Major Signs Your Forklift Tire Beads Are Damaged

8th Dec 2019

Question:What are some of the major signs that forklift tire beads are damaged?

The tire bead is one of the most important parts of the tire. It is designed with a structure that perfectly fits into the part of the rim that it comes into contact with.

It has a core made of steel wires that are meant to hold the bead into position on the rim once the tire is inflated to the recommended pressure.

Like any other part of the tire, the tire bead is usually exposed to damage if it is not properly handled.

To answer your question, let's look at some of the major signs that your forklifts tire beads might be damaged and in need of replacement.

Exposed Wires Due To Torn Beads

A lot of force is normally used during the tire demounting process while breaking into the tire beads. In case the procedure is not done in the right way it could lead to the tearing up of the rubber.

If the damage is severe the wires that provide the beads with structure will get exposed. You have the option of repairing these tires if the wires do not become rusty, otherwise, you will need to entirely replace the tires.

To safeguard your tires from this kind of damage ensure you are always using the right mounting/demounting procedures.

Investing in proper tire lubricants to reduce friction between prying tools and the forklift tire beads will also go a long way.

Bead Scorching Due To Braking

Sudden stops that result from over-speeding usually generate a lot of heat since the forklift operators are forced to break hard. Normally when this happens a lot of heat is generated on by the brakes and transferred to the tire beads.

The damage is usually worsened if the tire brakes are faulty.

Since the tire beads are made of rubber which does not handle heat well they will end up getting burned over a long period of use.

You should engage your operators to adopt safe and less damaging driving habits and invest in brakes with great heat dissipation.

Cracking On The Beads

Every tire is usually manufactured with a rim size in mind that it should be compatible with. When a tire is fitted with an incompatible rim size, it will end up chaffing.

The same problem can also result from under-inflation which makes the tire beads not fit sufficiently on the rim. Tires that experience this problem should be replaced immediately.

You can prevent this problem from happening in the future by adequately training your servicemen to ensure they properly match tires with rims of the same size.

Article Summary:

Top three signs your tire beads are damaged.

1) Exposed wires due to torn beads.

2) Bead scorching due to breaking.

3) Cracking along the beads. 

Forklift Tire Company is one of the largest suppliers of forklift tires in the USA. We are happy to help you find the right tires for your forklift truck. Visit our online store here for great discounts or email us at sales@forklifttire.com, our customer service team is ready to assist you.