Forklift maintenance, like with all heavy machinery, is crucial for the longevity of your vehicle. Knowing the type of forklift tire you have, the best conditions to use them in, and the signs of tire wear are all vital in keeping your vehicle in great condition.
Properly performing tires improve fuel efficiency, increase the longevity of your forklift, and reduce operator fatigue. Just 40% wear on your tires means you will absorb 84% of the vehicle’s vibrations. Not only does this do a number on your back, it causes your transmission to work harder as well.
Different environments will call for different tire types. The vast majority of forklifts cannot interchange the types of tires they use so it is important to know what type your forklift has especially when using a used forklift with an unknown maintenance history. Almost always, forklifts will have one of three types of tires, pneumatic, solid, or polyurethane.
Pneumatic tires are air-filled and made from thick rubber with deep treads. Pneumatic tires have incredible durability like those you see on heavy-duty trucks. With their ability to handle the roughest of terrains, they are almost exclusively utilized outdoors.
As its namesake indicates, solid tires are, well, solid. Made completely of rubber, they can be used both indoors and outdoors, although their outdoor use is limited as they are not the best choice when it comes to handling rougher terrains. Because they cannot be punctured or deflated, these tires are a popular choice for many forklift users.
Popular for indoor use, these tires often have little tread and provide excellent traction on concrete floors making them ideal for electric forklifts. Polyurethane tires, when used exclusively indoors, last significantly longer than both solid and pneumatic tires but will not hold up well at all if used on outdoor rough terrains.
Utilizing the right tires in the proper conditions gives your tires the best chance at a long life. Even though the types of tires you can get on your forklift are all vastly different, the signs it’s time to replace them are mostly the same across the board.
Any tearing, chunking, or cracking no matter how deep or large are indicators it’s time to replace your tires. While tears and chunking are typical signs of wear, radial cracking can indicate you are overloading your forklift and you should rectify this issue before replacing your tires.
All forklift tires come with a wear line above the size markings. If the wear line meets the top of the tire this means it has worn by at least 50% and it is time to replace it. Uneven wear and flat spots indicate underlying issues such as uneven load handling and aggressive breaking. Both indicate a need for tire replacement and better forklift care.
You might not always need to replace all four tires at once, but it’s important to replace both on the same axle to combat instability issues. Whether you are seeing small tears or large flat spots it is important to replace your forklift tires at the first sign of wear to combat larger issues with your vehicle down the road. Your wallet and your back will thank you.
Sources
https://total-ind.com/blog/when-to-replace-forklift-tires-california/
https://www.forkliftamerica.com/types-of-forklift-tires/
https://www.trainmor.com/blog/view/905/tires-and-forklift-safety#:~:text=Tears%20in%20the%20surface%20of%20tires%20are,of%20debris%20is%20important%20for%20tire%20maintenance
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