Heavy Equipment Cylinder Rebuild in Des Moines, IA | Ames Hydraulics

Heavy Equipment Cylinder Rebuild Serving Des Moines, Iowa

Heavy equipment cylinder rebuild is a specialty job. Excavators, wheel loaders, motor graders, dozers, backhoes, and articulated trucks all run big hydraulic cylinders — 4-8+ inch bore, 200-500+ pound cylinders — that require heavy bench equipment to rebuild safely. Our shop in Ames is set up for this: heavy lifts, big benches, chrome-rod polishing, honing to 8-inch bore. Des Moines contractors bring us cylinders from their heavy fleet regularly.

We are 35 miles south of Des Moines on I-35. For contractors and rental fleets in the Des Moines area, heavy equipment cylinder rebuild is the difference between paying dealer prices ($2,500+ per cylinder) and paying independent-shop prices ($1,000-$1,800 per cylinder for equivalent work).

What We Rebuild For Des Moines Contractors

Cat 320/336/349 excavator cylinders. Deere 200G/300G/470G excavator cylinders. Komatsu PC200/PC300 excavator cylinders. Cat 950/966/972 wheel loader cylinders. Deere 644/744/844 wheel loader cylinders. Case 721/821/921 wheel loader cylinders. Cat D6/D7/D8/D9 dozer cylinders. Cat 140M/160M motor grader cylinders. Deere 670G/770G motor grader cylinders. Case 580/590 backhoe cylinders. Deere 310/410/710 backhoe cylinders. Cat 725/730 articulated truck cylinders. Any hydraulic cylinder from mid-size to large heavy equipment.

The Rebuild Process

Every heavy equipment cylinder rebuild is bench work. Customer pulls the cylinder in the field (or brings the machine in and we pull it), delivers to our shop. We disassemble on the bench, inspect the rod for pitting or scoring, measure barrel bore, replace all seals with heavy-duty kit (Chesterton, Kastas, Parker aftermarket), hone the barrel if needed, reassemble with new fluid, and pressure test on the bench at rated operating pressure — usually 3,000-4,000 psi on heavy equipment.

Rod Work

Heavy equipment rods take heavy abuse in Des Moines-area service — rocky soil, aggregate work, road salt exposure during transport. Rod inspection is part of every heavy equipment cylinder rebuild. Light pitting we polish on the bench. Moderate pitting we send out for chroming (adds a week). Severe damage or bent rods we replace new.

Bench Capacity Limits

We handle cylinders up to about 8-inch bore and 8-foot stroke, weighing up to 500 pounds. This covers most heavy equipment cylinder rebuild scope. Main-boom cylinders on very large excavators (500+ class) occasionally exceed our bench capacity — we evaluate case by case and refer out if we can’t handle safely.

Pickup Or Ship

For Des Moines-area contractors within roughly 60 miles of Ames we can arrange pickup for the whole machine and pull the cylinder ourselves. Alternatively, contractor pulls the cylinder in the field and ships it or brings it to us. Cylinders travel well by freight from anywhere in the Midwest.

Cost Ranges

Compact excavator cylinder rebuild: $500-$1,200. Mid-size excavator cylinder: $800-$1,800. Large excavator cylinder: $1,500-$3,500. Boom cylinders on the biggest units: $2,500-$4,500. Add $500-$1,500 for rod re-chroming. Add $300-$1,000 for barrel work. Every rebuild gets a written quote before work starts.

Turnaround

Standard heavy equipment cylinder rebuild: 7-14 business days. Add 5-10 days if rod requires re-chroming. Priority scheduling available for Des Moines contractors with downed machines — call and we’ll be honest about timeline.

Bench Pressure Testing

Every heavy equipment cylinder rebuild is bench tested at rated operating pressure — 3,000-4,000 psi — before it ships back. Extend, retract, and hold soak. Cylinders that fail on the bench don’t ship. Sending a bad cylinder back to a working excavator or wheel loader is dangerous.

Common Questions From Des Moines Contractors

Can you rebuild OEM Cat/Deere/Komatsu cylinders? Yes. No requirement to send back to dealer network. Our rebuild uses OEM-equivalent or better seals.

What if my rod is really damaged? Rod replacement is available on most common sizes. Adds $500-$2,500 depending on size and availability.

Do you rebuild thumb cylinders? Yes. Standard bench work.

How long does a rebuilt cylinder last? Properly rebuilt with quality seals — 5-10 years of normal service.

Warranty And Quality

Every heavy equipment cylinder rebuild we complete is warranted 6 months against seal defects and workmanship. Bench pressure testing catches most quality issues before the cylinder leaves our shop — that’s non-negotiable and it’s what separates a professional rebuild from a hope-it-works job. Sending a bad cylinder back to a working excavator or wheel loader in the Des Moines area could injure someone or destroy the machine.

Fleet Accounts For Des Moines Contractors

Contractors and rental fleets running 5+ machines with rebuildable hydraulic cylinders set up standing accounts with us. That means priority turnaround on heavy equipment cylinder rebuild jobs, monthly billing rather than per-job invoicing, and firm pricing without renegotiating from scratch on each cylinder. If your Des Moines-area operation has cylinder rebuilds coming through every few months, a fleet arrangement makes it simple to manage.

What’s Included In Standard Cost

Standard heavy equipment cylinder rebuild includes: cylinder pickup or drop-off, disassembly and inspection, all seals and O-rings replaced with heavy-duty kit, rod polish for light pitting (included), barrel hone if needed (included), reassembly with new fluid, and bench pressure test at rated operating pressure. Rod re-chroming or replacement is separate line item because it’s specialty work at a different cost tier.

Written Quote Before Work Starts

Every heavy equipment cylinder rebuild gets a written quote before we begin work. If we find damage during teardown that wasn’t visible externally — hidden barrel damage, deep rod pitting, port fitting issues — we call the customer before doing anything beyond the original scope. No surprise invoices at completion.

Getting Started — Des Moines Contractors And Fleets

Call or text 515-292-2599. Tell us the machine make and model, cylinder location, and what’s failing. Text a photo of the cylinder and the leak. We’ll ballpark heavy equipment cylinder rebuild cost over the phone and arrange pickup from the Des Moines area if you need it. Most contractors within 60 miles get the full pickup-and-deliver service at no additional cost.