Is your Clark forklift on the fritz? Or does it just not work as well as it used to?

If so, it sounds like you need to call for Clark forklift repair before it’s too late. After all, a forklift that’s damaged or not working properly is a huge workplace safety hazard.

Heavy loads can topple over during lifting, causing injury or even death. But, today, we’re going to help you avoid this grim fate.

Below is a checklist of warning signs that tell you it’s time to get your Clark forklift repaired immediately. For safety’s sake, please review the state of your forklifts and check for these specific problems.

1. Warning Notifications

Your Clark forklift should have some way of alerting you to any problems that need repairing. It might be an information panel with specific details of the problem. Or it may just be a blinking warning light.

In any case, if one of your forklifts is indicating some kind of problem, don’t ignore it. Check your user manual if you have a copy or find the manual online.

Follow the instructions therein to solve the problem if you can. Otherwise, call for professional repair.

2. Oil Leaks

If you see any fluids leaking from your forklift, get full-service forklift repair right away. If you don’t, this issue will cause all sorts of hazardous problems.

Loss of oil will accelerate wear and tear and shorten the lifespan of your forklift. And a hydraulic fluid leak can cause the hydraulics to fail at inopportune or dangerous moments.

3. Damage to Chains

Worn-out or damaged chains can cause your forklift to stop functioning entirely. This can put a halt to your whole operation.

Look for rust, corrosion, or signs of visible wear on your forklift’s chains. Also, take note if any of the forklift’s movements become slow, jerky, or clunky. This indicates that you need the chains repaired or replaced.

4. It Trembles When Lifting

Smooth, steady lifting isn’t merely a selling point of forklifts. It’s a necessary safety feature.

For the safety of your team, your forklift must lift and set down loads smoothly. If it’s shaky or jittery when lifting, set the current load back down and cease using the forklift immediately.

This trembling motion could be enough to completely tip over the load and the forklift. Or, it could indicate that the hydraulic system is giving out, which means it could drop the load prematurely. Don’t hesitate to have such a forklift repaired.

5. A Warped or Damaged Fork

Every time you operate a forklift, give the fork a quick visual inspection. Are the arms bent, warped, damaged, misaligned, or misshapen in any way?

If so, mark it “out-of-order” and have it repaired. A warped fork is a dangerous hazard.

It can cause the weight of the load to be improperly balanced. Then, any very heavy load will tip the whole forklift.

If the arms are bent at a downward slant, loads can slip off of them. And if the tips of the arms are bent too far upward, they can catch on the pallet you’re trying to grab, knocking the load over.

Get Professional Clark Forklift Repair For These Problems

Don’t expect these problems to go away on their own. If you noticed any of these signs, get Clark forklift repair right away. To get started, contact us here.