Hydraulic cylinders

The subject has been hashed over for years. Hydraulic cylinder rods are an item that takes a beating on a backhoe. A number of them in my history have needed replacement. I have a big lathe, but haven't attempted to make one.

My latest is a stabilizer cylinder. Seth & I set out to repack one that was leaking, when it was difficult to dismantle, I checked with a straight edge, sure enough, it was slightly bent.
I wasn't able to straighten it with a 20 ton press.
Case no longer offers the part, only a whole cylinder, at a price I don't like.
Found a rod on Amazon, of all places, ordered it. I don't know if it'll arrive, or disappointment awaits.

I'm toying with making one I anticipate welding the pin end on is straightforward. I presume they aren't welded all the way to center, but I'm not sure.

The female thread is my greatest concern. It's described as 1" extra fine thread. Whether my limited lathe skills are equal to the challenge, I don't know. Has anybody here ever done it?

It is done all the time at hydraulic shops. Threading would the worst part I think. Some are welded right, but a lot have a couple passes on and call it good until it breaks. We break one of those every now and then.

Like blocker said done all the time in hydraulic shops If you choose to try it yourself 1"-20 UNEF taps are quite available and would be much easier than single pointing the internal thread I haven't threaded one myself but have welded many eyes on have to take the chrome back a ways champher the end of the rod for penetration and use good welding practices

Just an example https://www.ebay.com/itm/Greenfield...1f0a005:g:e6sAAOSwZrZcUyKa&LH_ItemCondition=4

No I have never seen one that was welded all the way to center and a stabilizer cyl isn't subject to shock loads and should be quite easy to make strong enough

Aren't cylinder rods Chrome plated ?

Yes? you can order hardened chromed rod in all the standard diameters, just cut the threads etc. on the end and weld the eye to the other end.

Willie B said:

My latest is a stabilizer cylinder. Seth & I set out to repack one that was leaking, when it was difficult to dismantle, I checked with a straight edge, sure enough, it was slightly bent.
I wasn't able to straighten it with a 20 ton press.

Click to expand...

Bigger press.? 20 tons seems awful small for a solid rod, even a relatively small-diameter one. 50 or 100 tons would be more man for the job. Is there no machine shop in your area with one in that size range.?

Nige said:

Bigger press.? 20 tons seems awful small for a solid rod, even a relatively small-diameter one. 50 or 100 tons would be more man for the job. Is there no machine shop in your area with one in that size range.?

Click to expand...

I'm not aware of a machine shop for hundreds of miles. Eastern VT was, for 100 years the machine tool capitol of the US. Best I can say ALL have closed, lots of vacant industrial buildings. A few small shops in, or grown from someone's basement, but even the quill from a large drill press, I had to send out of state to get repaired. That shop has now closed. The one machinist I knew there has taken a very few machines & moved to a small space.

Hydraulics shops are few, and their backlog of work is enormous! I've talked to a few, best answer looks like a month out.
I did some searching, found the part on Amazon. The Amazon vendor is the same I tried repeatedly Friday to reach. I ended up ordering from Amazon. No telling if they actually have it to sell.

Isn't TomV up somewhere (relatively) near you..? He's in CT.
Maybe he might have the capacity to do it for you.
https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/some-work-pictures.23087/page-69

CT is a couple states away. To you, imagine Spain! But I'm not above an adventure! How might I contact him? Thank you!
Bill

Looks like he's on here all the time, shoot him a PM.

Threading on a lathe is not that difficult. The key component is if you have a threading dial on your lathe and access to a Machinery Handbook. It will give you all the information that you need for major and minor diameter.

http://www.scotindustries.com/

I frequently pass their warehouse on I-5 in Washington.
I see they have locations closer to you.
Maybe if your Amazon purchase doesn’t work.
Not sure if they have minimums, etc.

I had a hydraulic shop turned and threaded a barrel for me and I rewelded the end with boss on it.
They sold me an aluminum blank and I turned a new piston and seal shop fixed me up with those parts.
My rod didn’t get bent but the barrel
Got dinged and put a flat on the piston.

Labparamour said:

View attachment 213979 View attachment 213980 http://www.scotindustries.com/

I frequently pass their warehouse on I-5 in Washington.
I see they have locations closer to you.
Maybe if your Amazon purchase doesn’t work.
Not sure if they have minimums, etc.

I had a hydraulic shop turned and threaded a barrel for me and I rewelded the end with boss on it.
They sold me an aluminum blank and I turned a new piston and seal shop fixed me up with those parts.
My rod didn’t get bent but the barrel
Got dinged and put a flat on the piston.

Click to expand...

Thanks everybody. My last was a blade angle cylinder on a Dresser dozer. The track shoes were 2" wider than stock, had rubbed the barrel of the cylinder when I bought it, but damage was cosmetic. I hadn't owned it long when a C arm pin came out of the underbelly. This allowed the whole blade assembly to move sideways.
After waiting several weeks for a local hydraulic shop to repair, he said he simply doesn't have time. A huge carbonate slurry plant was filling 4 days a week, and pressuring him to go to six. Several other shops were several weeks out also.

Extensive searching finally located a new old stock cylinder in California. $2400. Take it or leave it. It arrived defective. With machining I could have made it work, but I felt at that price, it should be right. I asked for a break on the price, they wouldn't budge. They had two more identical in defect to the first.

Months into it I built a stiff arm to take its place, and used the dozer without angling the blade. Eventually I found the correct barrel at around $400.

Numerous times I've been at the mercy of hydraulic shops who prioritize their biggest customers. Not complaining, that is the nature of the business. It occurs to me I have most of what I need to fabricate. Maybe I should try my hand at it.

Get some like sized pieces to practice on first.... words of wisdom from someone who didn't practice the first time

I remember your dozer cylinder.
You still have the old cylinder around? There’s your scrap to play with.
Perfect “shelter in place” activity!

Thanks Ronsii & Labparamour.
For me, sheltering in place isn't working out all that well. I got customers wanting me to get work done while there aren't people in the way. Others, THE SHOW MUST GO ON!!!! I get calls, people "on hold", had projects in mind for a while, "Lets get it done now."

We, (Seth & I) were "exposed" last week. Working on a major project in an occupied home of two health care workers, husband in ER at the nearest hospital. He came down with flu? He, his wife, and his elderly in laws, refugees from California are in Quarantine. We, I guess he, haven't been informed as to a diagnoses. I wonder if he was tested. Lots of publicity about not enough tests to go around, then it takes several days to get results from a test.

I like the notion of practicing on waste material. Drilling a hole, tapping it I'd do before lunch. Something intimidating about hydraulics!

When Zap was facing shop closing, I mentioned the severe shortage of line boring services & hydraulic re builders. He never responded.

Dang! You and Seth stay healthy!!

I hear ya' Willie, we are busier than usual with work that must get done to keep things moving at the warehouses plus I get emergency calls from people I know to fix things like water wells that quit working!!!! and theft prevention from tweaker/homeless/scumbags along with tons of other stuff you just can't put off for a 'more convenient time'

I spoke to them this morning, Con Equip has the part, I don't know if it has been shipped yet. The guy I spoke to says I should receive it in a few days.

Have you ever looked at cylinder offerings from Magister Hydraulics? I bought some 2" cross type and modified them to fit my JD loader that worked out okay. I haven't tried any larger ones from them but not ruling it out.

Next time I need a cylinder I plan to look at the Prince offerings too