UniCarriers FG20 Series Operation & Maintenance Manual page 21

OUTSIDE THE TRIANGLE OF
■
BALANCE, THE TRUCK TIPS
Rear
wheels
Front
wheels
Lift truck Viewed from Above
RATED LOAD (LOAD WEIGHT AND LOAD CENTER)
■
The load center is the distance from the front face of the forks to the center of gravity of the load. The rated
load is the maximum weight allowable with the nominal load center.
The Load Chart, showing the relationship between the load center and the rated load, is attached to the truck
as a decal. The rated load decreases as the load center moves toward the tip of the forks, and as the overall
center of gravity moves forward.
HOW THE LIFT TRUCK WORKS?
Axis of lateral stability
If the center of gravity W1 moves
outward past the axis of lateral
stability, the truck will roll.
(As the center of gravity comes
closer to the rear axle, the space
between the centerline of the truck
and the axis of lateral stability
narrows, and the truck will roll more
easily.)
HOW TO READ THE LOAD CHART
The higher the load is raised, and the further forward
from the front wheels the load is moved, the more the
weight of the load increases.
(Slightly heavier loads can be carried with dual tires)
Point A
Point B
For a lift truck to remain stable, the overall center
of gravity must be inside the triangle formed by the
contact points of the left and right front tires and
the center point between the steering wheels. The
triangle defines the area of stability for the center of
gravity.
If the overall center of gravity moves further forward
than the front wheels, the truck will tip forward with
the front wheels as the fulcrum. If the overall center
of gravity moves outside the triangle to the right or
the left, the truck will fall over in that direction.
1-16
Point C
Point D