A fleet manager plans to replace lead-acid batteries in counterbalance forklifts with lithium packs. The lithium quote shows a much lower weight than the old battery, and the safety officer asks whether the truck will still be stable at full load.
On a counterbalance truck the battery is part of the counterweight, so the replacement pack must stay within the battery weight range on the truck’s data plate. If the lithium pack is lighter than the minimum, it normally needs built-in ballast so the total weight, and ideally its centre of gravity, match the original. Confirm the required weight with the truck maker or dealer, and ask the battery supplier to design the pack to that figure before ordering.
Why weight matters
A counterbalance forklift relies on the mass behind the front axle to balance the load on the forks. The truck’s rated capacity assumes a battery within a stated weight range. A pack that is too light reduces the stability margin, even if it fits the compartment perfectly. On pallet trucks and many warehouse trucks the effect is smaller, but the data plate still applies.
What to check
- Data plate. Read the minimum and maximum battery weight and the nominal voltage. If the plate is missing or unreadable, ask the truck maker for the figures by serial number.
- Pack weight with ballast. Ask the supplier for the finished weight, including any steel ballast, and a weight label on the case.
- Centre of gravity. Ballast placed low and evenly keeps the balance close to the original battery. Ask where it sits in the case.
- Fit and fixings. Weight is only useful if the pack is restrained. Check hold-downs, spacers and the compartment cover; see our compartment measuring article.
- Documents. Keep the weight figure with the truck file, and update the data plate or records if your truck maker requires it.
How a custom pack handles it
Because lithium cells store more energy per kilogram, a pack sized for the same shift is often lighter than lead-acid. Custom forklift packs can usually be designed with ballast to reach a target weight, and Redway confirms this at quotation for the model concerned. Redway’s replacement and conversion page and our tray fit article give background.
Risk limits
Stability depends on the whole truck, its mast, tyres and load, not on the battery alone. Do not run a truck with a pack below the stated minimum weight. This article is general guidance; the truck maker’s instructions and local rules take priority.
Additional perspectives
Treat the data plate weight as a hard limit. Check it before the purchase order, not after the first pack arrives, because adding ballast later is slow and costly.
Redway Tech Editorial Team – Safety officer perspective
Ask for a drawing that shows where ballast sits. Low, central ballast behaves closest to the old battery, while ballast on one side can shift the balance.
Redway Tech Editorial Team – Engineer perspective
Put the target weight range in the purchase specification and the inspection plan, so the receiving team weighs the first pack against an agreed figure.
Redway Tech Editorial Team – Procurement perspective
Specifications are taken from Redway product pages as of October 2026. Where a figure isn’t published, this article says so. Confirm current specifications for your model with Redway before ordering. This article is general guidance, not a site-specific engineering assessment.
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