DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024 AFTERMARKET 41 www.aftermarketonline.net more practical with a portable system and i-Lign knocks the ball out of the park when it comes to the functionality, capability and practicality it offers.” Data There is one area where garages need to take particular note however. Mark observed: “What is important these days is data. There are more and more vehicles on the roads and more and more variants of the models available from manufacturers. Take the humble VW Golf. We are on Mk 8 now and there are so many variants with differing suspension geometries, it’s mind-boggling. “An independent garage workshop offering servicing and repairs can usually afford to wait for vehicle data to filter its way through the system. It will be month’s maybe years before you work on, or service a new vehicle but, with the state of today’s roads, there’s every possibility you’ll see a relatively new car that needs some realignment of its suspension geometry much sooner. “Most wheel alignment equipment relies on quarterly, or six-monthly data updates but, a bit like a printed catalogue, the data, while accurate, will be incomplete almost immediately. Registration look-up generally works well but again, it’s getting the vehicle details from a static resource, and that is only as good as the last update that was installed.” Mark added: “Access to the most up-to-date alignment data is a huge benefit if you’re going to offer a comprehensive service to your customers and the Hofmann Megaplan megaline 88 Pro, which is a CCD system, is the first wheel alignment system to offer direct access to live data via the registration look-up. This is provided exclusively to ISN Garage Assist by Haynes, so the moment the data is available to them, it’s available to our customers too.” For more information, visit: https://bit.ly/464W06A Accurate As MAHA UK Workshop Equipment Specialist Louis Tunmore explained, wheel alignment is an important part of general car maintenance. This goes double if a car had been in a collision: “If a vehicle has experienced an impact and a technician then replaces its suspension component, for example, the insurance company or end-customer will want to see ‘all green ticks’ on the end of their wheel alignment report. “What’s more, staying with suspension repairs or even suspension tuning/lowering, that may change the attitude and geometry of the vehicle. In that case, a lift is going to be vital in supporting a technician in confirming accurate wheel alignment.” Louis continued: “Suspension geometry needs to be set correctly, according to the vehicle manufacturer’s specification, which will help tyres last longer, improve fuel economy and ensure motorists enjoy a better and safer drive – but where this specialised equipment comes into its own is if a workshop welcomes a vehicle that has been in a collision and requires mechanical work.” Garages may need specific vehicle lifts for this kind of work. Louis observed: “MAHA UK offers a variety of different lifts, but one of its most popular is the DUO CM, which is available in several specifications; for example, the U model is designed as an in-ground lift, while the A is for above ground. The DUO CM is available in either 4.2 tonne or 5.5 tonne versions, which means they’re capable of lifting those respective weights.” On what other specifics a workshop might need, Louis noted: “Typically, we’ll specify a wheel-free jack, which will lift all four wheels off the platform simultaneously. This would allow a technician to lower a vehicle onto sliding plates and turn-plates without any load in its suspension components. A technician could also lower a vehicle onto a set of corner-weight scales, to conduct a precise set-up of the vehicle they’re working on, particularly useful for racing cars. We also advise installing LED illumination for under a vehicle, so a technician can find components without wearing a head torch, holding a torch or placing a lamp under a vehicle – it helps both safety and efficiency. Mechanical locks also ensure a vehicle is secured into an exactly level position – absolute precision.” He added: “For an in-ground installation specifically, there is the option of automatic roll-off protection. Instead of having ‘flaps’ at the end of a lift that hinge up as it comes out of the ground, the lift has an automatic vertical rising end-stop that comes up. When a lift goes all the way down, the plate lowers, and a vehicle can roll on and off. This feature enables the entire length of the platform to be utilised.” For more information, visit: www.maha.co.uk Above: Supertracker says offering wheel alignment can be a smart strategy Left: Wheel alignment needs to be integrated within the overall offering of the garage
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