The most important function of the front wheels of a forklift is to enable the vehicle to steer.
As front wheels turn around the kingpin (or trunnion), this will affect the vehicle’s angle of movement, allowing turns, U-turns, etc. Forklifts may sometimes feature rear-wheel steering or all-wheel steering, but front-wheel steering is the industry standard as this method can achieve sharper turning angles that would prove impossible were a forklift steered from its rear wheels alone.
