I agree that teflon tape shouldn't be used on hydraulics, but I recall the MaxJax installation manual saying to use it.
The question about hard lines--where the heck do I buy them? I've never bought hydraulic hose or pipe before. I do have the 37* hydraulic flaring tool dies. I'd use them, but I need 20 feet of hard line, which to get such a length without a bunch of joints in it.... ehh, I thought about that. With hose, I can change my mind on how I install it later, too.
Anyway, I tore more sheathing off of my burst hydraulic hose. One thing is for sure--the epicenters of any corrosion on the braids inside is where the hose would get run over by a tire. Now, running it over with various vehicles is not what damaged it. The resulting corrosion is what did it in.
I inspected the hose where it would get run over prior to any more cutting, and there was zero visual evidence of the vinyl sheathing getting compromised. Even during one idiotic move of mine early in the hoist's life, I pinched the hose between the hoist arm and the bottom of a car. That was dumb. There's zero visual braid damage or corrosion in that area though.
Something happened--I suspect that it was microscopic cracks that result in the sheathing, likely during cold weather, and as the road salts flowed down the garage floor, where the hose was, it got dammed up and was allowed to really penetrate into the hose. Once inside, the chlorides had no where to go, so any additional moisture would just be a catalyst to the chemical reaction and then BOOM the hose pops.
Part of the reason I left the hose there? The darn things don't flex in cold weather. If I were to repeatedly disconnect and move it during cold weather, I cannot help but consider that the hose would have met the same demise. I also recall in the installation or owners manual that the working temperature of this thing was something like 40+ degrees fahrenheit. The exact number eludes me, but even if it was 30 degrees, that may be avoidable in southern Cali-phony-ya, but in much of the rest of the country, good luck with that.
As far as the anchors in the concrete go--minimal corrosion exist on them. They didn't get the chloride baths that the hose did, but they seem to be perfectly fine so far.