Look what I broke today (how does that happen?)

CobyRupert · Jun 2, 2016

I'm not a metalologist, who could easily tell you if it failed in tension, torsional, or bending forces, etc.. by looking at the break, and good ones can tell you if it was a metal defect or overstress, but....
Are you sure the cylinder can easily pivot at both ends when it needs to. If I had to take a WAG, it looks like a bending snap failure. :2cents:

s219 · Jun 2, 2016

The entire photo is grainy if you zoom in, plus all the oil/crud on the parts, so I can't get a clear look at the metal to the level I'd want. If you can post some clean close ups of both ends of the break, that would be real interesting to see.

TSO · Jun 4, 2016

Well the new rod and seal kit arrived today...

probably can't get to it till tomorrow night, currently the grapple is in the shop, broke it on a job a few days ago too LOL. (Re-welded the breaks but still need to add some bracing).

CCWKen · Jun 5, 2016

I've bent a few cylinder rods and seen a lot but I've never heard of one breaking like that. The rods are normally hard chrome plate over a softer metal. (Forget the number.) I wonder if the maker was out-sourcing the rods. Is the old rod magnetic?

KWentling · Jun 5, 2016

CCWKen said:
I've bent a few cylinder rods and seen a lot but I've never heard of one breaking like that. The rods are normally hard chrome plate over a softer metal. (Forget the number.) I wonder if the maker was out-sourcing the rods. Is the old rod magnetic?

Actually cylinder rods are made of a variety of grades of steel. Some are even induction hardened before chrome plating. I would also suspect a material flaw in that failure. I hope we get a better look at the break. Pretty odd to see one broken in the middle like that with no apparent bending involved.

Kim

TSO · Jun 5, 2016

Here's some close-ups of the rod.

Also, I'm having a Heck of a time getting a grip on the rod, so that I can remove the nut. The metal is too hard, can't even get a pipe wrench to grab it. Tried pinching it in my tree puller even, and the rod still turns when I try to turn the nut.

Any thoughts?

s219 · Jun 5, 2016

That failed in flexure -- in other words it had a side load, or perhaps it buckled. The side with the "curl" was in compression. The more flat side of the break was in tension. So, for some reason it got flexed into a curve and broke.

dieselcrawler · Jun 5, 2016

Trouble gripping the broken end of the rod? It's junk, you just need the nut off to salvage the other parts/seals? Grind a few flat spots on it, or notch it with a grinding wheel enough that a pipe wrench will grip it...

TSO · Jun 5, 2016

dieselcrawler said:
Trouble gripping the broken end of the rod? It's junk, you just need the nut off to salvage the other parts/seals? Grind a few flat spots on it, or notch it with a grinding wheel enough that a pipe wrench will grip it...

that's exactly what I ended up doing.... Putting new seals on now