Telescopic Hydraulic Cylinders
Long stroke. Compact retracted.
Exact-match replacements, same-day shipped.
Slash your fleet's downtime with premium, exact-match telescopic cylinders engineered to seamlessly replace Parker, HYVA, Mailhot and Akaliko systems. Single-acting and double-acting precision builds, up to 5 stages, strokes to 240", all shipped same-day from our Bridgeton, MO warehouse.
Two ways to buy a telescopic
Most customers hit us through one of two tracks - an exact-match replacement for a named OEM cylinder, or a fully custom design for their own product. Both use the same manufacturing stack.
Track 01
Telescoping cylinder replacements
Single-acting and double-acting precision cylinders built to drop into existing machine configurations. Compact, space-saving design - long strokes and high-force capabilities without re-fabricating the frame.
Best for: fleets with legacy Parker, HYVA, Mailhot or Akaliko cylinders running out of service life.
Track 02
Custom telescopic cylinders
OEM-specific custom designs for manufacturers. High- pressure tolerances, heavy-duty construction and manufacturer-specified tolerances. Private-label branding, stamping plates and part numbering available.
Best for: dump truck OEMs, trailer manufacturers, refuse-vehicle builders designing their own telescopic system.
Why telescopic, not standard?
A standard cylinder's retracted length has to be at least as long as its stroke. That works fine when you have mounting room, but on a dump truck, a refuse packer or anything with a tight chassis envelope, there isn't enough space for a long single-stage cylinder. Telescopic fixes that.
The compact-to-stroke ratio
A 5-stage telescopic retracts to roughly one-fifth of its extended length. So a cylinder with a 200" stroke can retract to under 50" - fitting under the bed of a dump truck where a single-stage cylinder physically can't go.
Where it wins
- Dump trucks and tippers - long stroke for full bed lift, short retracted to sit under the bed
- Refuse packer and roll-off hoists - tight chassis clearances
- Dump trailers - single central cylinder, maximum stroke
- Cranes and aerial platforms - long reach in a compact stowed profile
- Agricultural tippers and grain bins - seasonal-use equipment
Where it loses
Telescopic cylinders are not field-rebuildable the way tie-rod cylinders are, and they don't side-load as well as welded single-stage. If you have the space and the load is purely axial, a welded or tie-rod cylinder is usually the better answer. (We sell those too - see our standard cylinders page.)
Single-acting vs double-acting
Both configurations are in stock. The choice drives installation cost, control complexity, and how the cylinder retracts.
Single-acting telescopic
Hydraulic pressure extends the cylinder. Retraction is by gravity or by the load being raised falling back onto the cylinder.
Characteristics
- One port on the cap end only
- Simpler hydraulic circuit - one line, one valve
- Lower installation cost
- Retraction speed depends on load and flow capacity
- Cylinder needs a vent to atmosphere (breather)
Best for
Dump trucks, dump trailers, tippers, roll-off hoists - anywhere the load retracts the cylinder under its own weight when the operator releases the valve.
Double-acting telescopic
Hydraulic pressure is used on both strokes - one port extends, the other retracts. Retraction is powered, not gravity-driven.
Characteristics
- Two ports (extend and retract)
- More complex circuit - two lines, one double-acting valve
- Controllable retraction under load
- Higher installation cost
- Required when the cylinder must retract against gravity or a resistance
Best for
Refuse packers where the mechanism pulls material in and out, aerial platforms where the boom must come down under control, and any application where the load alone won't retract the cylinder.
In-stock telescopic specs
Ranges held in finished-goods stock at our Bridgeton, MO warehouse. Longer strokes and non-standard base bores quoted as short-run custom builds.
Standard telescopic ranges
| Stages | Base bore | Smallest tip bore | Stroke range | Max pressure | Typical application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-stage | 4" | 3" | 24" – 72" | 3,000 psi | Compact tippers, small dumps |
| 3-stage | 5" – 6" | 3" – 4" | 48" – 120" | 3,000 psi | Mid-size dump trucks, refuse |
| 4-stage | 6" – 7" | 3.5" – 4" | 96" – 180" | 3,000 psi | Full-size dump, tractor-trailer |
| 5-stage | 7" – 8" | 3" – 4" | 144" – 240" | 3,000 psi | Dump trailers, long-bed tippers |
| Heavy-duty 4-stage | 7" – 8" | 4" – 4.5" | 96" – 160" | 3,500 psi | Mining, aggregate hauling |
All stages hard chrome-plated, honed barrel, polyurethane wiper and premium NBR / polyurethane seal stack. Custom pressures to 5,000 psi on heavy-duty builds.
Exact-match replacement brands
Our telescopic line is built to drop directly into the OEM mounting envelope of the industry's major cylinder makers - same pin diameter, same retracted and extended lengths, same port size and orientation.
Parker Hannifin
Dump bodies, refuse vehicles, trailers. Drop-in for the mainstream Parker telescopic series.
HYVA
European tippers, dump trucks, municipal fleets. Front-mount and underbody configurations.
Mailhot
North American dump-truck and trailer market. Exact-match on bore, stroke and pin-to-pin.
Akaliko
Export-market tippers and trailers. Covers the Akaliko series commonly found in Middle East and African fleets.
Also replacing cylinders from Custom Hoist, Edbro, Binotto, Ligabue, Wuzheng and other telescopic makers. Send us the OEM stamping plate photo and we'll ID the right OEL part.
Send an OEM part number
Construction - what's inside
Every OEL telescopic shares the same material and tolerance package as our custom builds. What varies between standard and custom is the envelope - not the quality.
Stages
- Honed seamless steel tubing for every stage
- Hard chrome-plated OD on all moving stages (20 - 25 micrometer plating)
- Concentric fit between stages with bronze-lined bearings and wear bands
- Each stage stops on an internal shoulder - no loose piston to jam
Sealing
- Polyurethane rod seal at each stage
- Dual-stage scraper + wiper protecting each sealing surface
- Static O-rings on all bolted joints
- Viton / HNBR seal kits available for high-temp or biofuel service
Mounting and porting
- Top-mount trunnion standard on dump-truck cylinders
- Cross-tube pin mount for trailer and tipper front-mount designs
- SAE-8, SAE-12 or SAE-16 O-ring ports standard; NPTF on request
- Atmospheric vent / breather on single-acting builds
Finish
- Black enamel over corrosion primer standard
- Powder coat in OEM colors (yellow, red, orange, blue) on request
- Hot-zinc dipping available for marine / offshore use
How to choose the right telescopic
Four questions to answer before you quote. If you can't find all four on your machine, send us what you have and we'll help reverse-engineer the rest.
Telescopic vs standard?
If your stroke is longer than the space you have to retract the cylinder into, telescopic. If you have the room and need side-load capacity, standard welded or tie-rod.
Single- or double-acting?
If the load retracts the cylinder under its own weight (dump beds, tippers), single-acting. If the cylinder must retract against gravity or a resistance (packers, booms), double-acting.
Determine the specs
Measure base bore, extended (open) length, retracted (closed) length, number of stages, pin-to-pin distance, and pin diameter. Include photos of the stamping plate and the mounting end details.
Confirm the duty
How many lifts per day, typical load, ambient temperature, fluid type (standard oil, biofuel, fire-resistant). This drives seal package selection and whether you need a heavy-duty variant.
OEL catalogs and sizing worksheets are available on request - drop your email in the contact form and our team will send the PDF worksheet.
Applications we power
Dump trucks
Single-acting 4- and 5-stage telescopics for full-size dump trucks, Class 7 and 8 chassis. Front-mount under the bed.
Dump trailers
Long-stroke 5-stage telescopics, central or side-mount. Strokes to 240" on long-bed trailers.
Refuse packers
Double-acting telescopics for packer blades and tailgate lifts. High-cycle duty seal packages.
Roll-off hoists
Double-acting telescopics for loading and dumping roll-off containers. Fully controlled retraction under load.
Agriculture
Grain tippers, silage wagons, manure spreaders. Single-acting telescopics for seasonal heavy-duty service.
Cranes and aerial platforms
Double-acting telescopics for boom extension, outrigger deployment and aerial-work-platform reach. Controlled retraction under load.
JIT stock from Missouri
Full-line replacement supplier, same-day shipped.
Orders placed before 12:00 noon Central on a business day pull, pack and ship the same day from our Bridgeton, Missouri warehouse via your preferred carrier. LTL freight is available for longer cylinders that won't go parcel.
The OEL full-line value
- Same-day shipping on in-stock items ordered before noon CST
- Expert staff with field experience - we've spec'd these cylinders for 14+ years
- In-depth catalogs and worksheets - available on request for specifiers and fleet managers
- Global manufacturer network - Vietnam, Malaysia, China manufacturing with US fulfillment
Custom telescopic for OEM programs
OEM-specific heavy-duty custom designs.
When the standard line doesn't have a spec that matches your chassis, or when you're designing a new dump body / trailer / packer yourself, we build to your print. High-pressure tolerances, heavy-duty construction and manufacturer- specified tolerances from stage chrome thickness to the exact color of the powder coat.
What we routinely customize
- Non-standard stage count / base bore / tip bore combinations
- Operating pressures up to 5,000 psi on heavy-duty builds
- Extended-duty chrome plating thickness for abrasive environments
- High-temperature and biofuel seal packages
- Integrated magnetostrictive position sensors
- OEM-specific mounting trunnions and cross-tubes
- Private-label branding, stamping plates, part numbering, bar codes
How the program works
Send us a CAD, a drawing, or a sample of a cylinder you already like. Our in-house engineering team replies with a manufacturable spec, proforma quote, and first-article lead time - typically within 2 business days. Tooling and prototype samples produced before full production.
Mounting and quality standards
Built to the standards your equipment already runs.
Top-mount trunnion
Standard for dump-truck front-mount telescopic applications
Cross-tube pin
Trailer and tipper standard; bolt-on pin mount
SAE O-ring ports
SAE-8, SAE-12, SAE-16 standard; NPTF on request
ISO 9001
Quality management system
Frequently asked
Send an OEM part number or a photo of the stamping plate. Shipped today.
For stocked replacements: send the OEM part number from the cylinder stamping plate (Parker, HYVA, Mailhot, Akaliko or other) - we'll confirm the OEL match and ship same-day if ordered before noon CST. For custom telescopic builds: send a drawing, sketch or sample and our engineering team will reply with a proforma quote within 2 business days.
US Stock Warehouse
4338 Bridgeton Industrial Drive
Bridgeton, MO 63044
United States
Same-day ship
Before 12:00 noon CST, Mon - Fri