The relevance of the work is conditioned by the complete reconstruction of the mining industry in Azerbaijan. The commissioning of the AIMC (Azerbaijan International Mining company) in the Western region of Azerbaijan in 2007 was a significant step in the rehabilitation and re-equipment of the country’s mining industry. Nowadays the 4 ball mill type SAG and Ball have been installed and are in operation. They are easy to operate and possess a high grinding efficiency. As a result of research it was found that the main causes of equipment failure are wear and tear grinding balls, as well as premature destruction of the working surfaces of lifters. Therefore, improving the wear resistance of lifters and mechanical performance of grinding balls for mills is an urgent task. The purpose of this work is to substantiate the material selection for lining of working surfaces of the lifters and their thickness. To determine the effective value of the angle of elevation of the lifters, as well as the operating parameters of the operation of the mill is also one of the goals of the present research. Research methodology. The scheme of location of the lifting elevators and geometrical parameters on the efficiency of the mill has been studied in detail. The influence of the distance between the lifting pads on the performance of the mill has been evaluated. Large distances lead to rapid abrasion of the linings in hard ore. Results. On the basis of numerous experiments and theoretical calculations it was found that the angle of placement of lifting elevators, recommended by the manufacturer, does not always provide a high performance. Therefore, a proposal was made to revise it. It is established that the existing lining material can be used in the grinding of high-hard ores. The authors for the grinding of sulphide ores with high hardness of the working surface of the lifters to line special composite material with refractory bricks on the basis of the metal rubber. Summary. To ensure high efficiency of ore grinding, it is proposed to install the angle of the lifting elevator within 18–20º. A new metal-rubber composite material is proposed as a lined material for covering working surfaces.