Hydraulic hose Question

[Cooee]

Hi All ..my machine has nearly as many years on it as hours ...The exterior of the loader arm hoses is starting to show some signs of age ...rubber looks like its cracking a bit ...no way of knowing what they are like internally ...have just finished replacing the two hydraulic wheel motors and the oil was clean ...Question is Do hydraulic hoses have a use by date ...I imagine it would be cheaper to replace the hose before contamination occurs ... After copping a fairly severe beating with the wheel motor issue it is now a matter of having all expenses passed by the minister for war and finance ... Regards to all

 

[Tazza]

They don't have a used by date as such, but over time they do harden up and crack. Exposure to sunlight speeds it up and heat from the oil also speeds it up.
If they are starting to crack, they will fail in time, if you can replace them now, it isn't a bad idea. They will not contaminate the system, the insides will not flake like the outsides, but the cracks can allow for contamination of the oil through dirt or water being drawn in when the oil cools and shrinks slightly.