As one who knows this industry and as one that sourced, assembled, tested, sold 1000's of hydraulic hose and fitting products to OEM's, Aerospace, Military/Defense organizations...your car will never know the difference on the origin of your fittings. The money you spend will either be a little or a lot depending on who's brand stamp is on the fitting. Screw machine houses and CNC centers pump out fittings and shapes (90's 45's, Run Tee's..etc) from similar raw material stock and just change out the ID roll stamp when it's time to change job orders. The raw forging shapes all come from a few suppliers and sold to these houses. Very similar to how one or two foundries supply camshaft blanks to all the cam grinding houses. Hex bar stock can come from all over the world and most likely is of foreign origin. Ask for a Raw Material Mill Cert and/or a Manufacturer's Certificate of Conformance when buying your next Made in USA fittings and see what you can get.
When it comes to hose and hose ends, it is here that your attention to detail is paramount and staying away from the cheaper import items. Chemical compatibility and materials used in the import construction may not be up to par with their domestic or name brand counterparts. Hose ends need and must match the I.D & O.D. for the retention style the crimp or reusable end is designed for. There are A.N. hoses that are smaller in diameter than a similar hose in the same "dash" size (measured in 1/16") family. Look at Summit SS braid hose and their Nylon braid in -6. The SS braid has an I.D. of .343 and the Nylon is .375 SAE 30R7.
The devil is in the details when selecting the hose and hose ends.
And... it is all grossly overpriced and the margins are HUGE when the name brands market hose and fittings to the Gearhead world.
All true. I'm not nearly as picky with the small hard parts - adapters, nuts and sleeves, tees, plugs, caps - as I am with the hose and hose ends, other than sticking with known quality brands in the hope that they are paying some attention to their sources for this stuff.
Hose and hose ends are a different story. The commercial AN style hose and fittings are not the same as real aircraft/aerospace hardware with the appropriate specifications and certifications. Not nearly as much money either. And more likely to be imported trash made to look like the good stuff if you're not paying attention.
