Another prime area for saving on forklift parts is brake shoes. Let me explain, you can save a ton of dough buying non-OEM brake shoes. It's an industry out there, pumping out shoes that are often only a fraction of the price you'd pay for the OEM equivalent.

Regardless of forklift make, you're leaving a lot of money on the table paying what the dealer wants for the brake shoes he sells. That said, don't ask me to commit to the low cost variety fitting just right, you don't mind the tech taking extra time to get the "might fit" part in do you, his time isn't THAT costly. Don't ask that they don't fail, you save some money, and probably three in four installations won't have an immediate problem, and if you're clever you can just switch service companies after refusing to pay the bill for the second repair. Serve them right for leading you down the wrong path. Nor can I say you won't have to replace those pairs that don't fail relatively quickly; certainly you didn't expect REAL quality at a bargain price?

 

Sure that bearing wore out, if it makes you feel better. The ugly truth can be something we take back to the shop with us. To often forklift maintenance is the last thing done by a majority of forklift owners. Here is an example.

Take the forklift bearing, you want to believe you've fully utilized it, the reality is it probably never reached its full lifetime potential. SKF Bearings gave us some percentage regarding why bearings fail:

 

It lumbers off the delivery truck like a prehistoric beast, and in many ways it is. Old, no long really vital or viable in today's environment, it now sits in your facility as your material handling provider's best for your rental dollar. Perhaps you've called for it as a replacement rental during a repair, or maybe you called because you're busy and needed an extra machine. The price seemed right didn't it?

From Cisco-Eagle Material handling, automation, and storage systems experts

This short video details some common-sense tactics for safer pallet rack operations. Remember pallet racks are designed for specific capacities and loads. If you are working on a rack application and aren't sure of any of your load factors, contact us for assistance today. Also see our related infographic: "Safer Rack Operations".