Forklift Brake prices vary depending on the capacity of the truck and the extensiveness of the brake repair. For example, if a forklift only needs brake shoes, the price would be significantly lower than a unit that needs wheel cylinders and hardware.
Forklift brake failure can cause serious damage to your facility and equipment and may result in the injury or death of personnel.
How Often Do Forklift Brakes Need Service?
– Every 30-90 days or 250 hours: blowout brake dust, this should be done with every PM service. this is included on every PM Accelerated Equipment Service provides. Give me a call and get a higher standard in customer service.
– Every year or 2,000 hours: inspect brake drums, backing plates, and flush brake fluid. Changing the brake fluid will help prevent deterioration of the master cylinder and wheel cylinder internal seals.
– Every 3 years or 5,000-7,000 hours: replace the brake shoes, wheel seals and adjuster cables. After this many hours, you can expect to have some grabbing, squeaking, or pulling to one side. The brake shoes will get glazed and not get the friction needed to stop.
These are guidelines only. The conditions of the environment the forklift is operated in, and operator behavior can have a significant impact on how frequent forklift brakes need to be inspected or replaced. I have seen when an operator makes right turns into several pallets each day and only one side of the brake get worn and the other still looks like new.
If you have not had your brakes inspected within the last three years, you should call me and set an appointment. Call or Text Garry, 513-274-7497
Don’t wait until your operator complains about a problem and the forklift goes down to request an inspection, this can become a costly repair. You can save money and avoid downtime by calling Accelerated and having your brakes inspected and serviced regularly.
Dirt and dust get trapped inside the system and over time can score the brake shoes. If caught early enough, you can just replace the shoes and wheel seals. Wait too long, and ridges are formed on the brake drums making the repairs much more expensive.
What Should Be Included in a Forklift Brake Service/Repair?
- Disassemble right and left side brakes
- Visual Inspection of all components
- Clean oils from and De-glaze drums
- Clean and inspect hardware
- Install new brake shoes
- Install new wheel seals
- Reassemble
- Adjust brake shoes
- Replenish fluid and bleed system
What Causes Forklift Brakes to Wear?
Forklift brakes can average 5,000 – 7,000 hours during their lifetime. This range depends on a few factors, most notably: how the lift truck is driven. Forklift brakes won’t last as long if:
– Operator(s) drive with the parking brake engaged
– Operator brakes without allowing enough time for the forklift to decelerate
– Driving “two-footed” (riding the brake)
– The wheel cylinder and hub seals are damaged
The brakes are one of the most relied-upon components of safety and should be inspected daily before the forklift is put to use. Ensuring that forklift components and systems are working properly is key to maintaining operator safety and workplace productivity. A forklift’s brake assembly should be inspected daily: both brake pedal resistance and parking brake engagement.
Scenarios
Scenario 1
The first and most unlikely scenario is the forklift only needs brake shoes. Well, this is not the minimum repair the forklift is going to get. The wheel seals will need to be replaced just because the brake drums were removed. No service tech is going to reinstall the drums with the old seals risking one going bad and creating rework. So, the minimum brake repairs any forklift is going to get is brake shoes and wheel seals. this cost will average around $1800 from the dealerships that have an hourly rate of $150. Some dealers are now up to $178.
Scenario 2
The second and most likely scenario will be that the forklift will need brake shoes, wheel seals, wheel cylinders, and adjuster cables. The chances are that the brake shoes have been contaminated with axle grease or brake fluid. I do a few brake jobs per month and almost everyone has had a wheel seal leaking gear oil and axle grease into the brake drums or brake fluid leaking into the drums from a bad wheel cylinder.
Scenario 3
The third and most unlikely scenario is everything in the brake drums are worn and need replaced, including the brake drums ad backing plates. If the brakes get to the point they are grinding, the brake drums will need to be replaced and they can cost well over $1500.00. Most dealers and forklift mechanics today want to replace the backing plates complete with brake shoes and hardware. This makes their job much easier. Although, they are going to charge you the same labor as doing a complete tear down. The backing plate assemblies complete with brake shoes, hardware, and wheel cylinders can cost over $1000.00 per side. Now in this scenario, a brake job can cost in the range of $4500.00.