New AVW Wraps taking off license plates...is there a solution?

[DixieCarWash]

Wraps were around before AVW which started in 1973. My Hodge wraps may be older than this!

Anyway, while their site has something title "AVW Invented the Wrap-Arounds
" It then says "A.V.W. Equipment Company re-invented and perfected"

I don't know if they were the first to use the "Pendulum Style".

They might have. Everyone has different methods of operation. Maybe why AVW and Sonny's use pivot points while N/S and Tommy use flexy coupling. Belanger, not sure what they use on theirs. If I were to build a wrap I'd use a ball joint. Just different approaches.



Speaking of your Hodge wraps when did the wrap around grow to full size? I saw yout video of your Hodge wraps They're the size of the average rocker. Did Hodge just produce them that way or was that the way wraps were built back then? I originally thought they were grill brushes untill I saw the rotation.

 

[Earl Weiss]

They might have. Everyone has different methods of operation. Maybe why AVW and Sonny's use pivot points while N/S and Tommy use flexy coupling. Belanger, not sure what they use on theirs. If I were to build a wrap I'd use a ball joint. Just different approaches.



Speaking of your Hodge wraps when did the wrap around grow to full size? I saw yout video of your Hodge wraps They're the size of the average rocker. Did Hodge just produce them that way or was that the way wraps were built back then? I originally thought they were grill brushes untill I saw the rotation.

Pretty sure AVW makes the Tommy wrap and they use the same system although there are some options for the pivot or flex coupling. Had some of the flex couplings which were like a braided steel covered with plasstic fail after a couple of years.

The Hodge wraps had Piggyback units that made them taller and originaly were an air over Oil system with quick release valves that were a PITA so the piggybacks were removed.

 

[Washmee]

I think most of the AVW air cylinder setups are for the retracts. They should not affect the pressure on the front of the car. I guess they could if something was not right.

Tom Hoffman has this "Vaughn Enhancement" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToZJpUJ11JE

You could contact him and check his results vis a vis license plate issues.

Looking at the video, it appears that his wraps are somewhat offset from the middle of the car to begin with. Thats what I finally did to keep the bent plates down to a minimum.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Looking at the video, it appears that his wraps are somewhat offset from the middle of the car to begin with. Thats what I finally did to keep the bent plates down to a minimum.

True enough, but if you look at the video each of the wraps cover the entire rear license plates and he has 2 sets.

If your not getting a dirt stripe down the rear of the back end then your solution seems adequate.

 

[DixieCarWash]

Got reply from Tom Hoffman

We offset the wraps so they don't bend front license plates. They also don't come in contact with the center of the front of the vehicle. Everybody's wraps with cloth would bend license plates if they come in contact with them. Other than that they are simple and perform very well.

Sounds like what I originally said about offsetting the wraps was a bit right. At the wash I worked at we did this with out wraps. Our wraps were Sonny's

Intresting Sonny's and AVW's wraps are very much alike in certain ways.

I remember one time at the wash I worked at the air cylinders on the wraps gave out and the GM riged them up with a bungee cord.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I use Bungies on My Belangers and Hodge wraps.

The Belanger 2001 wraps would not follow at fast line speeds unless I cranked up the air. Then they would hardly get back in time after the air released and would slam forward. The Bungess help them walk back after the air releases and the tension near the end slows them so they don't slam into the stop but they still follow quickly.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Reviewing My AVW Wrap setup as far as "Offset" The wrap arm is pretty much prerpendicular to the frame neither angled in or out when at rest.

This allows the material to overlap the front / rear at the license plate area.