Hoses don’t give much warning. When one lets go, the work stops.
A dump truck with a blown hose can’t raise its bed. A roll-off can’t load its can. A wet kit feeding a walking floor trailer can’t unload, and a liftgate won’t lift. On the air side, a chafed or cracked line can leak a truck down until the spring brakes set.
Knoxville’s construction and development boom keeps a lot of dump trucks, roll-offs, and equipment haulers working hard in Knox, Blount, Loudon, and Sevier counties. Cold makes rubber stiff and fittings brittle, and summer heat and sun break hoses down. We come to the truck or equipment, find the failed hose or line, and replace it with the right type and pressure rating so it doesn’t fail again next week.
What’s included with our Hydraulic Hose & Air Line Repair
- Hydraulic hose replacement on dump trucks, dump trailers, and roll-offs
- Wet kit hoses and fittings for walking floor and hydraulic trailers
- Liftgate hydraulic hoses and fittings
- Hydraulic fitting and adapter replacement
- Checking and topping off hydraulic fluid after a hose failure
- Air brake line replacement — nylon tubing and rubber hose
- Air fittings, push-to-connect fittings, and bulkhead connections
- Trailer air lines, coiled lines, and gladhands
- Air suspension and accessory lines — seats, horns, fan clutch, and more
- Rerouting and clamping lines to stop chafing
- Heat shielding for lines routed near the exhaust
What needs a shop instead
- Hydraulic pump and PTO replacement on some trucks, depending on access
- Hydraulic cylinder rebuilds and repacking
- Liftgate motor and pump overhauls that need bench work
- Specialty or very large hoses that have to be built at a hose shop
Safety: hydraulic fluid under pressure can inject through skin and cause serious injury. Never run your hand along a hose to find a leak, and never tighten a fitting while the system is pressurized.
Repair it where it sits, or tow it?
A hose failure almost never needs a tow. Once the failed hose is identified and the replacement is on hand, the repair is usually quick. The real job is getting the right hose — correct size, pressure rating, and fittings — so it holds up.
If the failure let a bed or boom come down unexpectedly, or a pump ran dry, the repair can grow beyond a hose. The rest of the system should be checked before it goes back to work.
Have this ready when you call
A few details up front help the mechanic load the right parts and tools and get it done in one trip.
- Whether it’s a hydraulic hose or an air line
- What the hose serves: dump bed, roll-off, wet kit, liftgate, crane, brakes, or suspension
- Where the hose is on the truck and roughly how long it is
- Any size or part numbers printed on the old hose
- Whether it’s still leaking or the system has been shut off
Makes & engines we work on
- Freightliner
- Peterbilt
- Kenworth
- Volvo
- Mack
- International
- Western Star
Class 6 through Class 8 trucks, including engines from Cummins, Detroit Diesel, PACCAR, Volvo, Mack, Navistar, and Caterpillar.
Hydraulic Hose & Air Line Repair around Knoxville & East Tennessee
Hydraulic hose calls come from construction sites, quarries, and landfill routes around Knoxville, subdivision and road work in Blount, Loudon, and Sevier counties, and warehouses where liftgate trucks run all day. Air line failures happen everywhere, especially in drop yards where trailers are hooked and dropped constantly.
Highways we cover
Towns we cover
- Knoxville
- Farragut
- Maryville & Alcoa
- Oak Ridge
- Clinton
- Lenoir City & Loudon
- Sevierville & Pigeon Forge
- Morristown
Hydraulic Hose & Air Line Repair: common questions
Can you make hydraulic hoses on site?
It depends on the hose type, size, and fittings. Tell dispatch what the hose serves and any numbers printed on it so the right hose is ready before the mechanic heads out.
Why did my hydraulic hose burst?
Common causes are age and heat breaking down the rubber, rubbing against a bracket or frame, a hose rated below system pressure, or a kink from poor routing.
Is it safe to find a hydraulic leak by feel?
No. A pinhole leak under pressure can inject fluid through skin, which is a medical emergency. Use cardboard or a scrap of wood to locate a leak, and keep hands away.
What kind of air line do trucks use?
Most use a mix of DOT-rated nylon tubing and rubber hose, with rubber where lines flex or see heat. Replacement line has to be rated for air brake use.
Can a chafed air line lock up my brakes?
A big enough leak can drop system pressure until the spring brakes apply. That’s why chafed lines should be fixed as soon as they’re found.
Do you repair liftgates?
Hydraulic hoses and fittings on liftgates, yes. For pump, motor, and control problems, describe the issue to dispatch to find out if it can be handled on site.