It is suggested to often inspect the front end of your lift truck as part of your pre-shift or daily inspection, in order to help prevent expensive lift truck repairs. By catching any problems as they occur or ahead of time, you could also help prevent damage to any type of cargo as well. The following covers a few of the common guidelines on what particular things to inspect during regular inspections of your material handling fleet.
Forks
Regularly inspecting the forks is important because if these are cracked or worn out, they may fail without warning. Any kind of fork damage means that your lift truck should immediately be removed from service until it is fixed and safe once more. Visually inspect your forks for any noticeable indications of damage or wear. If the cracks run deeper than on the surface, replace them. Any type of wear on the forks beyond 10 percent is another sign that you need to replace the forks.
Mast
Ideally, the mast must tilt back and forward and be able to smoothly move down and up. If you find that the sliding surfaces are binding, you might have to grease the mast strip sliding surfaces as well as their fittings. On the inner mast there is a fitting situated on each side. The lift bracket side rollers are a different lubrication point and there is also one on each side roller. Once the lubricating has been completed, lower and raise the mast and also tilt it backward and forward several times in order to ensure that the lubricant is worked properly into the fittings.
Tilt Cylinders
Uncontrolled mast movement can be caused by oil leakage; therefore, your inspection must involve checking for damage and for oil leaks. Whether the leaks are external or are situated inside of the cylinder, the end result can be cylinder drift and loss of fluid. If there are any indications of leaks or damage, you might need to replace the entire cylinder assembly, or just the seals.
Chains
The mast chains have to be checked to see if they are being stretched beyond their acceptable limits. Additionally, 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 chain rollers and the sheave bearings should also be inspected for signs of wear.
The mast lift chain would usually wear at the pin-to-link connections. You could experience chain failure if you discover wear. This can end up damaging front end parts or even the product. If you do not have time on hand to perform regular fleet inspections or if you require help determining what exactly to check on your lift trucks, just call your local lift truck dealer. Their skilled service technicians would help your perform PM or planned maintenance checks according to your scheduling and application needs.