Hydraulic Parts - Deluxe - Lowrider Magazine

Hydraulic set-ups symbolize the heart of the Lowrider Movement, literally. In fact, the hydraulic fluid that runs through the system of pipes on the car can draw justifiable comparisons to the blood running through the very veins of the heart of its owner. Simply stated, it was bound to be a matter of time before we talked about hydros in our Lowrider Deluxe section. If we could live in the past, we would be buying Adel dumps for $12 dollars from our local surplus stores, and would be lifting our cars in our driveways. Of course, we still lift our cars in our driveways, but we are now forced to spend a couple of hundred dollars on the same dumps or on worthy reproduction models.

The vintage hydraulic parts that we used to find in airplane graveyards have become increasingly scarce, as surplus stores have soaked up all of the various parts that they had to offer. People also found different uses for all of these parts. In Europe, the highly sought after Pesco pumps were turned into irrigation pumps, thanks to their ability to allow fluids to pass through. In the U.S., 50 years of Lowriding has depleted the supply of dumps that can be found today. The tailgate pump has become the choice for most, and its use can be seen in many different markets, including the mini-truck world, which once frowned upon our lifted trucks that were equipped with dump beds.

Aircraft hydraulic valves and slowdowns.

This month, we've got a few great finds for our hydraulic fanatics out there. One complete set-up was just given to one of our readers, simply because the owner knew he liked old stuff. What he got was an original tailgate pump, which was somehow acquired from a work truck. This pump from the 70's was controlled with a Waterman dump, and featured high-end fittings for its time. The set-up was still completely intact, all the way down to its cylinders. These are vintage items that are still out there, just waiting to be discovered again. Now follow along, as we show you some old school hydraulic parts that will make you think twice before hastily throwing them out.

The saying "one man's trash becomes another man's treasure" couldn't be more true than in the world of automobile restoration. If you have some vintage accessories and artifacts, along with the knowledge of them that you'd like to share with the public, drop us an email at: saul.vargas@sorc.com.

Hydro Air #8. These are good old school dumps that are precise and can still be used. They can typically be purchased in the neighborhood of $100-325 each, depending on the demand and quality of the part. The only disadvantage about this dump is that the bodies can crack when they are being used roughly. These are not ideal for hopping, for that, you should use newer pump heads. These dumps are also without a pressure release, which is used to reset the dump from over locking.
Hydro Air #8. These are good old school dumps that are precise and can still be used. They
Baby Adel's. These are good dumps, which were primarily used for the rear of a car. These dump valves used to cost half of what a normal Adel costs, and came with the same benefits of the original square dump. These dumps were just as accurate and featured a pressure release, which allowed the user to manually lower the vehicle when needed. These dumps are sold anywhere from $50-125 each, depending on the quality.
Baby Adel's. These are good dumps, which were primarily used for the rear of a car. These
Weston Valve. This is an aircraft dump, and it is not your ordinary Dwelta style hydraulic dump. We picked up this valve at a surplus store for $40, and to our surprise, it worked out great! These are the type of finds that we like to talk about, as they open doors to new styles of valves that can be used for hydraulic applications. These valves are rumored to be available for under $100.
Weston Valve. This is an aircraft dump, and it is not your ordinary Dwelta style hydrauli