Hey there, my name is John and welcome back to Gear up With Gregg's.
I'm one of our hose specialists here at Gregg Distributors,
so I know how important the hydraulic systems are.
And although we often associate hydraulic systems, hose, and fittings with heavy equipment,
hydraulics are also found in our day-to-day life.
More specifically, our daily commute.
Almost all vehicles built today use power steering.
And even though electric steering is becoming more and more popular,
hydraulic steering is still very common in vehicles on the road today.
Hydraulic steering uses a pump to move hydraulic fluid through your steering system.
The pump supplies the pressure, and the steering control is supplied by either a rack and pinion
or a steering gear box.
But there are a lot of ways this system can wear down over time, and identifying them
is half the battle.
Some of the most common problems found in a power steering system are fluid leaks,
especially in the pump and hydraulic lines.
Based on the design of your system, there are three different places you might find a leak.
The pump,
the hoses or tubing,
and the steering gear or rack.
Today, we're going to focus on the hoses.
The hoses in a power steering system carry the fluid from the pump
to your steering gear or rack.
Leaks most commonly occur where a hose connects to a hard line
or where a hard line screws into the rack or pump.
Many power steering systems use a long length of hard pipe or tubing in the return line,
placed toward the front of your vehicle, as a type of cooling system.
So be sure to inspect the full length of the hose or tubing.
If you have a rubber hose leaking, it's best to replace it.
After all, you don't want to be driving around with damaged lines.
Especially when those lines are connected to your steering.
BrakeQuip's high-pressure power steering hoses have a double-braided, nylon design,
a high temperature rating,
and is compatible with most power steering oils.
With 1500 psi working pressure, and 6000 psi minimum burst pressure,
the hose, and your system, are sure to hold up.
These high-expansion hoses are designed to dampen the pressure waves
and reduce noise from the power steering system.
If the hard line or tubing is damaged, don't worry,
no matter the trouble, we can get you back up and running!
If the line is accessible, and able to be removed,
you can bring it in to your local Gregg Distributors' hose shop.
There, we can inspect the tubing and if there's damage,
we can cut the line and re-build to your specifications.
The BrakeQuip braze-on fittings can be welded to the remaining tubing.
These fittings are available in a number of tube size options.
The other side of the braze-on fitting is a crimp end designed to attach to BrakeQuip's
rubber power steering hose, and replace the remainder of the damaged line.
If welding isn't an option, or if the tubing can't easily be removed,
we also have compression-style fittings available.
Like the braze-on fittings, they are designed to connect to BrakeQuip's rubber power steering hose
with a crimping method.
While the compression end of the fitting can be secured to the remaining tubing, this also
gives you the ability to fix a hose on-site or in the field.
As you can see, BrakeQuip offers many different options to help get your power steering system
up and running again.
But hey, it's not just the hose or tubing that can spring a leak.
Fittings can just as easily be the culprit.
If you find a leak at a connection, our natural instinct is to tighten the fittings.
But this isn't always the best course of action!
It is best to take the fittings apart and inspect them for any damage.
Any fractures or imperfections found on the metal seating surface
can be the cause of a considerable leak.
Also, on fittings with metal-to-metal sealing action, which includes most fittings in a
power steering system, over-tightening the fittings may cause further damage.
It is best to consult your torque spec guidelines when tightening any fittings on a hydraulic system,
including power steering.
So now that we've steered through all that information, just remember that the experts
in our shops can handle almost any repair on your automotive hoses.
And having a knowledgeable source repairing your power steering lines is the best way
to get you comfortably back on the road.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call us, or you can visit our website at
greggdistributors.ca.
Thank you all for your continued support of our 100% Canadian company, and remember,
for any of your automotive hose needs, be sure to think BrakeQuip and Gregg Distributors.
From all of us here, thank you for watching another segment of Gear up With Gregg's.