It is recommended to often inspect the front end of your forklift as part of your daily or pre-shift inspection, in order to help prevent costly forklift repairs. By catching any problems as they occur or ahead of time, you could also help prevent damage to any loads too. The following includes a few of the common guidelines on what specific things to check during regular inspections of your material handling fleet.
Forks
Regularly inspecting the forks is key because if these are worn out or cracked, they may fail without warning. Any type of fork damage means that your lift truck must immediately be removed from service until it is fixed and safe once again. Visually inspect your forks for any visible indications of damage or wear. If the cracks run deeper than on the surface, replace them. Any kind of wear on the forks beyond 10 percent is another sign that you should replace the forks.
Mast
The mast must ideally tilt forward and backward while being able to move up and down. You may have to lubricate the mast strip sliding surfaces and fittings if you find that the sliding surfaces are binding. On the inner mast there is a fitting located on each side. The lift bracket side rollers are another lubrication point and there is also one on each side roller. Once the lubricating has been done, lower and raise the mast and also tilt it backward and forward several times in order to make certain that the lubricant is worked into the fittings correctly.
Tilt Cylinders
Your daily inspection has to include the checking for damage and oil leaks because an uncontrolled mast movement could be a result of oil leakage. Whether the leaks are external or are situated inside of the cylinder, the end result could be loss of fluid and cylinder drift. If there are any signs of damage or leaks, you might have to replace the whole cylinder assembly, or just the seals.
Chains
The mast chains have to be inspected to see if they are being stretched beyond their acceptable limits. Also, check the chain wear guage or check the chains for indications of damage. If there is wear beyond 2 percent, replace the chain. Also replace it if the chain seems kinked or rusted. The sheave bearings and the chain rollers also need to be inspected for indications of wear.
Usually, mast lift chains wear at the pin-to-link connections. If you discover wear, you can experience chain failure. This can end up damaging front end components or even the product. If you require help determining what exactly to inspect on your lift trucks or if you do not have time on hand to carry out regular fleet inspections, simply contact your local lift truck dealer. Their trained service technicians will help your perform PM or planned maintenance checks according to your application needs and scheduling.