Triumph NTC-950 Tire Changer and NTB-550 Wheel Balancer Combo

What the combo covers

The NTC-950 is a swing-arm tire changer and the NTB-550 is a computer wheel balancer, sold together to outfit one car-and-light-truck wheel-service bay. The changer clamps rims from 13" to 26" on the outside and 16" to 28" on the inside, with a maximum wheel width of 15" and a maximum tire diameter of 43". The balancer covers wheel sizes from 10" to 28", rim widths from 1.5" to 20", tire diameters to 44", and wheels weighing up to 150 lbs. Both machines are built for passenger cars and light trucks — half-ton, three-quarter-ton and one-ton — along with Load Range C, D and E tires and 14" to 24" plus 16.5" wheels. The NTB-550 also balances run-flat wheels.

Power and space requirements

Both machines run on 110 volt single-phase power, so most shops and home garages can plug them in without an electrical upgrade. The tire changer uses a 1.5 HP motor and the balancer a 1/4 HP motor. The changer also needs shop air, with a maximum inflation pressure of 120 PSI. Assembled, the NTC-950 measures 56" x 40" x 80" and the NTB-550 measures 28" x 47" x 56", so lay out the bay around those two footprints plus room to roll wheels between them. Shipping dimensions are smaller than assembled — 51" x 38" x 51" at 700 lbs for the changer and 36" x 28" x 46" at 325 lbs for the balancer — and the freight driver does not assemble the machines or move them inside.

Bead breaking, inflation and balancing

The NTC-950 bead breaker applies 5,500 lbs of force to separate stubborn beads from the rim, and the Jet Blast Inflation System delivers an air burst to help seat the bead. The swing-arm tower carries a metal and plastic mount/demount head over a steel turntable, and plastic wheel-clamp covers are included to protect finished rims. On the balancer side, the NTB-550 reads to ±1 gram with a 6 to 9 second cycle time and a display that switches between standard and metric. A foot-pedal wheel brake holds the wheel steady while you place weights, which keeps placement accurate. Data entry is manual — there is no automatic data entry, so you key in the wheel measurements before each spin. The balancer shaft is 36 mm.

What is included and what it will not do

The NTC-950 ships with a metal and plastic demount head, plastic wheel-clamp covers, a tire iron, and a lube bucket and brush. The NTB-550 ships with a plastic safety hood, quick-release wing nut, cone adapters, a wheel-weight hammer, and a rim caliper. The limits matter as much: neither machine is rated for box trucks, over-the-road trucks, or 19.5" and 21.5" wheels, and motorcycle wheels require an additional adapter on both machines. Heavier load-range, large, and run-flat wheels carry a 75-lb total-weight limit on the balancer. Triumph tire equipment carries a 1-year parts warranty, parts only with no labor; wear and consumable items are excluded, including plastic pads and tooling, the tire-inflation hose, the lube brush and bucket, the wing nut, hood cover, top tray cover and weight hammer.

Key features

• 5,500-lb bead breaker — separates stubborn beads from the rim on passenger-car and light-truck tires
• Jet Blast Inflation System — delivers an air burst to help seat the bead on the rim
• Swing-arm tower — carries a metal and plastic mount/demount head over a steel turntable clamping rims to 26" outside
• ±1 gram balancing accuracy — with a 6 to 9 second balance cycle and standard or metric display
• Foot-pedal wheel brake — holds the wheel steady so weight placement stays accurate
• 110V single-phase on both machines — 1.5 HP on the changer, 1/4 HP on the balancer, no electrical upgrade for most shops
• Sold as a pair or separately — the NTC-950 and NTB-550 are each available on their own if you only need one