Where to get pneumatic tires/wheels for forklift

[Steve in SoCal]

I am in a major remodel mood, where can I buy (for a reasonable price) wheels/tires for my lil Clark Clipper. It is rated at 2000 pounds so the tire load is not really heavy BUT, it needs small tires. I looked at airplane tires and some looked promising. I searched the web my search terms are not getting results of sizes I need.

This is a tire kicking exercise at the present time, I would like to add that to the winter projects list.

Steve

 

[bigais]

erior Tire & Rubber Corp is located in Warren city of Pennsylvania state. On the street of Scientific Road and street number is 40. To communicate or ask something with the place, the Phone number is (814) 723-2370 if you don't know how to go Superior Tire & Rubber Corp click here. You can get more information from their website superiortire.com. You might try this Co. as many years ago they manufactured a MOLDED TIRE on a wheel to replace air tires in bad environments!

 

[atomarc]

You indicate 'pneumatic' which to me means they're filled with air..right! All the pictures I see for that little forklift show solid rubber tires. Yours must be different.

Stuart

 

[Steve in SoCal]

You indicate 'pneumatic' which to me means they're filled with air..right! All the pictures I see for that little forklift show solid rubber tires. Yours must be different.

Stuart

Stuart, you are correct,

The forklift has solid tires/wheels on it now, I would like to change to pneumatic. The tires are really worn, particularly the steer tires. I have a gravel actually more like slag yard the forklift can't navigate. This forklift is the only one small enough to go into a part of the building accessible only thru the yard. I have to pick it up and carry to the entry with my big forklift.

I am not sure they were all hard tire, recall seeing a pic of a Clipper or other little Clark with air tires.

The big forklift is going thru a major maintenance cycle, new hoses, installing fork positioning, new wiring/lighting etc.

Steve

 

[atomarc]

Steve,

I'm going to offer the 'unobtanium' card on finding pneumatic tires for that small machine. I think any surface other than a solid, hard floor is going to be impossible to drive on with a machine that heavy and small, even with pneumatic tires. I've enclosed a screen shot (dinky) of a rig with pneumatic tires, but I don't think it's a 'clipper'.

Stuart

 

[Scottl]

Steve,

I'm going to offer the 'unobtanium' card on finding pneumatic tires for that small machine. I think any surface other than a solid, hard floor is going to be impossible to drive on with a machine that heavy and small, even with pneumatic tires. I've enclosed a screen shot (dinky) of a rig with pneumatic tires, but I don't think it's a 'clipper'.

Stuart

View attachment 330804

I'm not so sure I agree with that. There's no reason pneumatic tires should make it hard to drive as long as they fit properly and don't bind while turning. Major difference vs solid tire besides more "give" is that pneumatic tires have tread, which would make them better on gravel. He MAY find it works best to soften the tires a bit while outside and then re-inflate while inside but likely there is a pressure that would be an acceptable compromise for both.

 

[dalmatiangirl61]

I looked at some pics of Clark Clippers, and I'm thinking you are asking a bit much, even if you find tires, where would you get wheels, short of making them? The front wheels are also the brake drum, so its not like you can slap any wheel with same bolt pattern on the machine. If Clark offered them as an option, maybe you can find a used set.

 

[atomarc]

I'm not so sure I agree with that. There's no reason pneumatic tires should make it hard to drive as long as they fit properly and don't bind while turning. Major difference vs solid tire besides more "give" is that pneumatic tires have tread, which would make them better on gravel. He MAY find it works best to soften the tires a bit while outside and then re-inflate while inside but likely there is a pressure that would be an acceptable compromise for both.

I've fiddled with many a small, solid tired machine and they typically have a ground clearance that's measured in RCH's, so a soft pneumatic tire on anything other than a solid surface would probably result in ripping the pan off, or some horrid thing akin to that.

Stuart

 

[matt_isserstedt]

I'm not sure a change from cushion tires to pneumatics can be done as a bolt-on fix.

All I have seen is that the tires get significantly larger in diameter when the pneumatics are hooked up, the "wheelhouses" in the forklift frame aren't sheetmetal like a Jeep, they are formed from 3/8" steel plate that's not easily modified (!!)

To the point where Hyster and Clark both have (had?) a major model designation for the pneumatic tires. Hyster was an "H" and Clark was a "Y" if I'm thinking about it correctly.

As an alternative, I would try to pour a small sidewalk or "two-track" to get you where you want to go. It could be done fairly easily with bag mixes and a portable electric mixer depending on the distance you have to go and the time you have to work on it, standard wire mesh reinforcement, broom finish, etc. If using bags I'd go for the higher psi and give yourself a legit 4" depth, 5" or 6" would be even better if you wanted to traverse fully loaded.

 

[john.k]

Not possible....best bet is to find a pneumatic tyred lift with your mechanicals ,and use your good lift frame, engine and tranny......but solid tyre machines usually have quite different trannies to pneumatics......Im thinking the solids impose much greater shock loads on the tranny......ratios are certainly different ,as solids are 1/2 the diameter of air tyres.