Regrooving forklift tires

Singtoe · Feb 6, 2019

Any negatives to regrooving fork lift drive tires. I have a 5k# lift with semi pneumatic tires. They are quite bald.

sealark37 · Feb 6, 2019

Unless you are having traction problems, slick tires on a lift are no problem. Are you using it outside, on an unpaved surface? Is the floor frequently wet? If the tires are sliding on braking, bite the bullet and get some new tires. Regards, Clark

Rob F. · Feb 6, 2019

Do the tires say regroovable on them like some semi truck tire do? My forklift has bald tires that are just worn to bottom of the tread and the rubber is delaminating from the cords, it is about 1/8" thick and is blistering and coming off in spots. No way to cut new tread in mine. I will get replacements this week. I doubt you have the rubber to go deeper with regrooving. Brand new tires for mine (7.00 x 12) are $150 each, why bother trying to ruin the old ones first.

kustomizingkid · Feb 6, 2019

Pop for new ones... we just got some on our oldest lift and it made a huge difference in traction and ride. Even better a dude came out and did them on site in an hour and a half or so.

Ox · Feb 6, 2019

Rob F. said:
Do the tires say regroovable on them like some semi truck tire do? My forklift has bald tires that are just worn to bottom of the tread and the rubber is delaminating from the cords, it is about 1/8" thick and is blistering and coming off in spots. No way to cut new tread in mine. I will get replacements this week. I doubt you have the rubber to go deeper with regrooving. Brand new tires for mine (7.00 x 12) are $150 each, why bother trying to ruin the old ones first.

$150 for solid/pnue's? :skep:

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Rob F. · Feb 6, 2019

No plain pneumatic, the one I had with solid pneus is gone.
https://www.tires4that.com/itemdeta...MI7ImBkben4AIVSr7ACh2N2gk3EAYYAyABEgJTwvD_BwE

Ox · Feb 6, 2019

So - we can ass_u_me that the solid/pnue's that this guy needs cost more than a buck and half?

I wonder where those are made?
Camso is Canuk (Yank?) AFAIK.
They use'ta go under the Camoplast name until a cpl yrs ago.
No idea why the name change?

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Rob F. · Feb 6, 2019

Had to re read OP's post, he has semi pneumatic, I missed the semi part before. That is a THICK rubber tire with an air filled center. It may have room for re grooving. I had a forklift with original 1974 smooth, solid pneumatic tires on it still. I looked into it a little and the tread layer is harder rubber than the rest of the tire. I think cutting into the tire will work short term but will probably wear a lot faster due to exposing the softer rubber below. They are probably on standard air tire rims so the cheaper air tires should fit right on them.
Sadly, I am sure these, as with most tires are made overseas

Link to USA made tires:
Products - Roadrunner Rubber Corp
These guys list "made in usa" tires in some types:
https://www.forklifttire.com/best-value-solid-pneumatic/?sort=featured&page=3

Ox · Feb 6, 2019

So there is something between pneu's and solid pneu's?
This "semi" is an actual thing, or just another name for solid pneu's?

I'm interested in the re-groove subject as well as the front tires on my 8K solid pneu's are about smooth now, but it still goes through the snow and ice (and now MUD!) pretty darn good.

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Rob F. · Feb 6, 2019

Ox said:
So there is something between pneu's and solid pneu's?
This "semi" is an actual thing, or just another name for solid pneu's?

I had to look it up too, and yes it is a thick rubber with a hollow core, not sure if you can add air or if it just a cushion to give room for deflection.

Singtoe · Feb 7, 2019

My apologies on calling it semi pneumatic . Yale actually calls it a Supercushion tire with air pressure set at 0 PSI.

Singtoe · Feb 7, 2019

So I went ahead and regrooved the tire. If it has to be replaced anyway might as well try it before buying new tires.

I borrowed a buddies regroover

Here were my tires before.

Here is the first set of new grooves

Starting the second set of grooves.

Here it is done.

And then testing it.

Ox · Feb 7, 2019

WOW!

So you did this right on the machine I take it?

How long did it take you?

I wonder what that groove tool costs?

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Rob F. · Feb 7, 2019

Nice job

tdmidget · Feb 7, 2019

Cushion tires can be capped by cold (Bandag) process. Over 40 years ago I worked for a carrier that had an Allis Chalmers with the drive tires so capped. Maintained ground clearance and drive ratio. No one could remember how long they had been there so I guess they held up fine.

Rob F. · Feb 7, 2019

I just got done swapping tires on my old datsun forklift. I mentioned earlier the tread was delaminating from the cords. Picked up a nice pair on CL for $100, delivered. Turns out the old tires were original to the lift, one of the rims had never been taken apart, other side had a new tube at some point. New ones are radials that have been solid filled!

Original ones are 35 or 36 yrs old, pretty good life, bridgestone.

true temper · Feb 7, 2019

Ox said:
WOW!

So you did this right on the machine I take it?

How long did it take you?

I wonder what that groove tool costs?

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Here is tire groovers Unusual Activity Detected - Free Shipping on Orders Over $99 at Summit Racing
I bought one at a yard sale last summer for 10 bux thought I would never use it now I know why I bought it, never thought about the forklift.
I watched my friend groove racing tires it goes pretty fast.
You can change how deep you cut and how wide bu changing blades.

Edit; link didn’t work, check out summet racing tire groovers they start at 100 bux.

m16ty · Feb 8, 2019

The proper terms are cushion for solid rubber tires, and pneumatic for air filled tires. I don't know why the call the solid tires "cushion", because there isn't any cushion to them. I would assume it was a marketing ploy by whoever invented them, trying to imply a smooth ride.

On a cushion tire, or even the mentioned cushion/pneumatic hybrid, I don't see a problem with regroving. There is a bunch of meat there to work with.

Singtoe · Feb 10, 2019

Ox said:
WOW!

So you did this right on the machine I take it?

How long did it take you?

I wonder what that groove tool costs?

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

It was surprisingly quick. The feed rate for the tool is like 8" per min and i had both tires done in less then 30 minutes. This included washing hosing them off first and starting and moving the forklift about 5 times.

I could of put a block uunder the mast and tilted it foward to lift the front end up but i probably would have wasted 30 minutes looking for the right size block.

I have no idea what the tool cost but i probably wouldnt buy it just to use one time. Although it did work great and it literally was like cutting butter with a hot knife.

Regrooving forklift tires

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