Pallet Jack Repair

[Don52]

The arms on one side of my customer's pallet jack broke. To remove the arms it was necessary to press out the shaft that the arms pivot about. The shaft is retained by a blind roll pin loaded in double shear. The blind roll pin was flush with the surface so I had to build the roll pin up with weld so that I could remove it with a slide hammer. My customer had cut out a portion of the bushing that retained the shaft in an attempt to free the pin.. Unfortunately the pin was also engaged on the other side, which was more than adequate to resist the hammer blows attempting to remove the shaft. I welded up the bushing. Last but not least I noticed that the bearings were shot.

Don

[Don52]

Here are the rest of the pictures:

[snowbird]

They all get abused like that...this one seems to have steel wheels and they are about 1/2 inch too small on diameter . Explaining why the arms wear by dragging on the floor.

Nice pin puller

[Don52]

They all get abused like that...this one seems to have steel wheels and they are about 1/2 inch too small on diameter . Explaining why the arms wear by dragging on the floor.

Nice pin puller

Do you think that it is possible that the steel wheels have worn enough to allow the arms to wear?

[snowbird]

Do you think that it is possible that the steel wheels have worn enough to allow the arms to wear?

I don't think so, they probably were made from stock material available at the time of modification, was it because the nylon/urethane originals were too soft or to big, who knows or it is the remaining core of a wheel that lost it's "tire" ?

It looks like a lift rite, and all the parts are available for rebuild/repair

Lots of info here: http://www.liftrite.com/ReplacementParts.aspx

[Don52]

Your post got me thinking.
I believe that the reason that the arms are dragging is because of wear on the bushings on the arms. If the bushings wear .020" then the roller looses .200" of lift. If my customer had turned the adjusting screw on the connecting rod to make up the wear or replaced the worn bushings, then the arms wouldn't wear and the link wouldn't have broke. Do you agree?

Thanks for the link for replacement parts.

Don

[snowbird]

the rollers (wheels?) are too small, it's made , for the roller link to rest on the stoppers when completely lowered, there is also a busching right next to your repair that is bigger and act as a roller too. Worn shafts and buschings are not helping but are not the major cause of the problem. I'm 90% sure it's rolling on the rims as it is.

[Don52]

the rollers (wheels?) are too small, it's made , for the roller link to rest on the stoppers when completely lowered, there is also a busching right next to your repair that is bigger and act as a roller too. Worn shafts and buschings are not helping but are not the major cause of the problem. I'm 90% sure it's rolling on the rims as it is.

I looked and the arms stop on the underside of the forks as shown in the attached picture. I agree with you that the wheel or rollers play a crucial role in the wear of the arms. Thanks for helping me to understand the root cause of the problem.

Don

[Don52]

It looks like a lift rite, and all the parts are available for rebuild/repair

Lots of info here: http://www.liftrite.com/ReplacementParts.aspx

I sent them an email and they were very helpful.
They were able to identify the model number from my pictures of the hardware even though the model tag was illegible.
Their prices were very reasonable so I ordered the arm kits as well as the wheel assemblies. They confirmed that the steel wheel actually do wear out. Thanks for your help.

[snowbird]

You 're welcome, the user will be so happy, he'll probably try to abuse it right away.

[WillieB]

A member on a forum made the comment; "If you build it idiot proof, they'll just make a better idiot." Elsewhere the line; "These people could break cannon balls."

I work often in a plant where breakage seems to exceed the outer limits of human stupidity. IE; driving a forklift into a box semi, and trying to stack pallets two high, hanging heavy duct by tying with wire to 1/2" EMT carrying 480Volt three phase. Forgetting to grease a motor bearing for a long time, so making up for lost time, and putting in a whole tube, or, most frequently, driving a fully extended forklift through an overhead door that is partly open. Making your own cartridge fuses out of plumbing pipe and being proud. The maintenance man, a long term employee, who is well informed about the electrical system, called to ask if it was OK for him to hook up a 240 volt three phase motor in the maintenance shop, (this facility has NO 240 three phase anywhere on 40 acres!)

[gnforge]

Pallet Jack Repair

Yeper WillieB those are good clients !! They have a way to keep a welder busy. Can always count on them for work in the slow times.

[Don52]

The arms and rollers arrived in a few days. I was able to install them without difficulty. Notice the wear on the flattened bushing.