Changing hydraulic ram seals.

Chris Ivin · Post by **Chris Ivin** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:24 pm

The log spliter topic prompts me to ask how easy is it to change hydraulic seals, is it an easy job?

I thought that if it was not to difficult(or expensive), I would change the seals on my tipping trailer ram. The trailer has not been used for a while and it is not obvious whether they are leaking or not, but probably easier to do the job while I have the ram off.

JC · Post by JC » Wed Dec 02, 2009 7:37 am

It depends on the type of cylinder you have, Chris. Some are easy, some are not. A tie-rod cylinder is the easiest to get apart. The other types usually take special spanners to get them apart. The nut that holds the piston on the rod is usually very tight. Packing and back-up rings are a little difficult to put on a one-piece piston, but soaking them in hot oil usually helps.

Post by **Brian** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 9:41 am

I would agree with JC. A tipping trailer would normaly have a multi-stage ram which would be a difficult one to start with.

Loader rams are usually displacement rams and once you get the cap off, the seals are usually "O" rings in the cap. Double acting rams have the seals on the piston as well as the cap and the problems you get with these is oil passing from one side of the piston to the other.

Chris Ivin · Post by **Chris Ivin** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 9:37 pm

Thanks guys,

I'll leave it be for the time being and see what it's like in use.

Chris

JC · Post by JC » Thu Dec 03, 2009 6:48 am

Brian and Chris
I didn't realize that the dump (tipping) trailers that you have over there have telescoping rams. Those really are hard ones to work on. Almost all of our dump trailers have a fairly short single stage cylinder attached to a bell-crank. Our bigger dump trucks and semi-trailers have telescoping rams.

The Swanndri Guy · Post by **The Swanndri Guy** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 7:13 am

JC, most agricultural tractor tipping/dump trailers over here are multi stage rams.I have a viticultural trailer (two long single acting rams)which used to leak oil from the collar that held the seal.Parts were unobtainable,so the ram expert at the local Hydraulic shop had to machine a new collar.TSG.