How to read a hydraulic cylinder nameplate before you order

Cylinder plates on special vehicle bodies usually carry five numbers: bore, rod diameter, stroke, mounting distance and rated pressure. They are not always in that order, and on older machines the plate may only show bore and stroke. Start with the bore, because it decides the force the cylinder can produce and cannot be changed without changing the rest of the circuit.

Mounting distance is the measurement that causes most wrong shipments. Measure between the centres of the two pin holes with the cylinder fully retracted. If the rod is extended, the number will not match any drawing, and the supplier will quote a cylinder that does not fit the mounting brackets.

If the plate is unreadable, send three photos: the plate, the cylinder with a tape measure along the barrel, and the rod end with the pin hole visible. That is enough to identify most standard cylinders without a part number. Our photo check form accepts exactly these three images and returns a specification for confirmation before any quotation is issued.