Ranger Plastic Tool Head Mounting Flange
This is the hardened steel adapter that bolts Ranger's non-marring plastic tool head onto a tire changer. It is a small part with one specific job, and it is worth being blunt about the thing most buyers want to know first: the flange and the plastic tool head are two separate purchases, and neither one is usable without the other. If you have just added the plastic head to your basket, this is the piece that lets you actually fit it to the machine.
Why the flange is a separate part
A tire changer's mount and demount head sits at the end of the swing arm and absorbs every bit of leverage a technician applies to a stiff sidewall. Ranger's plastic head is designed to work in that position without ever putting metal against the rim, but a plastic body cannot be bolted straight to a steel arm and expected to survive the load. Something rigid has to carry it. The flange is that intermediate piece: steel where the machine grips it, shaped to accept the plastic head where the wheel is.
Splitting the assembly in two is also what makes the plastic head a retrofit rather than a factory-only option. A changer that came with a steel mount head can be given a non-marring one without replacing the arm or the machine: you fit the flange, then fit the head to the flange. That is why the two are listed and priced as separate items, and it is also why ordering one without the other is such a common mistake.
Hardened steel, and why it matters on a part this small
The published data makes exactly one material claim for this flange, and it is the claim that counts: hardened steel. On a component that transmits bead-breaking leverage through a bolted joint, hardness is what stops the mounting holes from elongating over a few thousand wheel changes. A soft bracket in this position slowly goes oval, the head begins to move under load, and a head that moves is a head that will eventually contact the rim. At that point the non-marring tool you paid for is no longer non-marring, and the failure is gradual enough that nobody notices until a customer does.
The other reason hardness matters here is repeatability. A tire bay runs on the assumption that the head sits in the same place every time, so the operator can set the arm once and work through a set of four wheels without re-checking clearance on each one. A rigid steel adapter is what makes that assumption safe.
What it protects, and what it does not
It is worth separating the two jobs cleanly. The plastic head protects the rim from marring during mounting and demounting. Painted, polished, chrome and machined-face alloy wheels all show a scuff from a hardened steel head immediately, and a scuffed rim on a customer's car is a conversation nobody in a tire bay enjoys having. This steel flange protects nothing on the wheel itself. It exists so that the plastic head is held rigidly and squarely in the right place. Buy it because the head requires it, not in the belief that it adds protection of its own.
Will It Fit?
This flange is sold as the mounting adapter for Ranger's plastic tool head, and the published product data does not include a machine-by-machine compatibility list. That is a genuine gap in the information and we would rather say so than guess on your behalf. Before ordering, look at how the existing mount head is retained on your changer's arm. If you are not certain, send us your changer's model number and we will check it against the part, rather than have you discover the mismatch on a Tuesday morning with a car already on the machine.
It stores easily in a parts drawer. Shipping dimensions are 4" x 4" x 2" (101 mm x 101 mm x 50 mm) and the shipping weight is 1 lb.
Perfect For
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Independent tire shops running a Ranger changer that handles a steady mix of alloy wheels and wants a non-marring head available on the machine at all times.
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Dealership service departments where the wheels coming through are new, expensive and inspected by the customer at handover.
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Wheel and performance specialists fitting polished, powder-coated and machined-face rims where a single scuff can write off a wheel.
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Anyone adding a plastic head to an existing changer who has just discovered that the head on its own will not mount without this adapter.
What's in the Box
The flange and all mounting hardware. The published feature list is explicit that the hardware is supplied, so you are not left hunting for bolts of the right thread and length before you can use it. The plastic tool head itself is not included and is ordered separately.
Specifications
| Part |
Mounting flange for the Ranger plastic tool head |
| Material |
Hardened steel |
| Hardware |
All mounting hardware included |
| Required accessory |
Ranger plastic tool head (sold separately) |
| Shipping dimensions |
4" x 4" x 2" (101 mm x 101 mm x 50 mm) |
| Shipping weight |
1 lb |
Certification, stated plainly
Nothing in this part's published data claims an independent laboratory listing or a third-party safety certification, and we are not going to imply one on an accessory bracket. What is claimed is the material and the fact that the fixings are supplied. If your insurer, a fleet contract or a local inspection regime asks for documented compliance evidence on shop tooling, ask us for the manufacturer's paperwork before you order rather than assuming such a document exists.
Shipping and delivery
This is a small parcel item rather than a freight shipment, and we ship it within the lower 48 states. Check the carton when it arrives. If the box is crushed or a seam is torn, note it on the carrier's paperwork before you sign, because a notation made at the point of delivery is what makes a damage claim straightforward afterwards. Collection is also possible from the Ranger pick-up locations listed further down this page if you would rather not wait on a carrier.
Warranty
Ranger publishes a written warranty covering its products, and that document rather than any summary on a web page is what governs a claim. Ask us for the current copy if you want to read the terms before ordering. One piece of practical advice applies to any claim on a part like this: if it arrives damaged or will not seat correctly, contact us before you file, drill, grind or otherwise modify it. A part that has been altered is close to impossible to assess, and a modification usually ends a claim before it begins.
