It is recommended to often check the front end of your lift truck as part of your daily or pre-shift examination, in order to help prevent costly forklift repairs. By catching any problems ahead of time or as they arise, you could also help prevent damage to any type of cargo as well. The following covers several of the general guidelines on what specific stuff to inspect during regular inspections of your material handling fleet.
Forks
Regularly inspecting the forks is important because if these are worn out or cracked, they may fail without warning. Any kind of fork damage means that your forklift must immediately be removed from service until it is repaired 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 wear on the forks beyond 10 percent is one more 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 every side. The lift bracket side rollers are a different lubrication point and there is also one on each side roller. When the lubricating has been completed, tilt it backward and forward and also lower and raise the mast several times in order to ensure that the lubricant is worked into the fittings correctly.
Tilt Cylinders
Your daily check needs to include the checking for oil leaks and damage as an uncontrolled mast movement could be a result of oil leakage. Whether the leaks are external or are located inside of the cylinder, the end result may be cylinder drift and loss of fluid. If there are any indications of damage or leaks, you may need to replace the entire cylinder assembly, or just the seals.
Chains
The mast chains need to be inspected to see if they are being stretched beyond their acceptable limits. What's more, inspect the chain wear guage or check the chains for signs of damage. If wear is present beyond 2 percent, replace the chain. Also replace it if the chain seems rusted or kinked. Both the sheave bearings and the chain rollers also have to be inspected for indications of wear.
The mast lift chain would typically wear at the pin-to-link connections. You can experience chain failure if you discover wear. This could end up damaging the product or front end parts. If you need help determining what precisely to inspect on your forklifts or if you do not have time on hand to perform regular fleet inspections, simply contact your local lift truck dealer. Their trained service technicians will help your perform planned maintenance or PM inspections based on your scheduling and application requirements.