Cylinder Drift (Part 2)

Objectives

In this lesson, we are going to continue our discussion about cylinder drifting, which is a commonly reported or observed hydraulic malfunction. Previously, we took a right turn down the road of hydraulic discovery to cylinder drift-in. We are now going to take a left turn and travel down the road to the other linear actuator malfunction called cylinder drift-out.

In this lesson, we're going to discuss some basics around cylinder drift-out.

We'll go over some steps to diagnose cylinder drift-out and identify some additional factors that contribute to it.

What is Cylinder Drift-Out?

Cylinder drift is any unwanted movement of the rod. The direction the rod is moving determines whether it is drifting in or drifting out. Cylinder drift-in (as we covered in a previous lesson) occurs when the rod is retracting into the barrel. Cylinder drift-out occurs when the rod is extending out of the barrel.

Cylinder with Rod Extending Out

In this lesson, when we demonstrate the rod drifting out, the rod is the moving part. However, there are situations where the rod is fixed and the cylinder barrel is moving. Whether it's the rod or the cylinder actually moving, the unwanted movement is still categorized as cylinder drift-out.