Regarding fork position with side shift. I have a big Hyster that has side shift and I bought hydrauic cylinders to make fork positioners. The issue I have is, the carriage is split by vertical supports. The inner range is OK for pallets but the forks are too fat for many pallets. The outer area is great for machines and heavy lifts.
Anyway, the forks are on bars and weigh about 400 each. If I can get a fork on the ground with the bar loose, I can use the side shift to move the fork. Not sure about a fork on a rack but, same idea should apply. It is the big one in the pic!