A head end seal assembly for a hydraulic cylinder may include a cylinder seal carrier having a seal carrier bore with a main seal groove and a coating ring groove adjacent the main seal groove. A main seal disposed within the main seal groove is fabricated from a resilient material and engages a rod outer surface of a rod to substantially prevent leakage of pressurized fluid from the hydraulic cylinder. A coating ring disposed within the coating ring groove is fabricated from a thermoplastic polymer such as Teflon and engages the rod outer surface such that portions of the thermoplastic polymer are deposited into indentations on the rod outer surface as the rod slides past the coating ring to smooth the surface and reduce abrasion between the rod and the main seal. A second coating ring on the opposite side of the main seal may coat the rod as it moves in the opposite direction.