Forklift Maintenance: Everything You Need to Know

Performing regular and proper maintenance on both your forklift and Forklift Wrecker is critical for their long-term health and performance. When you carry out regular maintenance, you’ll be able to identify issues that could lead to larger problems, and you can optimize your forklift’s productivity. 

In this blog, we discuss the frequency in which you need to perform forklift and Forklift Wrecker maintenance and how to perform proper upkeep. 

Performing Forklift Maintenance

Your forklift requires regular maintenance, but the frequency in which you perform different maintenance tasks will differ. There are certain daily maintenance tasks you should incorporate into your routine. No matter what type of forklift you have, you need to check the following each workday to ensure your employees’ safety:

• Look for and address any apparent forklift damage
• Leaks
• Parking brake
• Horn
• Steering
• Safety lights

In addition to daily maintenance habits your company needs to incorporate into its routine, you also need to adopt monthly maintenance tasks. These include:

• Cleaning your air filter
• Checking your drive belt tension, lift, and tilt cylinder operation
• Replacing oil
• Checking batteries if the forklift is electric
• Lubricating chassis and mast components
• Checking for cracks in the forklift
• Checking ignition timing

Every three months, you need to perform more rigorous maintenance on your forklift. Consider taking the following upkeep measures four times a year in addition to your monthly maintenance tasks:

• Check your hydraulic oil pump, positive crankcase ventilation, mast operations, carriage rollers, hoses (if applicable), electrical system, differential oil, and transmission oil
• If your forklift is diesel, drain your water separator
• Replace the fuel filter
• Adjust your mast support bushing, chassis links, tilt cylinder pins, and clutch release bearing adjustment

In addition to your three-month forklift maintenance, perform the following every six months:

• Check your brake booster
• Tighten your manifold nuts and engine head bolts
• Replace your brake fluid, drive hub lubricant, fuel strainer, and engine coolant

How Frequently Does My Forklift Wrecker Need Maintenance?

Your Forklift Wrecker needs to be serviced at least once every 90 days, but we recommend you service the Wrecker whenever you perform your monthly forklift maintenance tasks. This saves you a great deal of time because checking your Forklift Wrecker will only add a few minutes to your usual forklift maintenance routine.  

How Do You Perform Maintenance On a Forklift Wrecker?

There are different components of your Forklift Wrecker which you need to inspect, lubricate, and replace parts when necessary. To optimize your Forklift Wrecker’s performance and keep it operating for years to come, you need to:

Inspect Your Forklift Wrecker

When servicing your Forklift Wrecker, you need to inspect its individual components. You should pay close attention to its moving parts and regularly lubricate them. The individual moving components require lubrication in order for the Forklift Wrecker to function properly. Some of these moving parts include the C-hooks that transport vehicles and the Forklift Wrecker’s bolts. 

Tighten the Forklift Wrecker’s Bolts

Your Forklift Wrecker’s bolts may become loose if you operate your forklift in rough terrain or if you use the Wrecker frequently. Make sure to check and tighten the bolts attaching the C-hooks to the fork pockets.  

Check Your Forklift Wrecker Springs

When performing maintenance on your Forklift Wrecker, make sure to check the springs holding open the C-hooks so that they’re an optimal width for transporting cars. Additionally, you should make sure the springs attaching the T-bar to the boom are maintaining proper tension. 

Clean Your Forklift and Forklift Wrecker

In addition to performing maintenance on your forklift and Forklift Wrecker, you should also clean them once a week to optimize their functionality and prevent maintenance issues. You need to wipe down all of the forklift and Forklift Wrecker’s components. Additionally, you should also clean your forklift’s radiator. 

It’s important to care for and maintain your forklift and Forklift Wrecker so they stay in great working condition for years to come. If you have any questions about caring for your Forklift Wrecker, we’re happy to answer them. Give us a call at 877-593-6959 or contact us online today. 

The material and information contained on this website is for general information purposes only. You should not rely upon the material or information on the website as a basis for making business, legal or other decisions.