Keeping up with maintenance is the best way to ensure smooth operation when handling your forklift fleet. Everything operates from the ground up, and that's why it's good to keep up with your forklift's tire maintenance needs. Poorly maintained tires put your machine and operations at risk, so it's good to know a few good forklift maintenance tips for your tires and keep everything running smoothly.

Benefits of Tire Maintenance

Maintaining your forklift tires provides you with tons of benefits that allow fleet managers and forklift owners to maximize the skills and lifespan of their forklifts. Keeping your tires maintained helps provide comfort for operators, keep forklifts stable and get jobs done faster.

Operator Comfort

A good forklift gets the job done and provides the operator with the comfort necessary to complete their tasks. Worn tires cannot absorb shock as well as new tires, and a tire worn about halfway leads to a driver feeling almost all of the pressure and weight of a rough surface. This experience leads to operator fatigue, stress, and even injuries.

Avoid Costly Repairs

Forklifts regularly handle important and expensive components in very costly areas. Forklift defects increase the risk of property damage and unstable material handling that can lead to broken mechanisms that are expensive to repair.

Improve Forklift Stability

Flat spots on tires can lead to an unstable forklift, increasing the risk of tilting over and other operator injuries. Balanced air pressure keeps the tilt angle of the mast stable and keeps operators safe.

Types of Forklift Tires

Before knowing how to maintain your forklift tires, you want to know what type of tires you have. There are three main types of tires you'll find on your forklift, and with each tire comes a different reason that makes it important to maintain their condition.

Pneumatic Tires

Pneumatic tires come in air-filled or solid varieties and are made of reinforced rubber and solid rubber, respectively. Air-filled tires cost less but have a shorter lifespan and are not good for areas with sharp points and edges. Solid pneumatic tires are stronger and much more capable of navigating difficult terrain.

Cushion Tires

Cushion tires aren't meant for heavy loads and work well on softer terrain and smaller forklifts. Trucks operating in small warehouse facilities and areas where tire wear isn't likely to be hastened are good locations for cushion tires.

Polyurethane Tires

These tires are lightweight but stand up well to minor damages like splitting and tearing. Beverage warehouses and indoor areas prone to chemical and oil spills are good locations for polyurethane tires.

Know the State of Your Tires

When maintaining your tires, you want to know the condition of your tires. Regular checks of tire pressure help forklift operators see the state of their tires before proceeding with jobs and can better help identify when any major tire damage occurs.

You also want to check tire threads regularly so you know when to replace tires. In areas where a high tread level is necessary, a tread depth gauge will work to let you know the state of your tires. It's common for forklifts to go a while between uses, and you don't want to hop into a forklift idled for a long period without making sure your tires are up to date.

Maintenance Rules

A few maintenance rules — the 33% rule and not crossing the 60J safety line — are good guidelines to follow when maintaining forklift tires. The 33% rule states that you don't want your tire tread on cushion tires to go below ⅔ of its original height. Some cushion tires have a safety line that indicates this 33% level, but it's a good rule of thumb to keep in mind either way.

The 60J safety line is a more common indicator that it's time to replace your forklift tires, and if your tires are worn above this line, you need a forklift tire replacement. When in doubt, the 60J line is your best friend, and you can also regroove your tires if they are too smooth for operation.

Get New Tires 4 All Your Forklift Jobs!

Got a new operation coming up? Reach out to Tires4That for forklift tires and any of your other needs! We are committed to providing a wide range of farm, lawn and garden, and construction vehicle tires, so don't hesitate to contact us today! Get the tires you need to keep your machinery operating smoothly.

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