Products Support Training About Contact Hunter Our History Hunter Engineering, founded by Lee Hunter, has a rich history built on innovation and excellence. Hunter History Lee Hunter & Hunter Engineering Hunter Engineering Company owes its beginnings to a discharged automobile battery. Lee Hunter Jr., a 23-year-old St. Louis architecture student, found himself frequently confronted with car battery failure in his Packard convertible. When experts said it couldn't be done, Lee Hunter invented a way to quick charge automobile batteries. He then went on to build a highly successful company to manufacture and sell his other inventions that would soon after revolutionize the automotive service industry. Today, Hunter Engineering Company designs, manufactures and sells a wide range of auto service equipment for a global market. Hunter products include PC- and Windows®-based wheel alignment systems, computerized wheel balancers, versatile tire changers, on- and off-car brake lathes, feature-packed vehicle lifts and money-saving inspection equipment. 1930s Kwikurent 1936 Kwikurent, the world’s first rapid battery charger, reduced charging time from 24 hours or more down to less than an hour, eliminating the need to remove the battery from the car. It was a revolution in the industry that sold as fast as the company could build them. Rocket Special 1938 Set out to shrink the design into a more compact form, Lee Hunter introduced the Rocket Special that included a dual-charge test meter that analyzed voltage gravity in 10 seconds and an 100-ampere output for maximum charging speed. It also operated on a more widely accessible 110-volt circuit. 1940s Return home 1946 After serving in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Ordnance Corps during World War II, Lee Hunter returns home to St. Louis to open Hunter Engineering Company on Hunter Avenue in Ladue, Missouri. Tune-In wheel balancer 1946 The Tune-In wheel balancer, Hunter Engineering's debut product, is a revolutionary on-the-car balancer and Lee Hunter invention. First brochure 1949 Form 8-T, produced in June of 1949, is the company’s first product brochure. 1950s Sales & service team 1950 Lee Hunter began assembling what would later become the largest dedicated sales and service team in the tire service equipment industry. Sales meetings 1952 Sales Representatives become a driving force behind Hunter Engineering’s growth. Sales meetings and group photos become a Hunter tradition. GM approval 1953 General Motors opens a plant in St. Louis to build the Corvette. This custom installation ensures every Corvette wheel is balanced using Hunter equipment. Lite-A-Line 1955 Hunter Engineering develops the Lite-A-Line wheel alignment system. It soon becomes the industry standard. More configurations 1955 Hunter develops multiple configurations of the Lite-A-Line system. 1960s Hunter staff 1960 Hunter Engineering has a small but growing staff. Pictured here, the Engineering, Advertising, and Inspection departments all work side-by-side. "Happy Hunter" 1962 “Happy Hunter” was a staple in early Hunter advertising and training films. Sales conventions 1962 The 1962 Annual Sales Convention was held in St. Louis. Relocation & expansion 1964 Hunter outgrows its original facility and relocates to a 23-acre campus next to St. Louis Airport. The location features new offices and manufacturing complex more than triple the size of the original. Ford partnership 1964 After rigorous testing, Ford Motor Company names Hunter its sole supplier of alignment and balancing equipment. Heavy-duty alignment 1967 Hunter alignment systems expand to cover heavy-duty applications. Trade shows 1967 Hunter continues to expand its presence at top industry trade shows in the United States and Canada. Compute-A-Line 1969 The F-60 and F-70 Compute-A-Line systems were the industry's first dynamic wheel alignment systems. Adjustments could be made without moving the vehicle and while the wheels are turning. 1970s Research & Training Center 1973 The Hunter Research & Training Center opens adjacent to the company headquarters. Rapid Series balancers 1974 Hunter introduces the Rapid Series balancers, signaling the dawn of dynamic, off-car wheel balancing. S4 Electron-A-Line 1974 The S4 Electron-A-Line was the first electronic-metered system that featured electronic camber, caster and toe measurements, and electronic wheel runout compensation. Ride Perfection Center 1974 Hunter’s Ride Perfection Center in operation. The RPC relieved portions of the sidewall to reduce radial force variation. Advanced alignment systems 1975 The original Lite-A-Line system (left) is joined by the S5 Electron-A-Line, Tune-A-Line II, and Autron-A-Line series of aligners. Advanced Wheel Alignment systems become Hunter’s core focus. Durant, MS manufacturing 1976 Hunter opens a manufacturing facility in Durant, Mississippi, to accommodate demand for a growing product line. The area bordered in red shows the layout of the original 1976 facility. S7 Electron-A-Line 1979 Hunter’s S7 Electron-A-Line introduces the thrust-line principle to wheel alignment which becomes the foundation of modern four-wheel alignment technology. 1980s Leadership change 1981 Stephen F. Brauer appointed President, marking the first leadership change since Lee Hunter founded Hunter Engineering. Brauer guides the company into a period of rapid growth with the integration of new computer technology. A111 wheel aligner 1982 The first CRT display wheel aligner allowed technicians to see measurements on screen. Sales & service meetings 1983 A growing field organization attends the 1983 National Sales and Service Meeting from September 21-24. Raymond, MS manufacturing 1984 Construction begins on the new production facility in Raymond, MS, which opens the following year. C111 wheel aligner 1985 The C111 starts its production run in January 1985 with the aid of a little “Old Forester” — the traditional blessing of a new product. Strong partnerships 1986 Lee Hunter meets with Hunter’s Japanese distributor, Iyasaka Ltd., maintaining a strong partnership that began almost a quarter-century before, in the 1960s. Wheel-mounted sensors 1987 The first wheel-mounted sensors that process measurements on the sensor itself (a predecessor of the future DSP series sensors) provides fast, accurate alignment readings. RL lift rack 1988 The RL rack featured fully floating rear slipplates, air line kit, retractable work steps and built-in turnplate pockets. Brake testing 1989 The B400 computerized brake tester measures brake performance with a 4-minute drive-through process. 1990s Hunter Service Center 1991 The Hunter Super Service Center opens and serves as the main distribution center for replacement parts in the U.S. Windows® partnership 1992 WinAlign® recognized as the first Windows®-based vehicle alignment system. Automotive Hall of Fame 1992 Lee Hunter inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame where he shares the spotlight with industry giants such as Henry Ford, Louis Chevrolet, Walter P. Chrysler and Soichiro Honda. DSP9000 balancer 1993 The DSP9000 balancer is the first to use digital signal processing for unparalleled accuracy. Truck Safety Center 1993 The Truck Safety Center expands research, product development and technician training for heavy-duty vehicles. P211 alignment system 1993 The P211 is the first PC-based alignment machine, featuring Windows®-based WinAlign® software and DSP200 series sensors. TC325 tire changer 1995 The TC325 features Hunter exclusive “tulip” clamping system, ergonomic design and three-point articulated mounting arm – features found on many Hunter tire changers to this day. DSP200 series sensors 1995 The DSP200 and DSP250 series wheel alignment sensors become the industry standard, featuring infrared beams that link together to produce accurate alignment measurements. BL500 brake lathe 1996 The BL500 is the first brake lathe to offer Digi-Cal technology which instantly measures drum or rotor dimensions to help technicians determine total indicated runout. 411 series alignment system 1997 The 411 Series Alignment System features industry-leading technology including the most advanced personal computing hardware. GSP9700 wheel balancer 1997 The GSP9700 offers a simulated road test to diagnose and solve non-balance related wheel vibration issues, transforming this wheel balancer into a wheel diagnostic center. DSP400 camera sensors 1998 DSP400 digital imaging sensors feature durable, easy-to-handle reflective targets. Four cameras in the aligner tower measure the position and orientation of each wheel-mounted target which instantly provide initial wheel alignment measurements. 1998 The TC3250 features a tilted ergonomic design. With the addition of the “Plus” device, this versatile machine becomes Hunter’s most popular EMT approved tire changer. RM lift rack 1999 The innovative design of the RM lift rack allows easy service access through its split front design. 2000s Four-Post lift racks 2001 L421 (14,000 lb.) and L424 (16,000 lb.) alignment racks are introduced featuring longer slipplates than previous generations. RX9 scissor lift rack 2001 The RX9 alignment rack offers several popular features including an open front and rear design for easy service access, extra-wide 24" runways, integrated air line kits, and the option to mount the rack flush with the floor. GSP9712 wheel balancer 2002 Hunter Chairman, Steve Brauer, leads the traditional christening for the first GSP9712. The revolutionary wheel balancing system features industry firsts such as StraightTrak® which measures and corrects tire pull issues. Hunter Deutschland GmbH 2002 Hunter Deutschland GmbH opens. The office and training facility near Munich offers German car manufacturers the same engineering support available to U.S. manufacturers. 811 alignment system 2003 The 811 aligner, combined with DSP600 digital imaging sensors and WinAlign® 7.0, features increased productivity, profitability and value. This system leads the industry for five years. DSP500T sensors 2004 Designed specifically for heavy-duty applications, the DSP500T series alignment sensors offer measurement accuracy and repeatability never before seen in the heavy-duty industry. OEM approvals 2004 Hunter Engineering’s state-of-the-art digital imaging alignment systems gain approval by BMW, Daimler Chrysler and the Volkswagen Audi Group (VAG). Hunter remains the only alignment supplier with all three German automaker approvals. SmartWeight® 2005 Revolutionary SmartWeight® Balancing Technology is introduced. This patented balancing method improves wheel balancing results while minimizing the amount of corrective weight applied by the operator. TCX500 series tire changers 2005 The TCX500 family of tire changers are introduced. This group of table-top tire changer offers coverage for passenger car to medium duty vehicles. This line of changers will go on to become an industry staple and Hunter best-selling series. GSP9200 balancer 2006 The GSP9200 balancer is introduced. Though intended as a compact model, it is packed with advanced features including SmartWeight® laser line weight placement, auto double Dataset® arms, Spindle-Lok®, rim scan and Quick-Thread®. Durant, MS 30 years 2006 Durant, Mississippi, reaches a milestone and celebrates 30 years of fabricating and assembling Hunter lift racks. GSP9700 improvements 2007 The third generation GSP9700 improves on Hunter’s most popular model by featuring improvements such as a Linux operating system, color LCD monitor, thumb drive data port and the ability to have a custom logo on the welcome screen. WinAlign® 10.0 2007 Using the new WinAlign® 10.0 software, the HawkEye® high definition digital imaging wheel alignment system is introduced with smaller, lighter sensors designed for speed and efficiency. Auto34 tire changer 2008 The Auto34 introduces a new level of control to tire changing with a simple control panel. Technicians are able to perform all operations without the traditional lever. SmartWeight® balancer 2009 Hunter formally introduces the SmartWeight® balancer — a highly productive balancer designed for every shop. Fully-integrated with SmartWeight Balancing Technology® it also features many powerful options including a wheel lift, AutoClamp, a top dead center laser system, and a printer. Four-Post improvements 2009 The L441 and L444 four-post lift racks provide 18,000 lbs of lifting capacity and the option of an open- or closed-front designs. 2010s WinAlign® improvements 2010 WinAlign® 11.1 features improvements such as new CodeLink® printouts and support for the DSP700 sensors. The TouchRemote® app for the iPhone® adds a new dynamic to WinAlign®. HawkEye Elite® 2011 HE421 HawkEye Elite® with TD targets introduced. True three-dimensional targets that eliminate metal to metal contact as well as the need to carefully center the target. This system proves faster, lighter, more durable and changes the way shops align vehicles. Hunter China 2011 Hunter China opens a wholly owned subsidiary office in Beijing China. The Chinese market is in a period of rapid growth and expansion. Quick Check® 2012 Hunters Quick Check® system offers fast and accurate alignment checks right from the service drive. This system becomes one of Hunter Engineering's bestsellers and in record time. RX lift rack improvements 2012 The RX series of racks expands with the introduction of the RX16. The surface mount version sits at only 9” when lowered but with the innovative Power-Up feature, the rack changes its lifting point allowing it to maximize capacity. DSP700T sensors 2013 DSP700T sensors are introduced to the Heavy-Duty market. These sensors allow for all three axles to be measured at the same time. Designed to mimic the accuracy and convince of the passenger car system, the Heavy-Duty world now has a lightweight, fast and accurate equivalent. Raymond, MS expansion 2014 Hunter’s Raymond, MS manufacturing plant expansion adds 66,000 square feet to include a state-of-the-art electronics facility to produce sophisticated electronic assemblies for many Hunter products. Revolution™ tire changer 2014 The Revolution™ is the industry's first reliable, computerized and automatic tire changer. The Revolution™ uses an automated process for all tire and wheel combinations which turns all technicians into experts. It has the distinction of being the world's first UL Listed tire changer and was completely designed and built in the USA. Hunter Canada 2014 With the tremendous growth in the Canadian market Hunter Canada moves into its new facility. The building features state conference rooms as well as a complete Power Bay modeled after the St. Louis, MO facility. Quick Tread® 2015 Tire health took center stage in 2015 with the introduction of Quick Tread®. The system scans all four tire in seconds and creates a 3-D model. The imaging from the model provides a true tire health report for customers. SEMA Show 2016 Hunter Engineering became the largest non-OE exhibitor at the SEMA Show with a 7,000 square foot booth staffed by over 100 HQ employees and members of Hunter's field organization. Road Force® Elite 2017 The Road Force® Elite, uses patented Hunter vision technology to automatically determine wheel dimensions and wheel runout measurements. GM announces the Road Force® Elite as essential equipment for use in service facilities in the U.S. AutoComp Elite® 2017 The AutoComp Elite® introduced patented Automatic Compensation technology and an intuitive touchscreen interface. It also gained OE approval at an unprecedented rate. Autonomous features 2018 The Revolution™ WalkAway™ allows for 80-second autonomous operation during the bead breaking and demounting process, and offers time saving of 25% or more when paired with wheel balancing. Unmanned inspection 2019 Quick Check Drive® provides unmanned alignment audit results with no stopping or labor required. Additional cameras can capture 40+ images per vehicle, protecting shops against mistaken damage claims. You've reached the end, but it doesn't have to be over. 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