When a Hydraulic Ram Fails, You Have Options
A failing or failed hydraulic ram does not automatically mean you need a new one. For many types of damage and wear, professional refurbishment is not only possible but significantly cheaper than replacement — often saving 50 to 70% of the cost of a new unit. Understanding when refurbishment makes sense, and when replacement is the better choice, can save you considerable money and lead time.
What Does Hydraulic Ram Refurbishment Involve?
A professional hydraulic ram refurbishment typically includes:
- Full disassembly and inspection: The ram is completely stripped and all components inspected for wear, damage, and dimensional accuracy.
- Chrome rod assessment: The chrome-plated rod is inspected for pitting, scoring, corrosion, and chrome thickness. Rods can often be re-chromed or replaced if necessary.
- Barrel inspection: The cylinder bore is measured for wear, ovality, and surface finish. Minor scoring can often be honed out; severe wear may require re-sleeving.
- Seal replacement: All seals, wipers, O-rings, and back-up rings are replaced with new components to OEM specification or equivalent.
- Component cleaning: All metal components are thoroughly cleaned to remove contamination before reassembly.
- Reassembly and pressure testing: The ram is reassembled to specification and pressure tested to verify integrity before return.
When Does Refurbishment Make Sense?
Refurbishment is generally the right choice when:
- The ram body (barrel and rod) is in good condition with only seal wear or minor surface damage. Seal replacement alone is the lowest-cost refurbishment option.
- The ram is a bespoke or non-standard size where a replacement unit would have a long lead time or high cost.
- The ram has custom mountings or porting that would be expensive to replicate in a new unit.
- Cost is a priority and the original construction is sound. Savings of 50–70% versus new are realistic for most standard refurbishments.
Even where chrome rod damage is present, re-chroming is often significantly cheaper than sourcing a new replacement rod — particularly for large bore or long stroke cylinders.
When Is Replacement the Better Choice?
Replacement makes more sense when:
- The ram barrel is severely worn or damaged: Deep scoring, ovality beyond tolerance, or corrosion pitting in the bore that cannot be recovered by honing.
- The rod has been bent or kinked: A bent rod cannot be straightened to hydraulic tolerances economically. Replacement is required.
- The ram is a standard size available off the shelf: Where a direct replacement is available from stock at a competitive price, the total cost difference versus refurbishment narrows considerably.
- The ram design is obsolete: If the original unit was not well designed (inadequate rod diameter for side loading, poor seal arrangement), replacement with an improved design may be preferable.
Typical Turnaround Times
Professional hydraulic ram refurbishment typically takes 5–10 working days for standard cylinders, depending on the extent of work required and parts availability. Where re-chroming or barrel re-sleeving is needed, allow longer. Compare this with lead times for custom-built replacement rams, which can be 4–12 weeks from specialist manufacturers.
What Information Do You Need to Provide?
When sending a ram for refurbishment assessment, it helps to provide:
- The bore diameter and rod diameter (measure with calipers if unknown)
- The stroke length
- The working pressure requirement
- The port sizes and positions (or a photo)
- A description of the fault — seal leak, rod damage, bent rod, etc.
Hydra-Line Ram Refurbishment Service
Hydra-Line provides professional hydraulic ram refurbishment services for a wide range of cylinders from agricultural, construction, industrial, and mobile hydraulic applications. We assess each ram individually and provide a clear, no-obligation quotation before any work begins.
To find out more or submit a ram for assessment, visit our ram refurbishment service page, call 01782 658535, or email info@hydra-line.co.uk.