It lifts slowly, or not to full height
Usually the pump, the relief setting, a restriction, or fluid that is low, aerated, or overdue. Slow lifting under load but fine empty points somewhere different than slow in both.
Heavy Repair
Forklift Hydraulic, Mast and Transmission Repair
Cylinders, pumps, valves and hoses. Masts, chains, rollers and forks. Transmissions and drive axles. The repairs that keep a machine lifting and moving instead of sitting.
Mobile service out of Pamplico, SC · Emergency calls answered 24/7.
The Working End
The parts that carry the load are the parts that wear out.
Everything that makes a forklift useful runs through the hydraulics and the mast. A pump moves fluid, a valve sends it where the operator asks, cylinders do the lifting and tilting, and the mast turns that into height. When any part of that chain wears, you see it as a machine that lifts slowly, drifts down, or will not go to full height.
The drivetrain is the other half. A powershift transmission and torque converter take engine power and turn it into travel, and they show their age as slipping, delayed engagement, or a machine that will not climb a ramp it used to climb loaded.
These are also the repairs where a cheap fix costs the most. A hose replaced without finding why it chafed comes back. A cylinder resealed while the rod is pitted comes back. We would rather tell you the real cause than sell you the quick version twice.
Common Complaints
What owners actually call about.
None of these mean the machine is finished. They do mean something specific, and most of them get worse and more expensive if the machine keeps working.
The forks drift down on their own
Load holding is failing, either past the cylinder seals or past the control valve. This one matters: a mast that will not hold height is a machine that should not have a load in the air.
Hydraulic fluid on the floor
Hoses, fittings, cylinder seals, or the pump shaft seal. Where the puddle sits and what it looks like when the mast is raised tells us most of it before we get there.
The mast is noisy, jerky, or hangs up
Rollers, channels, or chains. Uneven chain adjustment makes the carriage bind. A mast that jumps as it comes down is a mast that needs looking at before somebody gets hurt.
The forks look thin or bent
Forks wear at the heel where you cannot see it without measuring. A worn or cracked fork is a load on the ground and possibly on somebody, so this is one to take seriously.
It slips, hesitates, or will not pull a ramp
Transmission or torque converter. Fluid level and condition first, then pressures. Delayed engagement from a cold start that clears when warm is a different story than slipping under load.
Hydraulics
Hoses, fittings, cylinders, pumps, and control valves. Cylinders can often be resealed rather than replaced, but only if the rod and bore are still good. A pitted rod will eat a new set of seals, so we check that before quoting a reseal rather than after.
Fluid condition gets checked every time. Water, metal, or a burnt smell in hydraulic fluid changes the whole job, because whatever contaminated it has already been through the pump and the valve.
Chafed hoses get traced back to what they were rubbing on. Fixing the hose and leaving the cause is how a repair turns into a repeat visit.
Mast, carriage and forks
Chains get measured rather than eyeballed. Leaf chain stretches as the pins and plates wear, and manufacturers generally call for replacement somewhere around two to three percent elongation. Chains are replaced as a set, because a fresh chain paired with a stretched one just loads the new one harder.
Rollers, channels, bearings, and the tilt cylinders all get checked together, since wear in one shows up as symptoms in another. Carriage alignment and hose routing get set properly on the way back together.
Forks are measured at the heel. The industry standard is to take a fork out of service once wear has taken roughly ten percent off its original thickness, and cracks at the heel or a bent blade mean it goes now rather than at the next service. Forks are replaced in matched pairs.
Transmission and drive axle
Fluid level and condition first, then how the machine actually behaves cold and warm, loaded and empty. A lot of transmission complaints turn out to be linkage, an inhibitor switch, or fluid, and finding that out is cheaper than everyone assuming the worst.
When it really is internal, we tell you what is involved before anything comes apart, so you can weigh the repair against what the machine is worth and how much life is left in the rest of it.
Before You Call
Three things that speed this up.
What it does and when
Loaded or empty, cold or warm, lifting or traveling. A symptom that only shows up under load is a different fault than one that shows up always.
The machine details
Make, model, serial number, fuel type, and hour meter. Serial number matters most here, because mast and transmission parts vary within the same model line.
What changed
Anything repaired, topped up, or replaced recently, and anything the machine hit. Recent history explains a surprising number of faults.
Where We Work
Hydraulic, mast and transmission repair across the region.
Mobile service throughout the Pee Dee and the Grand Strand. Pick your area for local detail.
A Few Straight Answers
Hydraulic, mast and transmission questions
Describe the symptom and we will tell you what it usually points to before anyone drives anywhere.
Call 843-920-6959Is it safe to keep using a forklift with a hydraulic leak?
Treat it as no until it has been looked at. A leak is fluid escaping under high pressure, the level drops while you work, and the mast can behave differently as it does. Add the fire risk near an engine and the slip hazard on the floor, and a leak is not something to run out for another week.
My forks drift down on their own. How serious is that?
Serious. It means the system has stopped holding load properly, and the failure gets worse rather than better. Do not park a load in the air, do not let anyone work under the forks, and get it looked at before the machine goes back to work.
Can a cylinder be resealed instead of replaced?
Often, yes, and it usually costs less. It depends on the condition of the rod and the bore. If the rod is pitted or scored, new seals will not last, and we will tell you that up front rather than after.
How do I know when the mast chains need replacing?
They get measured. Leaf chain stretches as it wears, and manufacturers generally set the limit somewhere around two to three percent elongation. You cannot judge that by eye, which is why a chain gauge is part of a proper service.
When does a fork have to come off the machine?
Once wear has taken roughly ten percent off the original thickness, or if there is a crack at the heel, a bent blade, or a damaged locating pin. Forks get replaced as a pair so the load sits square.
Do you rebuild transmissions or just replace them?
It depends on the machine and what is wrong. Plenty of transmission complaints turn out to be fluid, linkage, or a switch. When it is internal, we walk you through what the work involves so you can weigh it against what the forklift is worth.
Can you do this work on site?
Most of it, yes. Some jobs need a bench and we will tell you when that is the case rather than doing a compromised version in your yard.
Do you take emergency calls after hours?
Yes. Emergency calls are answered 24/7. If the machine is down and holding up work, say so when you call.
Get It Lifting Again
Tell us what the machine is doing.
Call 843-920-6959 with the model, the serial number, and the symptom.