Cars are one of the best inventions of mankind. It made traveling from one place to another easier, even with traffic congestion because of so many cars on the road. Having a car in this day and age is a privilege that not everyone enjoys.
But cars, like other man-made inventions, are feeble objects that can be damaged and broken. That’s why auto repair shops are great business ventures because there are always cars that need to be serviced and maintained.
You can run an auto repair shop with just your skills, a toolbox, and a few pieces of equipment, but why settle for those? Find out what you can invest in to make your job easier and better with the help of few basic equipment upgrades:
Tire Balancing
Wheels are arguably one of the most important parts of a car. No car can run without wheels that allow mobility and movement. Most car troubles often deal with flat, punctured, or imbalanced tires that can lead to accidents and mishaps on the road.
Imbalanced wheels can be difficult to diagnose on their own. Sometimes, it manifests itself by causing the steering wheel to rock back and forth while being driven. This alone is a safety hazard that can be dangerous to the driver and the other cars and passengers with them.
Having a reliable car wheel balancer in your shop can lessen the accidents that can happen because you will diagnose the imbalance right away. Ensure that your equipment is not worn-out or misaligned because that can lead to more troubles for your clients down the road.
Air Compressors
Pressurized air can come in different packages — in portable, gas-driven, single or two-stage, and truck-mounted automotive air compressors. You should find an appropriate air compressor model depending on the type of jobs you want to service in your shop.
Most air compressors rely on a motor that can build up pressure to create compressed air within the tanks. This air, in turn, can be used to power pneumatic equipment such as impact wrenches or other air tools for heavy usage.
If you don’t think that you’re going to use the air compressor that much, you can go for a portable type best for light usage. For instance, you can use it to power caulk, spray, or glue guns, as well as to inflate tires or rafts.
No matter where you’re going to use the air compressor, it will be better to have one than none at all. You never know when you’ll need pressurized air, so having even a small, portable air compressor in your shop can be good preparation.
Car Lifts
Working on the car’s underside can be a hassle if you don’t have the right equipment to use on it. A creeper seat can only do so much to help you ease yourself under the car, even with the assistance of car jacks and jack stands to raise the car’s bodice.
But why go through all that trouble if you can use a sturdy car lift to do the work for you? Car lifts can come in two, four-post lifts, low or mid-rise lifts, and single or mobile column lifts. You should find a lifting system appropriate for the types of jobs you want to service in your shop.
If you’re low on space inside the shop, then you can opt for mobile lifts that can easily be pushed aside when you no longer need them. That way, you can still work on the underside of your clients’ cars using as much space as you need and then have the free space to work on other tasks afterward.
Automotive Spray Booth
Although technically, paint jobs aren’t a necessity but rather an option to enhance a car’s appearance, having an automotive spray booth in your shop couldn’t hurt your reputation. In fact, it could be an additional service that you can provide to your clients who want a paint job along with their repairs.
Most spray booths are designed to release paint through high airflow that has fast curing speeds. This is done to make sure that the paint dries evenly. Some booths can even control the level of volatile organic compounds within the environment, so they can work efficiently and safely.
You can find plenty of automotive spray booths in the market that can fit the kind of jobs you want to service. There are different sizes and configurations to choose from, so make sure that you check out all the available models before deciding on one.
Running an auto repair shop is no easy task, but having dependable tools and equipment that can make your job easier is surely a good motivation. To make your business the best in the field, try to stay on top of the latest trends and innovations in automotive equipment.