Steer Axle

Summary

Steer axles are one of the components that allow you to maneuver your vehicle as you wish. There are simply shafts that connect the wheels to the steering of the vehicle and ensure the wheels can rotate and be locked in a position. The steer axles also bear the weight of your vehicle and other additional loads.

Since steer axles are of prime importance in operation and usage of a vehicle, it is pivotal to be aware of the various types we have, the problems, and how to maintain them to ensure their 100% efficiency.

This guide will discuss all these and provide you with the best platform to purchase steer axles and their parts, such as seals, online when you need to change them.

The platform is no other than Sourcefy, where you can get high-quality, durable steer axles for your forklift at the lowest prices. The company also offers fast delivery while making it easier for orders to be made with a beginner-friendly website.

What Are Steer Axles?

Image of Forklift steer axles

Steer Axles, or rear steer axles, are typically the shafts that connect your wheels to the steering. These shafts can take divergent designs depending on the type of vehicles you own.

The operation of the steer axles in relation to the wheels is quite simple. The gear system is connected to the steer axle, further linked to the wheel center fitted with bearings to allow rotation. The support provided by steer axles will also ensure the brake can effectively put the forklift to a halt and change its direction.

Parts Of A Forklift Steer Axle

Labelled Parts Of A Forklift Steer Axle

The steer axle does not work singlehandedly and consists of different parts to function as a whole. The following are some of the parts that make up a forklift steering axle:

Steering Shaft And Column

Single Steer Axle Shaft Connecting Two Parallel Wheels of the forklift.

The steering column is the most prominent part of the steering axle. It houses the steering shaft, which connects the steering wheel to the steering box. As the steering shaft rotates in the steering column, the wheels are turned to transmit directions to the steering box.

These two parts also ensure the axle can withstand the vehicle's weight.

Drop Arm Or Pitman Arm

The Pitman Arm Of A Forklift Steer Axle

The drop arm or pitman's arm enables the movement of certain parts of the steering axle by converting torque from the steering gear to mechanical energy. It also has two parts, the upper and lower arms. While the upper arm is linked to the steering center for the forklift's movement, the lower arm prevents dirt from getting into the bearing.

Ball Joints

Image of Ball Joints Of A Steer Axle

Ball joints, commonly refer to as round bearings, are attached to the end of the tie rod and drag link. Its primary function is to ensure the angular displacement of the rotational movements of the tie rod and drag link.

Drag Link.

The drag link is a pivotal part of the steering system of a forklift since it is responsible for the transmission of rotational motion from the gearbox to the wheel.

Tie Rod

The tie rod connects the two tie rod arms on opposite sides and helps transmit forces between the arms for effective steering. The tie rod with the female thread is locked to the ball joint shaft with a male thread by clamps.

Common Problems Of Steer Axles

Most times, poor operations might be the primary cause of the issues with your steer axles. The most familiar problems are caused by exceeding the steer axle weight limit and include the following:

Steering Issues: When you experience frequent issues while driving, it is most likely due to a faulty steer axle. In some cases, the vehicle might be unable to move, although the wheels are rolling.
Worn-out parts: The steer axles are made from metal and can quickly start to wear off after some time. If attention is not given to this situation early enough, it will escalate to even more significant issues with the steer axles.

Leakage in the steering power system
Misalignment of the brake pad
Frequent creaking noise from the forklift.

Steer Axle Weight Limit

The weight limit of Forklift steer axle

As stated earlier, a vehicle's steer axle weight limit is essential to avoid some of the abovementioned issues. The steer axle weight limit mostly depends on rules and regulations guiding the use of roads in a state. You can check here to find out the acceptable steer axle weight limit in the US.

You must also be aware of how much load your vehicle can withstand to avoid facing legal issues, especially if you drive a truck. Here is a video on how to find out the weight limit of your truck’s steer axle.

Maintenance Of Steer Axles

Maintaining Forklift Steer axles

Maintaining the steer axles of a vehicle typically involves the daily routine of inspection since the steer axles take a while to develop a fault. The following are practices to ensure your vehicle’s steer axles do not develop a fault soon:

Regular alignment to ensure the rear axles are well-aligned. Therefore, improving the optimal performance of the vehicle.
Lubrication: Regular lubrication of the pivot of the axles is also essential to ensure that the rear axles do not wear off quickly and prevent rust.

Best Place To Buy Durable Steer Axles

As we have promised from the onset of this guide, let’s recommend the best place to purchase durable steer axles and their parts online. The best platform to purchase high-quality and durable steer axle parts on the internet is Sourcefy.

Sourcefy has proven its distinctiveness over the years by providing quality forklift parts, including steer axles of various forklift models. Apart from its reputation, here are some other reasons you must not miss placing your steer axle order with Sourcify:

Durability

Steer Axles parts must be durable to withstand the weight of the vehicle and other loads. Sourcefy assures long-lasting parts for machines and also a good warranty policy.

Cheap and Affordable

Sourcify prioritizes the comfort of its customers and offers the lowest possible prices for its products. The steer axles of the company are very cheap while still retaining the same high-quality found in the expensive steer axles of other companies.

Fast Delivery

It is normal to be concerned about the delivery time while making online orders. However, we are already aware of this at Sourcify and have continued to work towards providing the fastest delivery service on the net.

We ship out orders as soon as they are placed and have a delivery period of 3-9 business days.

24/7 Customer Support

Our customer support team can always help you with issues while surfing our platform. We have made available a live chat feature and a free hotline to get across to us.

Convenient Return Policy

While we ensure that you get only the best products, it is also possible for the delivered products to malfunction or just not be the perfect fit. You can reach out to our customer support anytime you need to return a product (according to our Policy) or cancel an order.

Steer Axle

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Summary

What Are Steer Axles?