Hydraulic Cylinder Rebuild Ames
When a cylinder on your loader, skid steer, or backhoe starts leaking down overnight, drifting under a load, or just quits holding pressure, you need a hydraulic cylinder rebuild Ames shops can actually turn around without you losing a week of work. We’re at 210 Freel Dr, and this is bench work we do all day — pull the cylinder, tear it down, find out what killed it, and put it back together right.
How We Do a Hydraulic Cylinder Rebuild in Ames
Every hydraulic cylinder rebuild Ames job starts the same way: we pull the cylinder off the machine, drain it, and get it on the bench so we can actually see what’s going on inside. Most of the time we’re chasing a scored barrel or a rod that’s pitted enough to cut every new seal we put in. Once it’s apart we measure the bore, check the rod for straightness, and inspect the gland and piston for wear. If the bore’s scored bad enough, honing won’t save it and we’ll talk to you about a sleeve or a replacement cylinder before we go any further.
From there it’s a straight seal swap — head seal, piston seal, U-seals, and wiper seal, sized to that specific cylinder, not a generic kit that’s close enough. We reassemble, reinstall it on the machine, bleed the system, and cycle it under load in the shop before we call it done. If you want the full breakdown of what drives the price up or down, our cylinder rebuild cost guide walks through it in more detail.
What’s included in a typical hydraulic cylinder rebuild Ames job:
- Remove the cylinder from the machine
- Disassemble and inspect the rod, barrel, and gland
- Hone or resleeve the bore if it’s scored
- Replace head seal, piston seal, U-seals, and wiper seal
- Reinstall, bleed the circuit, and test under load
- Mileage charge added for on-site pickup within 30–40 miles, no trailer
Common Cylinder Failures We See on the Bench
Most cylinders that come in for a hydraulic cylinder rebuild Ames customers bring us are dealing with one of a handful of problems. Scoring is the big one — dirt or metal shavings get past a worn wiper seal, score the bore, and every new seal we install gets cut open in a matter of hours. Slow drift or a cylinder that won’t hold a raised bucket or bed usually points to a bad piston seal letting oil bypass internally. Leaking around the rod itself is almost always the wiper or rod seal giving out.
One thing we tell every customer up front: it’s really common for the other cylinder on the same setup — the second lift cylinder, the other tilt ram — to blow out shortly after we rebuild the first one. Same age, same dirt, same miles. If a rebuild doesn’t hold on a badly scored barrel, you’re looking at a new cylinder instead, which runs anywhere from $300 to $800 more depending on size. We see this constantly on loader arms and dump beds, and it’s part of why we always inspect both cylinders in a pair, not just the one that’s obviously leaking.
If your equipment is closer to Winterset, we handle the same kind of work through our hydraulic cylinder repair in Winterset service, and if you’re running an excavator out of the Boone area, our excavator cylinder rebuild in Boone page covers boom and stick cylinders specifically.
How Much Does a Hydraulic Cylinder Rebuild in Ames Cost?
The price of a hydraulic cylinder rebuild Ames wide runs from around $300 on the low end for a smaller cylinder with straightforward seal replacement, up to $800–$1,500 for larger cylinders or ones needing a bore hone or sleeve. If the bore’s too far gone and honing won’t save it, a new cylinder adds $300 to $800 on top of the rebuild labor, depending on size and availability. We also add a mileage charge — typically $30 to $60 — for shop pickup within 30 to 40 miles when we’re bringing the machine or cylinder back to the bench ourselves.
Small rotary lift or hoist cylinders on the cheaper end can run closer to $145 for the cylinder itself plus install labor, while a full loader arm cylinder with scoring damage and new seal kits climbs toward the higher end of that range. We’ll always give you the real number after we’ve had it open on the bench, not before — guessing on a closed cylinder just isn’t honest.
We work on equipment well beyond Ames too, and if you’re trying to figure out coverage across the state, our hydraulic cylinder rebuild Iowa page lists where we travel to and what that adds to a job.
If a cylinder on your equipment is leaking down, drifting, or just not holding like it used to, don’t wait for it to strand a job. Call us at 515-292-2599 and we’ll get your hydraulic cylinder rebuild Ames appointment scheduled and your machine back to work.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a hydraulic cylinder rebuild take?
Most cylinder rebuilds take 1 to 3 days once we’ve pulled it and gotten it on the bench, depending on parts availability and whether the bore needs honing or resleeving. Call 515-292-2599 and we can give you a firmer timeline based on your specific cylinder.
Can you rebuild a cylinder without removing it from the machine?
In most cases no — we need to pull the cylinder off to properly inspect the bore, rod, and gland and to do the seal work correctly. There are rare exceptions on certain lift equipment, but full removal gives the most reliable repair.
Why did my other cylinder fail right after you rebuilt this one?
This is really common. If both cylinders are the same age and have been exposed to the same dirt and wear, the second one is often just as worn and can blow out shortly after we fix the first. We recommend inspecting both at the same time when possible.
Do you offer mobile hydraulic cylinder rebuild service in Ames?
Yes, for many jobs we can come to your location within 30 to 40 miles of the shop, with a mileage charge added for the trip. For more involved rebuilds we typically bring the cylinder back to our bench at 210 Freel Dr for proper inspection.
What’s the difference between a cylinder rebuild and a full replacement?
A rebuild replaces the seals and, if needed, hones or sleeves the bore while reusing the existing barrel and rod. A replacement means the cylinder itself is too damaged (usually from scoring) to save, and we install a new unit instead — which typically adds $300 to $800 to the job.
Written by Josiah Ragsdale, Ames Hydraulics