A planned maintenance program for your lift trucks is essential to operator protection and operational productivity. Similar to your own car or truck, there are parts on your forklifts that require periodic service to maintain performance and avoid systematic problems.

Some lift truck components invariably receive unrelenting wear, or are more susceptible to damage over time. All rubber components and hoses should be preemptively renewed on a set schedule to prevent leakage or failure.

Exchanging components before they weaken or fail can prevent far costlier repairs in the future. As is often said, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

The parts you should proactively replace during scheduled maintenance are:

• Power Steering Hoses & Rubber Parts: Every 4,000 hours or 2 years
• Reservoir Tank Hose: Every 4,000 hours or 2 years
• Wheel Cylinder Rubber Parts: Every 1,000 hours or annually
• Master Cylinder Rubber Parts: Every 1,000 hours or annually
• Hydraulic Hose: Every 2 years, or 4,000 hours
• Lift Chain: Every 6,000 hours or 3 years
• Swing Lock Cylinder: Every 10,000 hours

There are other parts that may also need regular replacement, including:

• Lift truck battery: these will usually last at least 5 years, and given adequate management they can remain functional for several more years. However, all batteries will eventually need to be replaced.
• Forklift tires: as soon as tires go beyond the 50% line, have shredding or cracking issues, or form flat areas, they should be changed right away.
• Bearings: any failing bearings need to be replaced quickly to maintain smooth operation of the lift truck.

Lift Truck Maintenance

Regular forklift maintenance plans should address the following:

• Routine Lubrication: all moving parts or joints should be greased on a predetermined schedule.
• Fluids: Forklift battery water and hydraulic fluids should be checked on a regular schedule.
• Battery Charging: A systematic charging schedule is essential for your forklift’s battery longevity and efficiency.
• Instrument Inspection: as a basic safety measure, all instruments and gauges should be checked on a regular basis. Not only is this a good idea, it’s also an OSHA regulation under Section 1910.178(q)

Forklift Safety

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has many regulations concerning lift truck upkeep, and any truck that is considered to be unsafe must be removed from service until any problems are corrected. When is a lift truck considered unsafe? These are some of the problems that might be cause to keep a truck sidelined:

• Tires with gouges or missing chunks
• Weld faults on the mast or frame
• Missing fasteners or bolts anywhere on the vehicle
• Broken instruments or gauges
• Overhead guard damage

Forklift Part Replacement in Calexico

For any brand of forklift parts, you can speak with an expert at Raymond West Inc by calling (760) 768-8700.

Raymond West Inc
285 Rood Rd
Calexico, CA 92231
Phone: (760) 768-8700