Help making Hydraulic hard lines

[tweidman]

I am adding hydraulic steering to my tractor, and I need to make some hydraulic hard lines. I have no idea where to source the lines and fittings.
I also don't know what tools are need to flair or bend the lines. I think they are 3/8 lines.
Does anyone have any experience with this type of work?

 

[RPH]

Hydraulic tubes can be had at suppliers. Bending tools and flaring kits go to the high end. Hydraulic tube is tough stuff and will break cheap tooling.

 

[Copymutt]

Decent double flare tools and tubing benders are available from most any auto parts supplier.
Its critical to get flares deburred ( especially for brake lines). Your need sounds very straight forward. Support any lengthy run in cushioned clamps to prevent work hardening from vibration. Old tractors are fun projects!

 

[msharley]

I am adding hydraulic steering to my tractor, and I need to make some hydraulic hard lines. I have no idea where to source the lines and fittings.
I also don't know what tools are need to flair or bend the lines. I think they are 3/8 lines.
Does anyone have any experience with this type of work?

A "Parker" bender is of good use.

There are several "flaring" types & tools (make sure to get the right one for your application)...

Some on fleabay... https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...m570.l1311&_nkw=parker+tubing+bender&_sacat=0

Hope this helps

 

[msharley]

Decent double flare tools and tubing benders are available from most any auto parts supplier.
Its critical to get flares deburred ( especially for brake lines). Your need sounds very straight forward. Support any lengthy run in cushioned clamps to prevent work hardening from vibration. Old tractors are fun projects!

You got that right!

 

[tweidman]

Hydraulic tubes can be had at suppliers. Bending tools and flaring kits go to the high end. Hydraulic tube is tough stuff and will break cheap tooling.

Suppliers? What type of suppliers am I looking for, would a napa carry something like this, or do I need a specialty shop that deals specifically with hydraulics? Is there an online source?

 

[RPH]

Pipe and tube suppliers, we have plenty in the Detroit area. It’s the larger diameter of tube, Napa will carry the smaller sizes.

https://assets.gates.com/content/dam/gates/home/knowledge-center/resource-library/brochure-sell-sheet/gates-na-tubing-and-assemblies-brochure.pdf

I see Allentown is not that far from you. I would suspect there is suppliers present in town.

 

[Spareparts]

The cheap way to do this is get everything mounted where you want it and take round rod, coat hanger,gas welding rod and bend
it to the shape you want the tube to run, mark where to transisition to rubber hose and that length and the type and size of
the fittings you need. Specialty tools for hydraulic bending and flaring is expensive and more than likely when you are done with this project they will be just take up space in the tool box. You are dealing with a lot of pressure and the last thing you want to happen is a hose or fitting to rupture and spray you down with HOT hydraulic oil, it happens.

 

[Meleon]

can't help with the bending, but I've used these with good success.

Danfoss Power Solutions

www.eatonpowersource.com

Versil-Flare Tube Fittings. they create there own flare as you install them. They claim you can uninstall and reinstall several times. I haven't needed to test that yet.
3/8 stainless steel hard lines is what I used them on.

 

[BigMike782]

Some years ago I put a loader on a small tractor and I used Weatherhead Ermetto compression fittings and bought hydraulic rated tubing from McMaster Carr.

 

[boom_bap]

I just installed a transmission cooler and had to run new 3/8 lines. I used 37* flares and JIC fittings from a local power fluid shop. Go on the Parker website and find a local distributor if you don't want to order fittings from McMaster.

De-burring Tool: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BY3HRRV2/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Flaring Tool: https://www.supplyhouse.com/Ridgid-41162-Model-377-Precision-Non-Ratcheting-Flare-Tool-3-16-to-3-4
Cheap Bender (Use pipes for leverage on the handles): https://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-900675
3/8 Hardline: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-220138
Tubing Cutter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001P307PO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I have no idea if that is safe for your application, but you should look at what the fittings are rated for and what your lines are rated for and what PSI you need to safely operate at.

 

[toplessHO]

questioning if 3/8" cupronickel would be rated high enough.
Ease of bending is my reasoning.

 

[crabbypaul]

I have done exactly what you are trying to do and used a Mastercool hydraulic flaring tool with 37degree dies and purchased everything else at NAPA

 

[garfunkle24]

Bear in mind that some materials (most notably stainless steel) will work harden if cut with a tubing cutter and should be saw cut to prevent cracking when you flare the end.

 

[nadogail]

Your local hydraulic shop should be able to answer your questions,

 

[86turbodsl]

Socket weld jic fittings aren't too expensive, then you don't need to buy heavy duty flaring tools. Not sure how available the seamless tubing is.

 

[Firebrick43]

Parker, imperial, and ridgid all make excellent hand benders, I have some of both.

My favorites are the ridgid roller benders 3/8 is 606 but the shoe bender works well to just takes more force.

Ridgid shoe bender would be 406

Parker roller bender PTB-6T

Parker shoe bender would be 6-2829

Imperial 364-FHB06

I purchased mine on eBay for Pennie’s on the dollar compared to new and have used the professionally to bend thousands of feet of hydraulic tubing without issue.

I would suggest a good roller flaring tool. I find flaring tools that make the flare by brute force of shoving a cone into the tube can make uneven lopsided flares.

I use a ridgid 377.

I really don’t care for the imperial 437FB flaring tool but it will work

The imperial 447F is more akin to the ridgid and a good tool but is stupid expensive

A nice shaviv or noga deburring tool is nice for the inside. A fine flat file works well for the outside edge deburring. I use a noga 1700 to do the OD of smaller tubes but it’s not necessary

I buy my tubing and fitting at my local hydraulic shop.

 

[Firebrick43]

questioning if 3/8" cupronickel would be rated high enough.
Ease of bending is my reasoning.

Bigger stuff doesn’t bend correctly and sort of collapses if you don’t use some kind of bender. The biggest downside is that hard tubes many times on mobile equipment uses hard lines in areas to prevent min or things brushing against it from damage. And the cunifer is very soft.

 

[Firebrick43]

can't help with the bending, but I've used these with good success.

Danfoss Power Solutions

www.eatonpowersource.com

Versil-Flare Tube Fittings. they create there own flare as you install them. They claim you can uninstall and reinstall several times. I haven't needed to test that yet.
3/8 stainless steel hard lines is what I used them on.

They don’t create a flare, they use a special ferrule that bites and seals on the tube like an EO type ferrule. The end of the ferrule is what seals against 37 degree JIC/AN fitting and not the tube itself.

 

[Rockable]

Find your nearest ParkerStore. They will have all you need and, if it's a good one, they will make the lines for you. If this is a "one and done" job, it's hardly worth it to buy the tools needed to do it right.

Hydraulic flared fittings are 37 degree, not 45 degree and definitely not double flared. The steel tubing is hard to bend with hand benders if it's bigger than 3/8". Don't use CuNiFer tubing, it is not rated high enough. Ask for seamless hydraulic steel tubing.

https://www.parkerstore.com/us/en/find-a-store.html

 

[e015475]

I use a Parker Rolo-flare tool - easiest and most consistent 37 degree flares for hydraulics (JIC)

I order all my fittings from these guys

DiscountHydraulicHose.com

Discount Hydraulic Hose covers all your hydraulics needs. Custom Hose Assemblies, Fittings, Adapters, & much more with quality services and support.

www.discounthydraulichose.com

They'll even sell you all the hose/fittings, you cut the hose to length and clock the fittings and send them to you and they'll crimp them and send them back