A tow truck or wrecker that is down cannot rescue anybody — and the hydraulics and structure that do the lifting take a hard life. Ames Hydraulics handles tow truck repair and wrecker work in Ames and across central Iowa, from the hydraulics to the heavy welding.
Hydraulics That Do the Heavy Lifting
The business end of a wrecker is hydraulic — the boom, the wheel-lift, the winch, and the underlift all run on cylinders, pumps, and valves under serious load. When a cylinder leaks down, a winch motor quits, or the boom gets slow, tow truck repair starts with the hydraulics, and that is exactly our wheelhouse. We rebuild and pressure test the cylinders and repair the pumps, motors, and valves that run them.
Booms, Wheel-Lifts, and Underlifts
Rollback beds, wheel-lifts, and underlifts all see heavy, repeated stress, and the steel cracks where it is worked hardest. We repair and reinforce the structural parts — cracked booms, worn pivots, bent wheel-lift arms, and the mounts that tie everything to the truck — with welding and fabrication built for the loads a wrecker handles.
Rollback and Carrier Beds
The slide and tilt hydraulics on a rollback carrier take a beating, and the bed and rails crack and wear over time. We repair the bed, the slide cylinder and chains or cable, and the structure so the carrier loads and unloads smoothly and safely.
Why Hydraulic and Welding Under One Roof Matters
Most tow truck repair is a mix of hydraulics and heavy welding, and bouncing a wrecker between a hydraulic shop and a fab shop costs days. We do both, so the cylinder rebuild and the cracked boom weld happen in the same building. See our hydraulic repair and welding and fabrication services.
Winches and Winch Motors
The winch is the muscle of a wrecker, and a winch that will not pull or holds inconsistently is often a hydraulic motor, valve, or pressure problem. Our tow truck repair covers the winch hydraulics — the motor, the control valve, and the plumbing — so the winch pulls with full power and holds the load safely.
Light, Medium, and Heavy Wreckers
From light-duty rollbacks to heavy rotators, the hydraulics and structure scale up but the failures are similar — leaking cylinders, worn pivots, cracked booms, and tired pumps. We handle tow truck repair across the range, matching the repair to the load the wrecker actually works under.
Fast Turnaround on a Down Wrecker
A wrecker that is down is missing calls, so we move on tow truck repair. We stock chrome rod and common seals to turn cylinder work around fast, and within 60 miles of Ames we can pick the truck up so it is not stranded waiting for a ride to the shop.
Pressure Tested for Safety
A wrecker lifts heavy loads over people and property, so the hydraulics have to hold. We pressure test every cylinder we rebuild to working pressure before it goes back on the truck, so a boom or wheel-lift does not let go under load. That is non-negotiable on tow truck repair.
Keep Your Wrecker Working
A wrecker out of service is lost calls and lost revenue, so we move on tow truck repair. Within 60 miles of Ames we can pick up, and we pressure test the hydraulic work before it goes back so it holds under load. Call or text Ames Hydraulics at 515-292-2599.
Written by Josiah Ragsdale
Owner, Ames Hydraulics — Ames, Iowa
Josiah owns and operates Ames Hydraulics. He has worked on hydraulic and heavy equipment since he was 18, and every hydraulic cylinder his shop rebuilds is pressure tested before it ships back to the customer. More about Josiah →
Got something broken? Call or text 515-292-2599