How To Fix Forklift Brakes

Overview

Forklift brakes are fairly straight forward to replace, especially for someone with automotive experience. Forklift brake systems are traditional brake drum/brake shoe set ups, very similar to what an automobile would use in the 1960s and 1970s. Most forklift manufacturers recommend a complete brake inspection every 2000 operating hours. Brake system (shoes, drum, etc) are wear items are there’s no typical lifespan. If you use your brakes a lot, you’ll need to replace brake shoes more frequently. It probably goes without saying but brakes are only on the front axle on forklifts. The rear axle does not have brakes.

This tutorial walks you through a typical forklift brake job. The example forklift was a Toyota 6FGCU18 but the same system will be found on other brands of forklifts as well such as Hyster, Yale, CAT, Mitsubishi and others. Wet disk brakes are a thing in the forklift industry but somewhat rare. Clark, Doosan, and CAT used wet disk brakes throughout the years. If you have a wet disk brake set up, the below tutorial will NOT apply for your forklift.