Are forks wear parts or not?
Having worked in different positions in the industry of material handling there was one argument that kept coming back: are forks wear parts or not? I will explain later why this discussion was on the table.
Before we answer that question I believe it is important to emphasize that an inspector will always measure the forks before he gives his/her approval for safety. And if there’s more than 10% difference in thickness the forks are deemed unsafe.
Let’s dive deeper into that:
So to measure the forks start with measuring the side that has the original thickness, in this case we measure: 88mm original thickness.
88mm original thickness
Secondly we will measure the part that can show signs of wear and tear. In this case we measure 83 mm.
83mm measured on wear side
So the forks have lost (83/88=0,94) about 6% of thickness. Which is within the tolerance and so they are safe to use.
But what about the argument whether forks are a wear part of not?
This argument usually arises in case a truck is a rental or on operational lease. The supplier in that case usually works under a maintenance contract and the question is are the forks included in that contract or not?
Below a picture of the heel where the wear usually is caused.
wear on a fork
Why is it unclear whether forks are a wear part or not?
The reason a supplier/dealer deems forks as not a wearing item is because the driver should always first lift the cargo before it will start driving. If the other way around the forks will scratch on the surface which will than wear the forks eventually. So to avoid misunderstandings we recommend our customers to make sure the contract is clear on this.
A set of forks on 10 tons + trucks can easily cost 16.000 EUR or more and you don’t want to be faced with these unexpected costs (regardless whether you’re a dealer or enduser).
We hope our newsletter has helped you saving money! If you have any queries regarding forks or any other technical questions don’t hesitate to contact us: tigran@heavycargolifters.com