Forklift Maintenance: Check the Tire Wear

One of the most important things you can do for your forklift is to check the wear of the tires. Driving a forklift with worn out tires is dangerous, so be aware of the following situations in which your forklift tires could be damaged.

Poor bond construction. In manufacturing, the rubber is bonded to a steel band which is the pressing component that presses to the hub.

Contact with oil, grease, and gasoline. Besides affecting the handling of the truck, chemicals can cause the breakdown of tire rubber compound leading to failure.

Excessive heat build-up. If too much heat occurs, primarily in long forklift runs, the rubber compound turns to a gel and blows out the sidewall of the tire.

Uneven floors. When a warehouse or factory has uneven floors this will cause the tire to increase the wear at certain areas of the tire and wear it out faster.

Under-inflation in pneumatic tires. Running an underinflated forklift tire will cause sidewall separation, blow outs, rapid tread wear and bead failures.

You should not operate on tires worn beyond the suggested wear indicators. Worn out tires can affect the lift trucks carrying capacity, starting, stopping and shock absorption.

You can download a more detailed study of how Forklift Tire Wear affects your bottom line. Contact our nearest Forklift Service Department if you’d like to talk to one of our technicians.