ITA Forklift Forks| Durable & Reliable Forklift Parts at VOVLift

What ITA Forklift Forks Are and How the Classes Work

ITA forks (the term comes from the Industrial Truck Association) hook over an upper and lower carriage bar and are held in place by a spring-loaded lock pin that drops into a notch on the top hook. The class number describes the carriage the fork fits, not the fork's strength. ISO 2328 defines the mounting dimensions for hook-on fork arms and fork arm carriages, and that dimensional family is what the class numbers refer to.

To identify your class, measure the vertical distance from the top of the upper carriage bar to the bottom of the lower bar, and cross-check against the truck's data plate or the truck manufacturer's parts listing. Getting the class wrong is the single most common ordering mistake — a Class III fork will not seat on a Class II carriage.

Not every machine uses a hook carriage. The Star Industries replacement forks and bars are shaft-mounted: model FP20048 is listed with a 2.0 in. shaft diameter, 48 in. carriage width out to out, 51.5 in. shaft overall length and a 48 lb weight. If your truck or attachment uses a bar and shaft rather than carriage bars, that is the style you want.

Matching Capacity, Thickness and Length to Your Load

Capacity is the second decision. The Arrow MHP heavy duty forklift forks in this collection are listed as follows; confirm the load center each rating is based on before you order, because rated capacity always assumes a specific load center.

Fork capacity should meet or exceed the truck's rated capacity, not just the weight of your usual load. Longer forks push the load center further from the carriage, which reduces what the truck can safely lift even though the fork itself is unchanged. Fully tapered and polished blades enter tight pallets and slip sheets more easily; full-thickness blunt-tip blades give you more material to wear away in abrasive work.

OSHA 1910.178(a)(4) states that modifications and additions affecting capacity and safe operation shall not be performed without the manufacturer's prior written approval, with capacity, operation and maintenance instruction plates updated accordingly. That applies to attachments as well as forks. OSHA 1910.178(l) separately requires operator training for powered industrial trucks.

Fork Extensions vs. Buying Longer Forks

Extensions slide over your existing blades and are the cheaper answer when oversize loads are occasional. Vestil's Pallet Master fork extensions are listed at 6 in. x 48 in. (PM-FE-6-48, $198.95) and 7 in. x 48 in. (PM-FE-7-48, $206.91). The collection also carries Vestil loop-style extensions (FE), pin-style extensions, high strength extensions and extensions with side brackets for load straps, plus Abaco Afe083 and Star Industries fork extensions.

Three things decide whether an extension fits: the inside dimensions must clear your blade width and thickness, the retention method (pin, loop or strap) must positively hold the extension on the fork, and the extension length must stay within the extension manufacturer's stated limit relative to your base fork. Because extensions move the load center forward, derate the truck according to the manufacturer's guidance rather than assuming the plated capacity still applies. If you handle long loads every shift, buy the correct fork length instead.

Inspection, Wear and When to Retire a Fork

Forks are consumable. ANSI/ITSDF B56.1 calls for fork arms in use to be inspected at least every 12 months, and more frequently in severe or multi-shift service. ISO 5057 covers inspection and repair of fork arms in service and calls for a fork to be withdrawn when blade thickness has worn to 90% of its original thickness.

In practice, check heel wear with a caliper or a fork wear gauge, look for cracks at the heel and at the hooks, verify the blade-to-shank angle has not opened up, compare tip heights across the pair, and confirm the markings are still legible. Forks like the Star Industries units are single-piece heat-treated alloy steel — heating or welding a blade alters that heat treatment, so repairs belong with the fork manufacturer, not your maintenance shop. Vestil fork tip protectors (FPU) help with visibility and reduce tip damage to product and racking.

Forklift Scales: Weighing on the Forks

A forklift scale attachment lets you weigh while you handle instead of routing loads to a floor scale. The RAVAS iForks-32 is listed with a weighing capacity of 2,500 kg, 3,000 kg or 5,000 kg; multirange graduation of 1–2 kg at 2,500 kg, 1–2 kg at 3,000 kg and 2–5 kg at 5,000 kg; maximum tolerance of 0.1% of applied load; IP65 protection; 75 hours of battery operation per fork; 200% overload protection on the mechanical construction; and 5-digit ID-code entry.

Two points buyers miss. First, the scale's weighing capacity is not your truck's lifting capacity — the truck's data plate still governs. Second, if weight will be the basis of a commercial transaction, weighing devices in the US fall under NIST Handbook 44 and state weights-and-measures approval; verify the device and installation qualify before you invoice from it. For check weighing, shipment verification and catching overloads before they leave the dock, a fork scale earns its keep quickly.

Changing, Moving and Storing Forks Safely

Forks are heavy and awkward, and dragging them off a carriage by hand is how backs and toes get hurt. The Vestil fork lifter (FORK-P, $487.92) is built for installing and removing forks, and Star Industries offers a fork mover for the same job. For storage, the Vestil fork extension storage rack (FORK-R-54) is listed at 46 in. L x 40 in. W x 54 in. H for $454.27, and Star Industries fork storage racks are also stocked. Vestil's listings for the fork lifter, storage rack and Pallet Master extensions show US manufacture and a 1-year limited warranty.

Related fork-mounted equipment in this collection covers loads a standard blade will not handle: drum, roll and reel forks, a single fork skid positioner lifter, forks with universal mount, and Vestil aluminum pallet dollies (DOL) and aluminum plate dollies (PDA) with a floor lock option.