Get to grips with tyres
August 1st 2007 In a survey by Briggs Equipment, more than 40% of forklift tyres fitted and ordered by customers were the wrong size and compound. The company says it's a worrying statistic because if the tyre footprint is the wrong size, a truck while laden or braking could easily skid out of control and lead to an accident. Clive Green, tyres manager, believes many people measure the size of the tyre incorrectly and says that by the time they measure, tyre walls are badly scuffed and sizes illegible. He says another problem is that many people don't work with an industrial tyre supplier. "It is important to look at the type and size of the machine and secondly look at the application that the truck is undertaking. To do this, it is essential to have a knowledge of that application because this will dictate what kind of compound the tyre should be and whether it needs to have a pneumatic, resilient or press-on band. "Tyre measurements should also be taken differently. For example, with a pneumatic, the inflated tyre expands to fit the rim. But with a resilient, it has to be the right size otherwise it doesn't fit. The critical measurement for a resilient tyre is the third dimension which is the width between the two inside faces of the rim. All resilient tyres should be replaced when they are worn down to the J Line." Green adds that looking at tyres and wheel nuts should form part of any driver's daily check list. More articles from Briggs Equipment UK Ltd: | 
