Wheelfloat(TM) Aims to Revolutionize Auto Service Industry

New Wheel Dolly Simplifies Tire-Changing, Speeds Service, Reduces Injury Risk

SOUTHLAKE, Texas, June 27 -- Anyone who has ever changed a tire has wished there was a better way. Now, the creator of the Wheelfloat(TM) wheel dolly aims to make traditional tire-changing a thing of the past. The invention is a wish come true for vehicle maintenance professionals, particularly those who work with SUVs and light trucks, as well as serious auto enthusiasts and classic car collectors.

Wheelfloat designer JD Snook of Southlake, Texas, believes the new tool will revolutionize the tire, brake and auto service industry by improving safety, boosting productivity, and reducing costs. Snook says, "With larger tires and rims, there's more chance for injuries and strain, and each change can take longer. Wheelfloat can reduce injuries and costs." Each year, work- related musculoskeletal disorders - including back injury - cost the economy some $13 billion, and when workers return to work after an injury, reduced productivity costs businesses $61 billion annually.

Today's SUV and light truck wheels can weigh more than 100 pounds. Snook notes, "Even lifting a 50-pound wheel exposes workers to forces many times the lifting limits recommended by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The need for Wheelfloat is even greater when you factor in the rising costs for medical care and workers' compensation. It can pay for itself many times over."

Unlike other tools on the market, Wheelfloat's unique patent-pending design does not require pumping or winching and uses no batteries, making it ideally suited to high-volume shop operation where cycle time is critical.

Snook's creation uses a gas-traction-powered design to store the operator's own energy exerted while standing in a comfortable upright position. The dolly converts the energy to an upward lifting force. When the gas spring is released with a hydraulic release button, the stored energy takes the strain of lifting away from the operator when mounting the wheel on the hub. The dolly can be locked in any position allowing both hands to be free to rotate and attach the wheel to the hub. Demonstration images on the website, http://www.wheelfloat.com/, show the ease of use.

Wheelfloat is the only dolly on the market specifically designed for the light truck and passenger vehicle market and is designed to accommodate most single and dual wheels up to 130 pounds and 35 inches in diameter. Other product features include:

  -- No adjustment needed between different wheel sizes
  -- Ideal for European lug bolt type wheels
  -- Lifts tire and wheel up to 11 inches off the ground

Wheelfloat costs $979; volume discounts are available. Wheelfloat may be ordered online at http://www.wheelfloat.com/.