Has anyone been able to reuse the fittings on their power steering hoses? Comparing cost/time vs buying new.

Thoughts appreciated!

 

All of the high-pressure power steering hoses I am familiar with use swagged fittings.
They are "one off" devices which uses clamp pressure from dies to crimp the fitting onto the hose. That crimp can't be undone.

The return or low-pressure side might use reusable fittings with hose clamps.
I remember that being a common feature in Australian Fords back in the 1980s.

High pressure reusable fittings are used in aviation hydraulic hoses but they and the hose and the testing regime are bloody expensive!

 

I've started using AN hose ends and braided stainless steel hose for the power steering pressure line. The hard part is finding a fitting to match to the ports you have with but I've found most of them to be inverted flares.

I use standard hose for the return line as it's very low pressure.

The pictures below are from my old 1967 420 saloon and while it looks a little blingy you can't argue a hose that is easy to rebuild and doesn't leak.

 

This may help, and is what I used on my XJS.

Second, I bought the pipes several metres of each from Wrights Auto Supplies, the rest of the bits from elsewhere: the flare fixing nuts and a top notch flaring thingy, AND a really nice pipe bender for under 200 euroquids, which is not much more than the pipes. For the return hose jubilee clips are fine to fix the flexibles. For the pressure hose, an aircon guy will swage them, or make a flare in the pipe and double clip it.
The pipe sizes are:
The steering rack power steering connections are 1/2 inch UNF (1/2 - 20) flare nuts for 5/16ths tube and 5/8 UNF (5/8 - 18) flare nuts for 3/8 inch tube. Different sizes for the input and return. Available on Amazon USA in brass which is better than steel. You need a double SAE flare on the pipes.
I happen to know all this as I recently made up a set which, including all the tools and materials was still cheaper than buying a set, and much better quality! Also you can make better pipe runs. These sizes of tubes and nuts are more usually found in home airconditioning systems.
The ZF rack and the earlier Adwest are the same thread sizes.

 

When I rebuilt the front suspension the first time in 2015, I replaced the old PS high pressure hose with a high-end Over-the-Road truck quality steel braided one (it's not like it has to move or anything, merely flex a little with vibrations) and had the ends professionally crimped by a hydraulic shop specializing in such.

I highly recommend going that route.
I don't think I'll have to worry about it again Ever!
(';')

 

Its done by a few shops near me. Elevator repair companies do it all of the time for automotive/industrial applications. I recently had my oil cooler hoses and AC lines redone with their original fittings.