Crown Forklift Tires: Sizes by Model

Walk the aisles of a modern distribution center and you'll see why Crown is different. Where other makes built their names on LP trucks in the yard, Crown Equipment Corporation — family-owned since 1945 and headquartered in New Bremen, Ohio — built one of the world's largest lift-truck companies almost entirely on electric warehouse trucks: sit-down counterbalance rigs, stand-up riders, reach trucks, order pickers, turret trucks and rider pallet jacks. That focus shows up on the floor: a typical Crown fleet leans toward press-on cushion tires, polyurethane drive tires and polyurethane load wheels rather than big pneumatics.

This guide covers Crown end to end: how to decode your Crown model number, current tire sizes taken from Crown's own published specification sheets for the C-5 and FC counterbalance lines, reference sizes for the legacy fleet, and — because this matters more for Crown than for any other make — the reach-truck and pallet-truck side of the family, where the answer usually isn't a "forklift tire" at all but a poly drive tire and a set of load wheels.

Crown: The Electric & Narrow-Aisle Specialist

Most tire guides treat every make the same way: a table of counterbalance models, a drive size, a steer size, done. That approach short-changes Crown, because the typical Crown fleet is built around the narrow aisle. Crown's catalog runs from the SC and FC sit-down counterbalance trucks and RC stand-up riders through RR and RD reach trucks, the MonoLift-mast RM 6000, SP stockpickers, TSP turret trucks, and a deep bench of PE, PC, WP and RT pallet trucks — nearly all of it electric. The internal-combustion side is compact by comparison: the C-5 and C-G/C-D counterbalance lines.

For tires, that fleet mix means three buckets. The sit-down counterbalance trucks run familiar rubber cushion press-ons in the same size families as other makes. The C-5 pneumatic line runs pneumatic-profile tires, with solid pneumatics standard on Crown's own spec sheet. And the warehouse fleet — often the biggest bucket in a Crown operation — runs small press-on drive tires and polyurethane drive tires, load wheels and casters. If you searched "crown forklift wheels," that third bucket is almost certainly what you need; jump straight to the reach-truck & poly-wheel section.

Decode Your Crown Model Number

Crown model designations are friendlier than most once you know the pattern. A modern Crown badge names the product family first and the capacity last: the series number (SC 6200, FC 5700, RC 5700, RR 5700, RM 6000, SP 3500, PE 4500, WP 3200) identifies the truck family and generation, and the number after the dash on the full model — an FC 5725-55, say — is the rated capacity in hundreds of pounds: 5,500 lb. Legacy Crown trucks flipped the order and put the capacity up front: a 40FC is a 4,000 lb FC-series truck, a 60FC is 6,000 lb.

The one exception worth knowing: C-5 names a product family, not a capacity. Crown's IC counterbalance line breaks down as C-5 1000 (cushion, LPG), C-5 1050 (pneumatic, LPG) and C-5 1055 (pneumatic, diesel), with the trailing digits carrying capacity as usual — a C-5 1050-50 is a 5,000 lb pneumatic truck.

One thing the model number won't reliably tell you is the tire size itself — one family carries several sizes across its capacity steps, and option packages change things. The tables below get you close; the data plate and the sidewall on the truck settle it.

Crown Cushion Tire Sizes: C-5 & FC Counterbalance

These sizes come straight from Crown's own published specification sheets for the current C-5 1000 (IC cushion) and FC 5700 (electric cushion) lines, and are commonly used on certain Crown forklifts as configured from the factory. Every linked size goes to our stocked category page for that size. Verify exact tire size and fitment before ordering.

Two details worth noticing. First, the C-5 cushion truck steps its steer tire up at 6,000 lb — from 16x6x10-1/2 to the larger 18x6x12-1/8 — while the electric FC keeps 16x6x10-1/2 across the range on Crown's sheet. Second, the FC's drive size steps cleanly with the dash number: Crown lists 21x7x15 on every 4,000–5,000 lb FC and 21x8x15 from 5,500 lb up — so the capacity digits decide it, and the sidewall on the truck confirms it. All of these sizes come in smooth or traction tread and in black or non-marking compounds.

Replacing drives and steers together? Tire sets and bundles stack the automatic volume discount.

Crown C-5 Pneumatic Sizes: Standard & Wide Options

Crown's outdoor line is the C-5 pneumatic — LPG as the C-5 1050, diesel as the C-5 1055. Crown's spec sheet lists solid pneumatic tires as standard equipment, with air-filled tires as a factory option — so check what's actually on the truck before assuming either.

Tire manufacturers list 28x9-15 and 8.15-15 as alternate designations for the same size class on a 7.00-15 rim, and we stock it in solid resilient and air-filled pneumatic constructions, complete with tubes and flaps for the air-filled versions. As with any tire, match construction, rim and load rating for your application.

Legacy Crown Models: Common Reference Sizes

Crown trucks are famously long-lived, so plenty of the legacy fleet is still working. The sizes below are drawn from industry reference data ("per Atlas reference") for models as commonly configured, and are commonly used on certain Crown forklifts of those generations. Older trucks have had decades of ownership changes — treat these as a starting point and verify exact tire size and fitment before ordering.

Notice the family resemblance to the current lineup — and the one difference that matters: the legacy 50FC ran a 21x8x15 drive where today's FC 5700 lists 21x7x15 at 5,000 lb. Same badge, same capacity, different tire. That's exactly why the model-year and generation matter when two tables disagree.

Crown's Warehouse Fleet: Reach Trucks, Pallet Trucks & Poly Wheels

Here's the section that matters most for Crown — and the one most tire guides skip. A huge share of the working Crown fleet isn't counterbalance forklifts at all. It's reach trucks, order pickers, turret trucks and pallet trucks, and they don't take "forklift tires" in the usual sense. Most run a polyurethane drive tire under the power unit, polyurethane load wheels under the forks, and poly casters for stability. The setup is model- and option-specific — Crown lists poly, rubber and non-marking drive-tire options for the WP walkie, for example — but those wear items are exactly what we stock in the forklift load wheels category.

Crown's own spec sheets spell out the pattern. The RR 5700 reach truck lists a 13x5.5 polyurethane drive tire, an 8x4 poly caster, and poly load wheels from 4x2.9 tandems up to 10.5x4.5 singles, depending on model and options. The PE 4500 rider pallet truck lists a 13x4-1/2x8 poly drive tire — a size we stock as a 13x4-1/2x8 press-on — with 3.25x6.5 poly load wheels and 4x2.5 poly casters. Older Crown warehouse trucks run the same class of hardware: 13-1/2x5-1/2x8 drive tires, 9x5x5 and 10x5x6-1/2 press-ons, and tandem poly load wheels in the 4–6 inch range.

Searching for "crown forklift wheels"? This is what you actually need. We stock Crown-pattern load wheels ready to ship with pressed-in bearings, including the 3-1/4x6-1/2 load wheel (Crown 100462) with bearing, the 5x2-7/8 load wheel (Crown 115032) with bearing and the 4x2-1/2 load wheel (Crown 083179) with bearing — plus the full range of forklift load wheels for other part numbers. Our load wheels & caster guide walks through measuring a worn wheel and cross-referencing part numbers.

Fitments on the RM 6000, SP and TSP stockpickers, and the WP/PC/RT pallet-truck families vary widely by model, mast and options — including tandem load-wheel setups for pallets with smaller openings. For anything in the warehouse fleet, the fastest reliable route is a data-plate photo to sales@forklifttire.com or a call to 1 (866) 313-2180 — we'll help you identify the right wheel or tire, including sizes the website doesn't list.

How to Confirm Your Exact Crown Tire Size

Model tables get you close; the truck itself gets you exact. Three steps:

• ✓Read the data plate. It lists the truck's real capacity rating and may also identify the tire type or size for each position — and keeping that plate legible is part of a compliant truck under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178. Here's how to read a forklift data plate field by field.
• ✓Match the generation. A legacy 50FC and an FC 5725-50 are different trucks that publish different drive sizes at the same capacity. The series number is not decoration.
• ✓Cross-check the sidewall on the truck now. The size molded into the current tire — or stamped on a load wheel's hub — is strong evidence, but not automatically the final word: previous owners change wheel configurations, and factory options like the C-5's wide-tread package change sizes from the factory. If the plate, Crown's spec for your model and serial, and the current tire disagree, stop and confirm with Crown, a Crown dealer, or a qualified industrial-tire supplier before ordering.

One safety note: OSHA’s powered-industrial-truck rule requires trucks in unsafe condition to be taken out of service until restored (29 CFR 1910.178(p)(1)), and requires trucks to be examined before being placed in service, at least daily (1910.178(q)(7)). Badly worn or damaged tires and load wheels can make a truck unsafe to operate — that’s an out-of-service question, not a cosmetic one. Here are the top 5 signs it’s time to replace your forklift tires.

What to Verify Before You Order

• ✓Model and series (FC 5725-55, not just "FC") — from the data plate, not memory
• ✓Truck type: counterbalance tire sizes vs the warehouse fleet's poly drive tires and load wheels — different hardware entirely
• ✓Both positions: drive (front) and steer (rear) are different sizes on nearly every model above — and load wheels are a third position
• ✓Standard vs wide option on C-5 pneumatics: 7.00-12 vs 27x10-12 are different tires on different wheels at the same rating
• ✓Compound: black or non-marking — non-marking matters for food, pharma, and finished floors
• ✓Quantity: singles, axle pairs, or full sets — 4+ items triggers the automatic 15% discount

Why Buy Crown Forklift Tires from ForkliftTire.com

Run other makes too? Start with our master forklift tire sizes by make & model chart, or jump straight to the Yale, Hyster, Toyota, Clark or Caterpillar guides — a Raymond guide, Crown's closest narrow-aisle rival, is on the way. Buying multiple positions at once? Tire sets and bundles stack the volume discount automatically — here's why matched sets save money.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

Tire sizes shown are reference data for models as commonly configured; equipment options, regional builds, and prior owners' changes can alter what a specific truck needs. Sizes listed are commonly used on certain Crown forklifts and are not a guarantee of fitment for any individual truck. Verify exact tire size and fitment before ordering. Trademarks: Crown, Hyster, Yale, Toyota, Caterpillar, Clark, Raymond and all other equipment names and model designations are trademarks of their respective owners. Forklift Tire Company is an independent aftermarket supplier and is not affiliated with, authorized by, sponsored by, or endorsed by any equipment manufacturer. Make references are used solely to identify the equipment replacement tires are commonly used on.