Hydraulic Tips & Guides
Practical answers on keeping trucks and equipment running — written from the workshop floor.
What Does a PTO (Power Take-Off) Actually Do on a Truck?
A power take-off (PTO) draws rotational power from the truck’s gearbox to drive the hydraulic pump, which is what actually powers a tipper ram, crane or crimping-style system on the vehicle.
Read the Full PostEmergency Tips View All →
What to do when a hydraulic system fails on the road or on site.
What to Do If Your Truck Loses Hydraulic Pressure on the Road
If your tipper or crane suddenly loses hydraulic pressure, stop in a safe spot, shut down the PTO, and check for an obvious leak before doing anything else. Don’t keep cycling the ram — that just pushes more oil out through the failure point.
Read post →Why Is My Hydraulic Cylinder Leaking? Common Causes Explained
Most leaking cylinders come down to a worn rod seal or piston seal, not a cracked barrel. A strip-down and reseal usually solves it — replacement is only needed when the rod is scored or the barrel is damaged.
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Simple checks that catch problems before they cause downtime.
How Often Should You Service a Truck’s Hydraulic System?
As a general rule, inspect hose condition and oil cleanliness every 3 months or 500 operating hours for trucks in regular tipping or lifting use — more often for mine-haul or continuous-duty vehicles.
Read post →Crimped vs Push-On Hydraulic Fittings: What’s the Difference?
Crimped fittings are permanently swaged onto the hose with a hydraulic press, giving a stronger, more reliable seal at high pressure. Push-on (or field-attachable) fittings screw on by hand and suit lower-pressure or temporary repairs.
Read post →Cost & Trust View All →
Straight answers on repair-or-replace decisions and what actually drives cost.
Repair or Replace? How We Decide on an Old Hydraulic Cylinder
We repair a cylinder whenever the rod and barrel are still sound — that’s most leaking or slow cylinders. Replacement only makes sense when the rod is badly scored, bent, or the barrel itself is damaged.
Read post →What Does a PTO (Power Take-Off) Actually Do on a Truck?
A power take-off (PTO) draws rotational power from the truck’s gearbox to drive the hydraulic pump, which is what actually powers a tipper ram, crane or crimping-style system on the vehicle.
Read post →