Wet Kit Installation in Grimes, Iowa | Ames Hydraulics

Wet Kit Installation — Serving Grimes, Iowa

We install wet kits on semi trucks — single-line, 2-line, and 3-line configurations — for dump trailer, walking floor, live-bottom, and other hydraulic-powered trailers. Our shop is 32 miles south of Grimes on I-80/35 + Hwy 141, close enough that Grimes fleets and farms haul equipment in for cylinder work, structural welding, and full hydraulic rebuilds every week. We are the wet kit installation shop that Grimes-area customers use when they need the job done right the first time — not run through a dealer service writer.

Grimes area we serve for wet kit installation: Des Moines north-metro logistics, construction, and municipal fleet. Grimes has grown fast — a lot of the north-DM-metro fleet, home-builder trucks, and commercial construction rigs run out of Grimes and pass through our shop. If your equipment is down and needs wet kit installation, drop it off, we quote, we fix it.

What A Wet Kit Install Involves

A wet kit is the hydraulic package that lets a semi truck run a hydraulic-powered trailer — dump, walking floor, live-bottom, tanker, or blower. The install has four pieces: a PTO (power take-off) hung off the transmission, a hydraulic pump driven by the PTO, a tank (usually behind the cab or side-mounted), and the plumbing between them. Every piece has to be sized to what the trailer actually pulls, so a wrong-size install is a common problem we retrofit.

We install wet kits on Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, Mack, International, Volvo, and older heavy tandems. We also retrofit wet-kit systems that were originally installed wrong or undersized. And we service what we install — meaning if something leaks after install we fix it, no runaround.

Wet-Kit Configurations We Install

• Single-line — for basic dump-trailer applications, one hydraulic line to the trailer
• Two-line — pressure and return, most common for walking floor, live-bottom, blower
• Three-line — pressure, return, and case drain, needed for piston pump trailers and larger hydraulic motors
• Tank sizing — 30 to 100+ gallon depending on cycle time and trailer type
• PTO selection — Chelsea, Muncie, or transmission-brand PTO matched to the pump
• Pump selection — gear pump for lighter duty, piston pump for high-flow / high-cycle applications

Why Independent Install

Dealer wet-kit installs are commonly overpriced and rushed onto a delivery timeline. We do wet-kit installs at a working shop rate, we take the time to route plumbing so hoses don’t chafe, and we spec the pump and tank to what the trailer actually needs — not whatever was cheapest to stock. When it’s done, it’s done right.

Cost And Turnaround

Basic single-line wet kit install runs $2,800-$4,500 depending on truck. Two-line and three-line installs are $4,500-$8,000 depending on pump, PTO, and tank sizing. Turnaround is one to two weeks depending on parts availability. We quote before we start.

Wet Kit Installation For Grimes And The Surrounding Area

The Grimes area service base for wet kit installation is Des Moines north-metro logistics, construction, and municipal fleet. Grimes has grown fast — a lot of the north-DM-metro fleet, home-builder trucks, and commercial construction rigs run out of Grimes and pass through our shop. We are set up specifically for the equipment those industries actually run: hydraulic systems that see hard cycle loads, structural steel and aluminum that flexes and cracks, and drive components that wear from long hours in Iowa dust and salt. Getting the machine from Grimes to our Ames bay is a short drive, and we can quote pickup or delivery for larger units.

Every wet kit installation grimes job we take gets a quote before we start work, a pressure test on anything hydraulic, and a call before we do extra work if we find something during tear-down. That is how we have kept Grimes-area repeat customers for years.

Why Grimes Customers Come To Us For Wet Kit Installation

Three reasons: we are independent (no dealer markup or upsell), we do the work in-house (cylinders don’t get shipped somewhere), and we quote before we start (no surprise invoices). For wet kit installation specifically, that means the machine comes back running, on time, at the number we quoted — not two weeks late for double the price. Grimes operators appreciate that because equipment downtime kills a working week.

Getting To Our Shop From Grimes

From Grimes, we are 32 miles south on I-80/35 + Hwy 141. Most customers who haul their own machine can be at our shop and back in under two hours. For larger units — semi trailers, telehandlers, aerial lifts — we can coordinate pickup or work with a local hauler you use. Call 515-292-2599 before you show up so we can have a bay ready for your wet kit installation job.

Independent, Honest, In-House

We are an independent hydraulic and heavy-equipment repair shop, not a dealer for any brand. We quote before we start work, we don’t tack on parts you don’t need, and if a job is beyond our scope we tell you where to go instead of taking your money. That approach has kept Grimes-area customers coming back for wet kit installation year after year.

Preventive Service For Grimes Fleets

Beyond one-off wet kit installation jobs, we set up preventive maintenance for Grimes-area fleets that run multiple units. That means annual DOT inspections scheduled ahead of time, seasonal hydraulic-fluid changes before hard-use season, and cylinder rod inspection before rod pitting turns into a full rebuild. A little PM is a lot cheaper than emergency downtime.

Downtime And Scheduling For Grimes

Downtime is what kills a working operation. When you call about wet kit installation, we tell you honestly what our backlog looks like this week. If a job is critical we work around it, and if we can’t get to it fast we tell you where else to try in the Grimes/central Iowa area. We do not overbook and lie about it.

Cost And Pricing

Every wet kit installation job gets a quote before we start work. Small welding repair might be a couple hundred dollars; a full hydraulic system overhaul or trailer rebuild runs several thousand. We do not surprise-invoice — the number we quote is the number you pay unless we find something during the tear-down, in which case we call you before doing extra work. For Grimes-area customers we can also arrange freight pickup and drop-off on larger units.

Contact — Grimes Customers

For wet kit installation in Grimes, Iowa, call or text 515-292-2599, or drop the machine off at our Ames shop. We are open Monday through Friday. Emergency and after-hours work by arrangement. We look forward to helping Grimes-area fleets, farms, and operators keep equipment running.