Triumph NTC-950 and NTB-550: the smallest complete wheel bay Triumph sells

This is the entry point into the Triumph wheel-service range, and what defines it is not what it lacks — it is how little room and how little weight it takes to become a full tyre shop. The changer measures 56 x 40 x 80 inches assembled and crates at 700 lbs; the balancer measures 28 x 47 x 56 inches and crates at 325 lbs. Both run on 110 volts. There is no assist arm to swing and no electronics to set up, which is exactly why the pair drops into a corner of a general workshop that could not take anything larger.

The current listing describes it as suited to a commercial shop working on cars and light trucks, and that is a fair summary. It is not the machine for a bay dominated by run-flats — those want a powered assist arm — but for the conventional fitments that make up most of the work, it is a complete and self-contained pair.

Will It Fit?

The checks below belong to the buyer. Do them before the order, not after the truck.

• Changer. 56 x 40 x 80 inches assembled (1,422mm x 1,016mm x 2,032mm). Note the height as well as the plan: 80 inches is a tall machine in a low bay or a basement.
• Balancer. 28 x 47 x 56 inches assembled (711mm x 1194mm x 1422mm), plus clearance above for the safety hood.
• Power. Both machines are 110 volt. No three-phase supply, no transformer, no service upgrade.
• Air. The changer works to a maximum of 120 PSI and takes its air from your compressor through a regulated, dried line. Our data publishes no required flow rate, so set the compressor from the machine's manual.
• The way in. The changer crate is 51 x 38 x 51 inches at 700 lbs; the balancer follows at 325 lbs. Two crates, both beyond hand-carrying. Check doorways, thresholds and the turn at the end of the corridor.

What the NTC-950 does, and what it leaves to you

It clamps from the inside across 16-28 inches, grips from the outside to 26 inches, takes wheels up to 15 inches wide and tyres up to 43 inches in diameter, and breaks beads with 5,500 lbs of force from a 1 1/2 HP motor. The Jet Blast Inflation system is the feature worth knowing about: a concentrated burst of air fired into the sidewall so a reluctant bead seats during inflation instead of after several attempts and a bad idea involving a ratchet strap.

What it does not include is a powered arm to hold the bead down. For ordinary passenger and light-truck tyres that is not a limitation — the mount head and a tyre bar have always done that work. It becomes a limitation on stiff-sidewall run-flats, which resist being folded into the rim's drop centre. Knowing which of those describes your day is the single most useful thing you can do before choosing between this changer and its assist-arm siblings.

The balancer, and the pedal that makes it worth having

The NTB-550's foot-pedal wheel brake sounds like a footnote and is not. Applying weights to a wheel that turns under your hand is slower and less precise than applying them to a wheel that is locked, and the pedal locks it without using a hand. That is the whole feature and it holds up under a hundred repetitions a week.

Set-up data is entered by hand — rim width, diameter and offset, every wheel, no automatic reading. It is the trade that puts this pair at the bottom of the range. Measurement itself is unaffected: +/-1 gram accuracy, a 6-9 second cycle, wheels from 10-28 inches, tyres up to 44 inches, rim widths of 1 1/2-20 inches, up to 150 lbs on a 36 mm shaft, displaying in standard or metric.

Perfect For

• A general repair shop that wants to stop sending wheels down the road to be balanced.
• A start-up tyre business buying its first complete pair with the floor space it actually has.
• Cars and light trucks on conventional tyres — the work this pair was specified for.
• Tight units and shared bays, where the machine that fits is the machine that gets used.

What's in the Box

Changer: a metal demount head, a plastic demount head, plastic wheel clamp covers, a tyre iron, and a lube bucket with brush.

Balancer: a plastic safety hood, a quick-release wing nut, cone adapters, a wheel weight hammer, and a rim caliper.

The compressor, air line and electrical connection are yours to provide.

Specifications

NTC-950 tire changer

NTB-550 wheel balancer

Certification, stated plainly

There is no third-party safety listing in the data we hold for either machine, and a page that reads well is not a reason to imply one. For most buyers this never arises. It arises for shops whose insurer, fleet customer or local authority specifies a listing as a condition of use. If that is you, ask before ordering and we will request the manufacturer's current documentation in writing.

Shipping and delivery

Freight, two crates, lower 48 states. The rate is worked out live at checkout against your address instead of being quoted here, because carrier pricing does not stand still. When the trailer arrives the crates are the receiver's to move: forklift, loading dock, or a terminal collection, which many small shops find the least trouble. Delivery to a residential address carries a residential fee, shown at checkout.

Examine the freight before signing. Note damage on the bill of lading in front of the driver and photograph it; once you have signed clean, the carrier's record says the shipment arrived in good condition.

Warranty

Ask and we will send the manufacturer's current warranty document before you buy. Whatever the terms, the same rule applies as to any powered shop machine: leave a failed motor, cylinder or valve assembled until the claim is open. Taking it apart first is usually read as modifying it, and cover goes. Photograph, note the serial number, call.