Winch Repair in Ames & Central Iowa — Ames Hydraulics

A winch that won’t pull, won’t hold, or leaks leaves you stuck — sometimes literally. Ames Hydraulics does winch repair on hydraulic, PTO, and recovery winches for trucks, wreckers, tractors, and equipment across Central Iowa. Motors, brakes, planetary gears, clutches, and the welded mounts that hold a winch to the machine. Free pickup within 60 miles of Ames.

What We Repair on a Winch

• Hydraulic motors — worn or leaking winch drive motors rebuilt or replaced
• Brakes and clutches — a winch that won’t hold a load or won’t free-spool
• Planetary gear sets — the geartrain that gives a winch its pull
• Cable drums, bearings, and shafts
• Hydraulic control valves and hoses feeding the winch
• Cracked or torn winch mounts and frames — welded and reinforced to take the load

Hydraulic, PTO, and Recovery Winches

Tow-truck and wrecker recovery winches, PTO-driven winches on trucks and tractors, planetary hydraulic winches on equipment, and the big industrial units — the failure points are the motor, the brake, the gears, and the mount, and those are exactly the hydraulic, machine, and welding jobs we do. A winch takes enormous shock load, so the mounting steel cracks as often as the mechanical parts, and we handle both in one stop.

Safety Is the Whole Point

A winch that slips or a mount that’s cracking is a safety problem, not just a nuisance — a failure under load can hurt someone. Good winch repair means the brake holds, the mount is sound, and the whole thing is tested before it goes back to work. We don’t hand back a winch we wouldn’t stand next to under load.

Free Pickup Within 60 Miles

If the winch is on a truck or machine that can’t easily come in, we come to it — free within 60 miles of Ames. Text a photo of the winch and mount to 515-292-2599 and we’ll tell you the same day what your winch repair needs and what it will cost.

Signs Your Winch Needs Repair

Don’t wait for it to fail under load: the winch pulls slow or weak (hydraulic motor or worn gears), it won’t hold and lets the load creep back (brake), it won’t free-spool or won’t engage (clutch), it leaks, or you can see the mount flexing or cracking where it bolts to the truck or frame. A winch failure with a load on the line is dangerous, so these are calls worth making early. We rebuild the mechanical side and re-weld the mount so the whole thing is sound.

One Shop for Mechanical and Mount

Because we do hydraulics, machine work, and welding under one roof, a winch repair is one stop — the motor and gears rebuilt, the brake fixed, and the cracked mount welded and reinforced together. No shuttling between a hydraulic shop and a weld shop. Tow operators, farms, and contractors across Central Iowa count on that.

Recovery Operators Depend On It

For a tow or recovery operator, the winch is the truck — a slow or slipping winch means turning down calls. We prioritize winch repair for working operators and keep common motor and brake parts on hand so you’re not parked for a week. Same for farms and contractors running utility and skid-mounted winches: when the winch is down, so is the job. Text a photo of the winch, the mount, and the make and model to 515-292-2599 and we’ll tell you the same day whether it’s a motor rebuild, a brake, a gear set, or a mount weld, and roughly what it will cost before we start.

Get Pulling Again

See our full hydraulic repair, hydraulic cylinder repair, and hydraulic hose repair services. Call or text 515-292-2599 or bring it to 210 Freel Dr in Ames. Open Monday through Friday, 7AM to 5PM.