How To Read Your Forklift Tires?
Having a basic understanding of forklift tires is essential to staying productive and efficient. The basic components of your forklift tires are:
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Sidewall - shows important tire information like the tire brand, size, tire type, and wear line.
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Tread - Raised rubber that comes in contact with the ground.
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Rim - Metal portion of the wheel that holds the tire in place.
READING FORKLIFT TIRES SIZES
You can find your forklift tire size on the sidewall of the tire. If you don’t see the size there, you can always check the operator’s manual or call your local forklift dealer with the model. They should be able to tell you the tire size for your model forklift.
Pneumatic or solid pneumatic tires sizes are noted as the Width x Rim Diameter. An example would look like:
6.50 x 10
Generally, your forklift will have a recommended size, but you can purchase a different size, within reason, depending on your preference and application. Check your forklift’s manual and with your local dealer for appropriate tire sizes.
HOW TO MEASURE FORKLIFT TIRES
If you need to measure your forklift tire size grab your average tape measure.
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Measure the outer diameter, picture the tire as a compass with north at the top of the tire. Make sure you’re placing the tape measure at the center of the tire and run the tape measure east to west.
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Measure the rim diameter, stay in the center of the tire but only extend the tape measure to each edge of the rim.
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Measure the width of the tire, simply position the tape measure on the part of the tire that would make contact with the ground and run the tape measure from edge to edge.
For pneumatics or solid pneumatics measure the width and the rim size.
