Fork Lift Repair – Knowing When to Replace your Forklift Tires

Industrial wheels and tires are a vital part of keeping any important machine in working order and forklifts are no different. Tire maintenance is often even more imperative in these cases since these industrial machines are pricy and play an integral part of keeping businesses running efficiently. One of the most overlooked and at times confusing aspects of tire maintenance is when it’s time to replace the tires on your forklift. With merchandise costs and the safety of your drivers dependent on properly working tires, it is important to be able to identify when those tires need to be replaced.
It has been estimated that the average forklift drive tire carries over 9600 pounds, while the steer tires carry about 1300 pounds. Since forklifts have no suspension system (a little known fact), the forklift tires are absorbing 100% of this weight. Meanwhile, wear and tear from standard use, including multiple stops and accelerations, turns, loading and unloading, debris and more, can make even the best tires susceptible to failure. We noticed a significant absence of information on this crucial and sometimes confusing aspect of forklift tire maintenance and decided to fill in the gap.

TYPES OF FORKLIFT TIRES
While there are many brands of forklift tires, virtually all fall into one of two basic categories: Cushion and Pneumatic. Although there are some similar warning signs between the two types, it is still useful to understand the differences that exist.

CUSHION FORKLIFT TIRES
Cushion tire forklifts tend to sit close to the ground and be smaller than their counterparts. These types of forklifts are typically meant for indoor and limited outdoor use. Cushion forklift tires have a small turning radius, and are often less expensive than pneumatic tires.

Simple Wear: One of the most important things to check on your forklift is the amount of wear on the tire. Some cushion tires now have a wear line above the tire size; once the top of the tire meets that line, it is time to look for a new tire.
A more standard way is to follow the 2-inch rule. The first number on the sidewall of the cushion tire represents the height of the tire. Once the diameter of the tire is two (2) inches less than the height of the tire, you are adding 15-18% of additional stress to your vehicle. Although the 2-inch rule can vary depending on your make and model, two inches is a fairly standard benchmark.

Chunking/cracks: Litter, debris, and forklift misuse, can all cause pieces of rubber to fall off, leaving the tire to look like a potholed street.

Tearing/splits: Contact with sharp edges can slice off large portions of a tire, often leading to imbalance. This is one of the most dangerous of tire problems.

Flat spots: Caused by misalignment, sharp stops with heavy loads, and tire spinning. While flat spots are not always the easiest to notice at first, you can help yourself by looking for a spot of the tire that seems balder than the rest.

PNEUMATIC FORKLIFT TIRES
Pneumatic tire forklifts are primarily used for outdoor work, and as such, pneumatic tires are similar to most other outdoor vehicles in that they have air in them. Longer and wider than cushion tires, pneumatic forklift tires come in two basic subtypes- air and solid. Air pneumatic tires are often just referred to as pneumatic, while solid pneumatic are called, simply enough, solid pneumatic. The latter tires are more expensive and more durable since they are made of solid rubber.

Simple Wear: The 2-inch rule is still a useful benchmark, but is not as clear-cut of a replacement standard. Compared to cushion tires, pneumatic tire have both a wider size variance and a specific design for tougher conditions.

Balding/tread wear: A better rule of thumb is to keep an eye on the tire tread. While tires wear at different rates, keep an eye out for smooth centers and lug or tread showing on the outside.

Cuts: Visible cord and/or frayed cord plies are definite signs that replacement is needed. Cuts can lead to sudden air loss, load shifts, and improper balance, and like tearing/splits on a cushion tires, is one of the more dangerous tire problems you can face.

Under Inflation/Over Inflation: Make sure to check the pressure of your pneumatic tires routinely. Virtually all pneumatic tires have a pressure settings guide on the side of the tire, if not, check with your tire manufacture.
In the case that you’re not sure it’s best to get professional advice before making any hasty and expensive decisions. We’re proficient in a wide variety of industrial tires and wheels so if you have any questions we encourage you to contact us toll free at 866-313-2180 and we’re happy to help you make the right decision.

Guide to the Best Forklift Tire for Your Job

One of the most important parts of forklifts is the tires. They essentially keep the forklift running smoothly without interruption on factory floors and outdoor terrain. There are a variety of different kinds and each kind of forklift tire has a specialized use. Although some people might use some of them interchangeably, you’ll find that if you use the correct forklift tire intended for a particular task, your machine will perform better, last longer and ultimately save you money in the long run. Before choosing the best tire, the biggest determining factor will be it’s purpose.

Pneumatic Forklift Tires
Pneumatic forklift tires are probably the most popular and generally used tire for forklifts. They can be used with a variety of forklifts because of the heavy duty conditions they’re designed to endure and their additional cushioning makes them ideal for a variety of environments. They come filled with air and come as bias or radial and often extend the life of your machinery. Generally, rough and uneven terrain is the main purpose for pneumatic forklift tires.

Solid Pneumatic Shaped Forklift Tires Used for Outdoor and Yard Work
Solid pneumatic forklift tires are built strong, with natural rubber and two stages of construction for the outdoor terrain. These forklift tires feature well-made tread designs and compounds that prove to be energy efficient. This helps to improve the productivity of the solid tires, while significantly reducing maintenance and replacement expenses. Many of the pneumatic shaped solids offered have maximum capabilities, especially for the rugged outdoor work.

Solid Cushion Press On Forklift Tires Can Endure More
Solid press on forklift tires are solid and smooth tires. They’re made from polyurethane or rubber and the tread is pressed onto a ring of steel which ultimately forms the tire and makes them more resistant to injury. These tires are used for various load capacities. They also are helpful when the forklift operator is having a hard time steering. They can work well on concrete floors as well as rough terrain.

Solid Polyurethane Press On Tires Best Used Inside
Solid polyurethane forklift tires are ideal for electric lifts since they conserve battery life and cause less drag. This allows for increased productivity and since they carry more weight than cushion press on tires, they’re great for heavy indoor lifting. This tire is best used on smooth surfaces indoors.

White/Gray Non Marking Rubber Tires for Food Distribution
White/gray non-marking forklift tires help prevent tire marks on inside floors. This is especially important in the food distribution industry since they have to comply with OSHA safety regulations. Non Marking Tires for inside-use come in a wide array of colors, however they are manufactured to not get any colorant on the floors for inside. These non-marking tires can clearly pick up dirt off of a coated surface and lay the dirt back down without any marks being made. If the forklift driver is using regular rubber tires, then the floors could get marked because of the standard rubber compound that is used. The primary culprit of this is the carbon black used in a lot of tires.

Which Forklift Tire is Right for Me?
Pneumatic forklift tires come in a variety of sizes, treading, depth, sidewall protection and weight but it really depends what job the forklift is performing. If you’re inside you want to stick with polyurethane press on tires. Many fork lifts use solid press on forklift tires for indoors but if you’ll be using your cushion press on tires for forklifts outdoors just make sure you purchase them with tread. Since many indoor forklifts usually handle a tremendous amount of weight, an air filled pneumatic tire could possible blow out or tip over due to an off balance condition. But larger forklifts, such as the ones that are used in lumberyards, often use solid pneumatic shaped forklift tires that aren’t filled with air. Knowing which forklift tire is right for your job project is an important piece of your success. We’ve seen too many companies wait until the last minute to order their tires and as a result experience a lot of inconvenient downtimes. We highly recommend ordering the right tires ahead of time to reduce downtime and avoid a potentially difficult and expensive situation.