When you are transporting goods in Australia you can often find yourself travelling large distances with service centres few and far between. As a result, the last thing you want is a blow a hydraulic hose on a remote highway. Here are some tips to make sure that your hoses are safe from abrasive wear.
Choose the right hose
There are a number of cheaper imported hoses coming on the market for cars and trucks, and these can often be fine for occasional drivers. However heavy duty users often need to stick with the tried and trusted professional grades on hoses which are more likely to last when being run continuously for a long period of time or at high temperatures. Hoses are a lot more vulnerable to abrasions if they are thinner, made of a soft material or made of a material that has inconsistent dimensions.
Choose a hose protector
Some sections of the engine block may be more vulnerable to abrasions as they rub against each other in motion, such as hoses that sit in the corner of the chassis or hoses that rub against weld spots. There is a range of hose protectors on the market that can slide over the hose and offer some protection against rubbing. This can be particularly useful if you find that there are a few spots in the hoses that seem to split or get holes no matter which type of hose you select.
Get your hoses regularly checked
As your hoses operate they can loosen, which makes them more vulnerable to abrasion. It's important to get your hydraulic hoses regularly checked and tightened or replaced if needed. If you find it hard to attend an auto service centre, then why not find a mobile technician that can come to the workplace and perform the checks while you wait. Even though it can initially be more costly to increase the frequency of servicing, this amount is generally paid back many times over by reduced accidents in operation and increased productivity of people and vehicles.
If you work in the transportation industry and have regular abrasive wear failures on your vehicles hydraulic hoses, then you should look at getting some advice from a hydraulic technician. Then can review the setup and give advice on the best type of hoses, whether or not you should be using hose protectors and which frequency of servicing you should use for the hoses.