THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING

Get your jacks ready for the busy season with this checklist

Here are five important items for your checklist to make sure your warehouse is prepared.

1. Check your warehouse floors and outdoor loading areas to make sure the workplace is clean and clear of any obstacles. Make sure that debris and spills are cleaned and swept up so that your operating environment is safe for your equipment to operate in. Debris and spills can ruin or shorten the life of your wheels or get in the way of your loads. 

2. Inspect the wheels on your pallet jacks and forklifts regularly to make sure that they are rolling easily and that there are no flat spots or delamination. Over time, the poly or rubber on your wheels can crack or wear unevenly resulting in unstable and unsafe loads. This can cause additional stress on your machine and on your workers' hands and arms due to vibration and rolling instability. We offer convenient wheel kits for manual pallet jacks and electric lift trucks. 

3. Have you looked at the forks lately?  Make sure there are no cracks or damage as the forks bear the brunt of the load. Using a damaged jack can cause a load to shift and fall and may damage products or cause injuries to your workers.

4. Check the hydraulic pump for leaks and make sure that it is operating properly. Does it pump up and hold your load? Does it lower safely? 

5. Test the handles, levers, controls, and horn where applicable, so that you are confident everything is working properly before you add a heavy load. 

Check our website for replacement parts you need, and contact us for any technical support.

Here is a list of instructional videos of the most common pallet jack repairs:

How to bleed the hydraulic unit

How to remove corroded or rusty load wheel axles

How to replace load wheels

How to replace steer wheels

and more  How To Instructional Videos

Safely turn over a jack

Sometimes we encounter a question like "Is routine maintenance really needed on a pallet jack?" The simple answer is yes, routine maintenance is important when it comes to getting the most out of your pallet jack.  Depending on the size of your operation a pallet jack may be replaceable or it may very well be an integral part of the the livelihood of your whole company.  Where ever you may land in the spectrum we can all agree throwing money away through lack of maintenance can negatively impact the bottom line. 

Most of the parts you'll need to keep an eye on are found in the underbelly of the unit. We want to give you practical instructions on how to safely to get to the underside of your pallet jack for two reasons.  First,  let's get rid of a potential excuse to put off the inspection for lack of know-how.  Second, because the breaking toes, twisting of wrists or damaging of the pallet jack defeats the goal to support your bottom line. (No one wants a Worker's Comp Claim).

The best way to turn over your pallet jack and expose the undercarriage keeps you and your equipment safe. We've created a line of instructional 'How To' videos and below you'll find a link to one on safely flipping over a manual pallet jack.  


YouTube - How to flip your jack.

Once you have it turned over and still have full use of all your fingers and toes the next question is "What should I be looking for?"

Start with the Pallet Jack Wheel Inspection (Load and Steer)
Measure the Wheel diameters. Are they worn down 0.25” or more from new?  (I.e. 3” diameter load wheel worn to 2.75” or 7” diameter steer wheel worn to 6.75”)

Is there excessive debris embedded in the wheel tread or chunks of the polyurethane tread material missing?

Are there strings or other material wound around the axle preventing the wheel from turning freely?

Do you see visible cracking of the steer wheel hub around the bearing?

Always replace both load wheels or steer wheels even if only one wheel meets the
criteria for replacement.

Inspect the entry rollers. If they do not turn freely or are visibly damaged, replace.

We recommend performing the above inspection every 6 months


Be sure to check out Generic Parts Service YouTube channel for more 'How To' Videos:

Remove load wheels 

Install load wheels

Replace the load wheels on a pallet jack

Turn the manual jack back upright

Replace the steer wheels on a manual pallet jack

© Copyright 2016, Generic Parts Service Inc.

How To: Replace Load Wheels On Manual Pallet Jack

Looking to replace load wheels on your manual pallet jack? We can help !

First, make sure you have the tools you'll need for wheel removal & re-installation:

• Pin punch
• Hammer
• Pliers

Next, follow along with the video below: 

Be sure to check out Generic Parts Service YouTube channel for more 'How To' Videos:

Remove load wheels

Install load wheels

Replace the wheels on a pallet jack

Turn the manual jack back upright

Replace the steer wheels on a manual pallet jack

How To: Flip Over A Manual Pallet Jack

Have you ever wondered how to properly turn over a manual pallet jack... without potentially damaging the unit? 

Wonder no more. There is a safe way to turn over your pallet jack and expose the undercarriage... and we'd like to show you, so we've created a new line of instructional 'How To' videos.

Be sure to check out Generic Parts Service YouTube channel for more 'How To' Videos:

Remove load wheels 

Install load wheels

Replace the load wheels on a pallet jack

Turn the manual jack back upright

Replace the steer wheels on a manual pallet jack