Maintaining & Replacing Forklift Tyres
Forklift tyres take the brunt of the wear and tear withstanding heavy-loads, uneven surfaces and extreme-heat caused by friction from prolonged use. Maintaining and replacing forklift tyres when needed can enhance a forklift’s operational use and performance.
Where Can I Buy Forklift Tyres?
Forklift tyres can be bought from forklift tyre dealerships located around your area. However, before purchasing a set of new tyres it is important to understand the different types, sizes, and features of forklift tyres available in the market and there different functions. This guide includes everything you need to know about forklift tyres before wasting your money on a set that isn’t the right fit for your forklift.
When Should I Replace My Forklift Tyres?
Excessive wear and tear on forklift tyres can not only lead to underwhelming performance but also affect different components such as the suspension, chassis, and axle as worn tyres absorb less shock. Here are a few pointers that will help you in identifying when forklift tyres need to be replaced.
- Check Tyre Sidewalls: Most tyres have numbers or letters marked on the sidewalls. When rubber reaches the numbers or letters this is a clear indication that tyres have reached their wear or safety line are only about 50% of their original thickness.
- Check Tread: If pieces of rubber are falling off and there are chunks missing your tyre needs immediate replacing. Cracking and tears are also visible signs of tyres nearing the end of their useful lives.
- Check Roundness: Misshapen and not perfectly round tyres also require immediate replacement.
Damaged tyres are a threat to safety and security and diminish forklift and driver performance. Knowing when to replace them can prove to be quite advantageous to increasing efficiency from reduced operator fatigue and fuel consumption to increased traction and lower maintenance costs.
Maintaining Forklift Tyres
Here we provide a few simple and effective tips that can help improve your forklift tyre performance, efficiency and lifetime.
- Avoid overloading or operating above the maximum load capacity of the forklift
- Avoid driving on uneven surfaces
- Drive safely and professionally
- If forklifts tyres are pneumatic routinely check air pressure
- Avoid driving on ramps and inclines with metal teeth
Types of Forklift Tyres
They are quite a few types of forklift tyres and knowing which one is the right one for your forklift can make all the difference.
- Cushion Tyres
Ideal for using inside warehouses and on even concrete floors. Fitted with round metal rims these tyres are more affordable than other tyres and have low ground clearance and excellent maneuverability.
- Pneumatic Tyres
Much larger in size and used predominantly for outdoor use on loose gravel and uneven surfaces. Much like a car tyre the air filled tube is prone to punctures but are tough and durable.
- Solid Tyres
The most common type of forklift tyre which is very much like the pneumatic tyre except that they don’t puncture because they are not filled with air. A highly versatile tyre whose only drawback is a lack of cushioning effect.
- Polyurethane Tyres
Commonly used in indoor areas with smooth surfaces this type of tyre is ideal for use in cold storage warehouses that require high lifting capacity.
- Foam-Filled Tyres
An alternative to solid tyres, foam-filled tyres are resistant to punctures and blowouts in extreme weather and uneven road surfaces.
- Non-Marking Forklift Tyres
All the different types of tyres mentioned above come in two varieties: standard and non-marking. Standard tyres are black in color as soot chemical is added during manufacturing to make the tyre more wear resistant. Non-marking tyres are white or grey in color and their biggest advantage is that they don’t leave black marks on floor surfaces that are lightly-painted or polished concrete.
Non-marking tyres are more expensive and wear out 25% faster than standard tyres. However, if your warehouse has polished floors and your operations deal with food processing and handling these types of tyres are highly recommended.
Forklift Tyre Tread
Two types of tread are commonly found on forklift tyres; smooth and treaded. Smooth tyres are meant for indoor use while treaded tyres are designed for outdoor use.
Different Sizes Of Forklift Tyres
Forklift tyres may be small but they come in various sizes that correspond to the height, width and rim size of the tyre. When only two numbers are present, for example, 7.00 x 12, then the width is 7 inches and the rim is 12 inches. Three numbers include the height, width, and rim size. A ply rating indicates how much load the tyres can take.
Choosing The Right Tyre For Your Forklift
When replacing forklift tyres it is always a good idea to purchase the same set depending on the applications it would be used for.
Determining the type of work environment the tyres are most frequently going to be used on is a good place to start. Solid and pneumatic tyres are better suited for uneven and rough surfaces while cushion, polyurethane, and non-marking tyres are ideal for indoor use and smooth even surfaces.
The workload and operations required out of the forklift can also dictate the type of tyre that would be most suitable. Warehouses that use electric order pickups and handle cold storage facilities can benefit from having a forklift equipped with a set of polyurethane tyres that help improve battery life and offer great traction on wet surfaces.
Non-marking tyres are highly recommended in food and beverage handling for better hygiene and fewer chances of product contamination.
Forklift tyres on the rear and front of the forklift can be different. It is always a good idea to replace tyres with the same set as axles and frames of a forklift can limit the type of tyre it can accommodate.
Keeping forklift tyres well-maintained and replacing them on time can greatly improve efficiency and performance. To learn more about forklift tyres and forklift maintenance in general visit Tontio.com for more details.
