venture.