Hydraulic Hose Failure: The Hose Is Usually the Cheap Part

Hydraulic hose repair in NYC and NJ is rarely about the cost of the hose. For fleets, contractors and equipment operators, downtime is usually the expensive part.

Why Hydraulic Hoses Fail | Why the Same Hydraulic Hose Keeps Failing | Hydraulic Hose Pressure Rating Is Only Part of the Specifications | 2-Wire vs. 4-Wire vs. 6-Wire Hydraulic Hose | JIC vs. NPT vs. ORFS Hydraulic Fittings | How to Measure a Hydraulic Hose for Replacement | Hydraulic Hose Abrasion and Routing Problems | AW32 vs. AW46 vs. AW68 Hydraulic Oil Custom Hydraulic Hose Repair in NYC & NJ

A blown hydraulic hose is annoying.

D o w n t i m e i s e x p e n s i v e . HYDRAULIC HOSE REPAIR NYC

Same Hose. Same Failure. Different Day.

Hydraulic Hose Repair NYC LONG ISLAND & NJ | LubeNet

If the same hose keeps blowing, stop blaming the hose.

Look at:

• Bend radius

• Abrasion

• Twist

• Routing

• Pressure spikes

• Heat

• Fitting orientation

• Machine movement

• Hose length

• Flex near the coupling

Replacing the same failed setup over and over is not maintenance.

It’s a recurring expense.

Hydraulic Hose Repair Near Me

“It Fits” Is Not a Specification

A hydraulic hose can fit perfectly and still be completely wrong.

Pressure matters.

So do impulse cycles.

Temperature.

Fluid compatibility.

Bend radius.

Fittings.

Application.

The right assembly is built around the machine.

Not whatever happens to be on the shelf.

2-Wire. 4-Wire. 6-Wire.

More wire does not automatically mean better.

It means different construction for different pressure and impulse requirements.

Use what the application calls for.

Not what sounds tougher.

JIC. NPT. ORFS. SAE. Metric.

This is usually where a simple hose turns into an afternoon.

Thread size alone tells you very little.

Pitch matters.

Seat matters.

Seal type matters.

Orientation matters.

And imported equipment has a habit of making “looks close” expensive.

Best move?

Keep the failed assembly intact.

Bring us the whole thing.

“It’s about this big” has never been our favorite hydraulic specification.

Hose Length Is Not Guesswork

Too short?

Tension.

Too long?

Movement, rubbing and bad routing.

A few inches can make the difference between a clean installation and another failure waiting to happen.

Measure it correctly.

Abrasion Usually Leaves Clues

Most abrasion failures are not mysterious.

Something rubbed against something else.

Eventually, one won.

If the wire reinforcement is showing, the hose is done.

But replacing it without correcting the contact point just starts the clock again.

Fix the routing.

Protect the hose.

Then move on.

Heat Is Hard on Everything

Hot systems punish hose, seals and hydraulic fluid.

External heat matters too.

Exhaust.

Engines.

Poor routing.

If hoses are hardening, cracking or failing early, temperature belongs on the suspect list.

Blown Hose? You Probably Lost Oil Too.

Now you have two problems.

LubeNet supplies common anti-wear hydraulic oils including:

AW32AW46AW68

And no, AW68 is not “better” than AW46.

It’s heavier.

Use the viscosity the equipment calls for.

Simple.

Keep Dirt Out of the System

A failed hose is bad.

Contamination introduced during the repair can be worse.

Cap fittings.

Keep assemblies clean.

Don’t toss an open hydraulic hose in the back of a truck next to tools, dirt and last Tuesday’s coffee.

Modern hydraulic systems are not especially forgiving.

Need a Replacement? Send Us This.

If you know the spec, send it.

If you don’t, give us:

• Hose markings

• Inside diameter

• Pressure rating

• Overall length

• Fitting type

• Fitting orientation

• Equipment make and model

• Hydraulic fluid

• Photos of both ends

• Photo of the full assembly

Or make life easier.

Bring us the old hose.

Hydraulic Hoses, Fittings & Hydraulic Oil for TRI-STATE, NYC LONG ISLAND and NJ

LubeNet supports contractors, fleets, municipalities, industrial operations, trucking companies and equipment operators throughout NYC, New York, Long Island, New Jersey and the Tri-State area.

We supply:

• Custom hydraulic hose assemblies from 1/4" to 2"

• 2-wire hydraulic hose

• 4-wire spiral hose

• 6-wire spiral hose

• JIC fittings

• NPT fittings

• ORFS fittings

• SAE fittings

• Metric fittings and adapters

• Steel, brass and stainless fittings

• Quick couplers

• Industrial hose

• Suction and discharge hose

• Fuel, oil, water and chemical-transfer hose

• AW32 hydraulic oil

• AW46 hydraulic oil

• AW68 hydraulic oil

• Bulk lubricants and fleet fluids

  
  

One broken hose?

We can handle it.

Running 40 pieces of equipment and tired of chasing hoses, fittings and oil from three different vendors?

We can handle that too.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can a damaged hydraulic hose be repaired or should it be replaced?

If the hose itself is damaged, replacement of the complete hose assembly is generally the correct course. NAHAD specifically recommends replacing assemblies showing damage such as kinking, pinholes or worn areas. Gates likewise calls for replacement where there is cracking, twisting, coupling blowoff, improper crimping or leakage at the hose-to-coupling interface. A leak caused solely by a damaged O-ring or serviceable connection can sometimes be corrected without replacing the entire hose, but a compromised pressure hose should not simply be patched and returned to service.

How do I identify a hydraulic hose fitting?

Start with three things: the thread, the sealing surface and the measurements. Gates recommends determining whether the connection is male or female, whether the thread is parallel or tapered, identifying the sealing method, then measuring thread diameter and pitch. A caliper, thread-pitch gauge and seat-angle gauge are the proper tools. Visual appearance alone is not reliable because several fitting families can look remarkably similar.

A useful rule is:

Measure it. Don’t eyeball it.

What is the difference between JIC, NPT and ORFS fittings?

They seal differently.

JIC uses straight threads and a 37-degree flare. The seal occurs where the two flare surfaces meet, not at the threads themselves.

NPT/NPTF uses a tapered pipe thread. The connection tightens as the threads engage, with sealing occurring at the threaded interface.

ORFS, or O-Ring Face Seal, uses straight threads with a flat sealing face and an O-ring. It is widely used where strong resistance to leakage is important.

They may occasionally look similar from across the shop. They are not interchangeable. Parker and Gates both distinguish these connections by thread geometry and sealing surface.

Where can I get hydraulic hose repair in NYC?

In NYC, use a hydraulic hose shop that can identify the existing assembly, match the correct fitting and thread standard, and fabricate a properly crimped replacement for the application. LUBENET LLC in Brooklyn provides custom hydraulic hose assemblies from 1/4" through 2", including 2-wire, 4-wire and 6-wire hose, JIC, NPT, ORFS, SAE and metric fittings, with walk-in, while-you-wait hose service at 126 Scott Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11237. Call 800.403.0011 for a same day appointment. 

What causes a hydraulic hose to keep blowing?

Repeated failures usually mean the hose is showing you a problem somewhere else in the system. Common causes include abrasion, excessive system pressure or pressure spikes, inadequate bend radius, excessive flexing, incorrect hose length, twisting, heat, fluid incompatibility, incorrect fitting selection and improper crimping. Gates specifically recommends investigating system pressure and routing when a hose bursts, and changing length, bend radius or assembly configuration when failures repeatedly occur near a coupling.

If the same hose keeps failing in the same place, replacing it identically without finding the cause is usually just resetting the clock.

What is the difference between 2-wire, 4-wire and 6-wire hydraulic hose?

The numbers refer to the reinforcement construction, but they should not be treated as a simple "good, better, best" scale.

2-wire hose commonly uses two braided layers of high-tensile steel reinforcement and is widely used in medium- and high-pressure hydraulic applications. Gates' SAE 100R2 hose, for example, uses two wire braids.

4-wire hose typically uses four spiral layers of steel reinforcement and is designed for heavier-duty, high-pressure and high-impulse service. Parker's 722 series uses four-wire spiral construction specifically for high-impulse, heavy-duty applications.

6-wire hose is used in certain extremely high-pressure and high-impulse applications. Gates' EFG6K, for example, uses six spiral layers in larger sizes and is rated for applications such as hydrostatic transmissions.

The important point is that wire count alone does not select the hose. Pressure, impulse requirements, hose size, temperature, fluid compatibility, bend radius and manufacturer specification all matter.

What hydraulic oil should I use: AW32, AW46 or AW68?

There is no universally "best" one.

AW32, AW46 and AW68 are viscosity grades, not quality rankings. AW32 is the lower-viscosity fluid, AW46 is intermediate, and AW68 is higher viscosity. Chevron, for example, manufactures its anti-wear hydraulic oils in all three ISO viscosity grades.

The correct viscosity depends on the equipment manufacturer's specification, pump design, startup temperature and normal operating temperature.

So:

AW68 is not "stronger" than AW46. AW46 is not "better" than AW32.

Use the grade the system was designed to run.

What information do I need to order a replacement hydraulic hose?

Gates uses the STAMPED method:

SizeTemperatureApplicationMaterial or fluid being conveyedPressureEnds or couplingsDelivery or flow volume

For a practical replacement order, provide the hose ID/dash size, hose markings or specification, overall assembly length, working pressure, hydraulic fluid, fitting type and size at both ends, fitting orientation, equipment/application, and photos if identification is uncertain.

And if possible:

Bring the failed assembly intact, fittings included.

That is usually worth more than a ten-minute description over the phone.

LubeNet LLC

800.403.0011 info@lubenetllc.com www.lubenetllc.com

Serving NYC, New York, New Jersey and the Tri-State area.

Less downtime. Right hose. Right fittings. Right fluid. Back to work.