Cracking rubber air lines... is there a way to fix?

Not really. North east to anywhere that pays well. Truck parking is Philadelphia though, and always using the same trailer (rarely touching glad hands). I think plastic is most durable cheapest material humans use. People find plastic things in oceans (salty water) that are decades old! PVC tubes used in construction are warranties for 25 years.

 

Guess we’ll have to agree to disagree.

 

There are over 100 types of plastic I know of. ABS (the typical plastic used in household items) and PETG (typically found in containers like water and soda bottles) are all over the oceans yes, mostly from certain countries and lax pollution controls. It has nothing to do with how reliable PVC air line are. Also construction PVC doesn't move and is not exposed to direct UV light like PVC air lines are. UV is a huge plastic killer making most types brittle over time. Yes PVC isn't as bad as say PLA,, but it's a weakness of all plastics unless specifically formulated for it like ASA is.

Aha there is the difference, for people that actually use the air lines it will crack and break over time. Up here in MI there isn't a company that actually changes trailers that use plastic lines. It's cheaper to change to rubber hoses on day one than the service truck roll when they break, and they will break in the cold.

 

Keep the coupler for an emergency.

 

All I know is my own experience. The same plastic line that can be bent/crimped in the middle, and still work, will be brittle at the end, and crack. Maybe brittle from constantly being stressed. My current 15’ plastic lines, I actually got them from the trash, about 5 yrs ago, they were like new, one was cracked at the end. I cut a few inches off the ends, added new glad hands w/ handles. I keep spares and ferrules, just in case I or someone else needs them.I prefer the rubber lines, and straight cords. They’re somewhere on my to do list. I’ll make my own, much cheaper that way.