Safe Shop Tools Inc has introduced the Tweel Handler 2000, a versatile tool that allows truck mechanics to remove, install, elevate, rotate, and transport single tire-and-wheel assemblies. The word “Tweel” is a streamlined version of “tire-and-wheel assemblies.”
Vertical range of wheel dollies is at most 7", which forces mechanics to hunker down to inspect tires, or to use a floor jack to raise the tire up to machines like balancers. The Tweel Handler has a built-in ratcheting jack with 26" of vertical travel. Placed at waist height so users don't have to stoop, the jack can raise or lower the tool's tire cradle as quickly as 3" a second, or as slowly as a controlled crawl, for fine adjustments.
The Tweel Handler's chassis is U-shaped, to allow users to get closer to the work area. Its tire cradle has a circular shape that allows unhindered access to the wheel for jobs like removing nuts. The tool's tire cradle doesn't need the restraining chains required by wheel dollies, yet it holds virtually any single truck wheel, including wide-base singles.
Three heavy-duty ball-bearing wheels are mounted under a ball-bearing swivel caster. This configuration makes the tool more maneuverable, especially during installation. Wheels move so smoothly that the rear wheel includes a foot brake. The Tweel Handler's two bottom rollers are angled back at 5°, so tires remain stable during transport, but nearly upright for easy alignment. The tire cradle has three additional rollers to make rotating tires a single-handed job.
Contact Safe Shop, PO Box 4206, Missoula MT 59806 for more information.