Almost like a foundation for a home, professionally installed tyres play a critical role in supporting the weight and work needs of commercial vehicles ina significant way. In industrial spaces where forklifts are commonly used, the tyres for this function are essential in softening the ride for your employee and the equipment. This is the most literal explanation of their function, but it is also important to remember that these vehicles can hold many thousands ofkilograms of weight and they need to be kept to a certain standard so that they can continue to do so safely. The team at Fleet Tyres Qld can easily help you to maintain this standard so that you always steer clear of any of the safety risks associated with a lapse in them. While we cannot completely protect you against your tyres breaking down over time, we can ensure that you get good quality service for forklift tyres that keeps them in the best condition at all times. We’re an expert in this regard, so we’re going to share some essential information about care for your forklift tyres in this guide…
When to replace forklift tyres?
The tyres on your forklift are designed to last anywhere between 2000 and 2500hours of usage on your premises. They can last longer if you keep up with your fleet management requirements. If you’re using your forklift for 12 hours, every day in a 5 -day work week, that totals 60 hours a week. There are approximately 50 work weeks in a year so that means you’ll need to do a service or replacements every 7-8 months or so. Even if you don’t follow this generic guide, both cushion and solid pneumatics have clear methods for identifying when it needs to be replaced. Tyres have information about their metrics on the side of the tyre and these can be helpful in tracking wear and tear. On pneumatic tyres, you can easily see a band that indicates the typical lifespan which helps to inform your decision.
Why do you need to replace more than one tyre at a time?
One of the tricks of sustainable trade requires that you invest in multi-tyre replacement where necessary. It may be suggested by one of our Queensland expert tyre consultants that it is safer to replace more than just one when it comes to a forklift. Your tyres will age at different rates and this can contribute to a multitude of issues including things like skidding, and tip-overs, due to the imbalance between different tyregrip qualities. Replacing one tyre is the quickest way to deal with mismatched tyre syndrome. The best thing to do is to try toreplace both tires on one wheel axle to maximize stability.
Signs that it’s time to replace my forklift tyres
While there are many indicators for a forklift tyre replacement in Brisbane CBD, there are a couple that is easy for you to spot with your eye which is the most important sign. We’ll go through some of them below but trust us that this list isn’t limited here.
Cracking in the tread
Badly deteriorated tyres will have piecesof rubber that fall off while you are using your forklift. While this may be common practice in multiple commercial environments, big chunks of rubber falling out can be detrimental to the overall function of your unit at one point.
Bald spots on your tyre
This applies to forklift tyres, but also those used in all other sectors too including those for 4×4 usage in Queensland. You may notice cleanly flat patches on your tyres which are an indication that they have less tread than the rest of the tyre. Tyres will wear at different rates but if you spot any bald spots then you need to invest in replacements because the danger is afoot.
Tyre tearing
These particular results will appear as a direct result of ignoring tyre balding symptoms explained earlier. Bald areas of the tyre that become exposed to sharp objects are sure to tear and these may not cause a complete breakdown, but they will affect the quality of the tyre.
Preventing wear and tear of your forklift tyres
The best way to protect your forklift tyres from occupational ageing and degradation is to ensure that driving patterns are conducive to this. It will require that drives don’t take turns too fast, accelerate and brake too hard or leave the vehicle unused for long. All of these things can affect the tyres severely. Rely on the team at Fleet Tyres Qld to keep your vehicles in the best shape and you can worry about the business of running your business.