Routine forklift maintenance helps prevent life-threatening accidents, expensive repairs and damaged product. Forklift forks and lift chains experience excess stress and are subject to a lot of wear. The forks and chains are responsible for lifting thousands of pounds every day.
It’s important to check the condition of your forks and chains on a regular basis. There are tools made just for this purpose. We will cover the procedures of a forklift fork inspection and forklift chain inspection. This will help you recognize when to replace certain forklift parts.
Lift chains are an extremely important part of the safe and efficient operation of a lift truck. Your service technician should be keeping record of your fork and lift chain wear, and it should be no surprise to you when they need to be replaced. Below is a basic checklist of items to consider when inspecting lift chains. Always refer to the manufacturer specifications and manuals for inspection tolerances and procedures.
- Are lift chains properly lubricated with oil?
- Inspect for cracked or broken links.
- Inspect for worn or turned chain pins.
- Confirm that no chain link repair kits are installed.
- Inspect chain anchors and pins for wear or damage or missing hardware.
- Check for corrosion on links, pins and anchors.
- Check for equal tension on chains with forks not touching floor.
- Check for maximum 2% wear with a chain gauge at a section of chain going over a chain roller.
- Check for 5% maximum edge wear compared to new chain.
- With truck on level surface and mast 90 degrees to floor, check for 1/4″ clearance under fork heels.
- Check that carriage stop does not contact inner rail stop with mast fully raised.
- Check that anchor nuts are fully engaged and lock nuts or cotter pins if required are present on anchor shaft.
Forklift Forks
The majority of fork replacement is due to improper adjustment of lift chains and poor maintenance. It is up to your service provider to be good stewards and help you get the most out of your investment.
Inspecting forklift forks should be part of every pre-operational checklist. Lift truck forks are designed and built to be very robust and durable. But without the proper inspections, maintenance and adjustments, they can be damaged or worn out relatively quickly. Below are some very basic items to consider when inspecting lift truck forks.
- On a level surface, verify the fork heels are not touching the floor. This is an indication that the lift chains are adjusted properly.
- Clearance under fork heels in above condition should be 6mm or about 1/2 inch.
- Inspect fork lock pin assembly for wear, damage or missing parts.
- Inspect fork shank and blade for cracks or damage.
- Inspect hook and tube welds for cracks.
- Inspect for tip alignment to be within 3% of fork length.
- Inspect blade for wear using fork inspection tool, wear must not exceed 10% compared to shank.
- Inspect fork angle with fork inspection tool, must be between 87 – 93 degrees.
- Inspect upper hook for wear with wear template tool.
- Inspect upper hook inner weld for wear with inspection template, must have 1/32″ gap minimum.
- Inspect tube and pin on pin type forks for a maximum 3% wear with fork caliper.
Forklift Chains
Forklifts use hydraulic pressure to lift the mast by raising the lift cylinders. Forklift chains make it possible to lift the carriage and forks. Without this critical piece, you wouldn’t be able to carry anything. Because of the constant movement when lifting heavy loads, forklift chains are subject to lots of wear. This wear can cause mast chains to elongate or break. Forklift preventative maintenance and proper care can prevent this.
Complete forklift chain inspections as part of your pre-operational checklist. Here’s how you’ll know if it’s time to replace your forklift chains:
Chain Elongation
Use a chain gauge to measure elongation. If elongation is greater than three percent, it’s time for a replacement. Like forks, forklift chains cannot handle their rated load capacity when damaged. It’s important to perform proper forklift maintenance when you notice an issue.
Turned Pins
Pins hold the plates of the chain together. When a chain is not lubricated or is under stress, these plates create excess friction. This may cause pins to turn or protrude. If you find one turned pin, there are likely more. Inspect your forklift chains closely.
Broken Links
Unusual force can cause chain links to crack and break. Other common causes include lifting a load that is too heavy or using the equipment in a non-ideal environment. Perform a quick visual forklift chain inspection before each use. Schedule an in-depth inspection as part of your routine forklift maintenance.
Forklift Preventative Maintenance
Forklift preventative maintenance is critical to extending the life of your equipment. Save money in the long run by investing in quality lift truck maintenance.
Schedule professional forklift preventative maintenance and servicing at least once every 90 days. These checks will ensure the safety and efficiency of your workplace.
OSHA also requires a daily forklift inspection before use. This includes a visual assessment of the equipment to ensure that it is in good working order. If you find issues, remove the equipment from service until forklift maintenance is complete.
The quality of forklift service can determine the life of your lift. From my experience, I have seen more equipment neglect and equipment in need of thousands of dollars in repairs. If your service technician is a good steward of your equipment, there should be small repairs needed throughout the year rather than multiple breakdowns and huge repairs all at once.