Adding a Snow Plow

[Cummin Dodge]

I have been thinking about adding a snow plow to my truck for this season if I can get it for the right price. I was wondering what anybody's thoughts and opinions were on adding one. I am a little nervous since it has coil springs up front and I'm not sure if they will take the abuse very well. Thanks in advance.

[hex0rz]

I have been thinking about adding a snow plow to my truck for this season if I can get it for the right price. I was wondering what anybody's thoughts and opinions were on adding one. I am a little nervous since it has coil springs up front and I'm not sure if they will take the abuse very well. Thanks in advance.

I'm right there with you. I too wonder about what to look for when adding a plow to the truck. My father keeps telling e not to do it as he thinks it will wear the front of the frame out... I wanna know if the front is gonna need any reinforcing or any upgrades to the steering or suspension to handle it.

[diesel4life]

Are you plowing for yourself or are you planning on doing this to make money? If doing the latter, you almost have to put some of that money away you make for a rainy day when the repair man comes. Its not a matter of if, but when. The extra weight hanging off the front end will wear everything out much quicker. Also, if you live in an area where they use salt, your truck will rust quicker than normal because your out on the roads more than you would be if you werent plowing. It is possible to make some money plowing, but you have to be willing to sacrifice your truck, to an extent. You may be better off buying a cheap 4x4 and use it to plow or maybe even look around for an older truck/plow combo. I know around here when it gets closer to winter, I see ads in the paper for them Ive seen em for around 3 or 4 thousand truck/plow combo yeah the truck may be a little beat up but your just going to beat it up even more. Depending on what kind you buy you could easily spend that on just a plow anyhow. On the other hand, if your just going to use it to plow yourself and maybe a family members driveway and then unhitch it right away you could get away with running one off your dodge for a long time with no real ill effects.

[Cummin Dodge]

My intention is to plow for hire and make some money. My father has an 1986 one ton chevy with a 6.2 diesel in it that I am thinking about talking to him about putting a plow on there instead. The issue with that is it's his truck, it doesn't have near the torque of my cummins, and it doesn't have a block heater and its hard to start. I found some heavier duty coil springs on rock auto that are supposed to be good for a thousand more pounds, if I do plow with my dodge I think I will put those on the front end. The only thing left I think for me to be worried about is the ball joints but I keep them greased regularly.

[pepsi71ocean]

my advice is if you use your truck to plow, take the whole underside and clean it remove as much rust as you can get, and then por-15 (or chassie saver) the whole thing then add a few coats of paint over that, paint the underside and then wash it frequently in the winter. this should prevent the rust.then you need to save up for front end components, just replace them with better stuf as they wear out.get a good transmisison cooler and make sure your 4x4 works.

[hex0rz]

my advice is if you use your truck to plow, take the whole underside and clean it remove as much rust as you can get, and then por-15 (or chassie saver) the whole thing then add a few coats of paint over that, paint the underside and then wash it frequently in the winter. this should prevent the rust. then you need to save up for front end components, just replace them with better stuf as they wear out. get a good transmisison cooler and make sure your 4x4 works.

Actually, IIRC, when I used that stuff they said it bonds to the rust. I advocate to use the bedliner material rather than the por-15. Would'nt the OEM tranny cooler be sufficient, or adding a 2nd cooler is appropriate? As well, what about the tranny? Is a stock tranny good enough to use for plowing or does it have to be built too?

[pepsi71ocean]

Actually, IIRC, when I used that stuff they said it bonds to the rust. I advocate to use the bedliner material rather than the por-15. Would'nt the OEM tranny cooler be sufficient, or adding a 2nd cooler is appropriate? As well, what about the tranny? Is a stock tranny good enough to use for plowing or does it have to be built too?

anything is better then a rusty frame:thumbup2: And what the problem is that when snow plowing your transmission usually never makes it out of 1st gear, and your TC is never locked, so you will notice your temps will easily rise, and the hotter you get the quicker your fluid will break down. i would advise a shift kit, and a cooler. the 3500 models only came with an extra cooler in the trans system, otherwise it was just the one cooler unless you got the tow package.(i believe). If not, then i would atleast attach a fan over the front of the trans cooler on front of the trans cooler, because with that plow on front your air flow will be reduced.

[Haggar]

The 6.2 takes the block heater in the freeze plugs. Super easy to add. No excuse for cold starting.... ( I am pretty certain you can get to at least on freeze plug. If nothing else add a heater into the lower radiator hose. That is super duper easy.)Plowing is not all torque, but traction. You can have all the torque in the world, but if the tires are slipping....it just doesn't matter.Definitely extra cooling to the 1) transmission 2) flow to radiator (at least watch it like a hawk) 3) power steering. (especially with the diesels, since it is providing braking and steering!!!! Add a cooler!!!! (you just added 1k work to the steering axle, is finger spinning free?) 4) watch voltage.... lots of lights and low rpms is perfect situation to drain batteries. Have fun with it, but don't go in cheap (meaning you can't afford to fix the truck when (not if) it breaks), you will just lose your contracts (unless they are really good buddies...)Hag

[Rogan]

So I wrote this long post about my plowIng experience as an income and just as I started to hit submit, my computer died..

I'll write it again later..

From the Galaxy S3

- - - Updated - - -

BTW, the auto-save feature here on the forum is DA BOMB!!! (thanks, Mikie! )

I'm by no means a 'professional snow plow guy', but I have plowed for businesses the past couple years; both of those were with my 2001 2500 QCSB 6 speed. The key is maintenance.. Be diligent about it, too. Clean, tighten, clean again..

Don't hot dog with the plow attached, whether it's up or down.. And remember, when it's on the ground pushing (even if it's a neighbor's driveway) you're ___ had better be making money.

As previously stated, it increases wear and tear, magnified many times.

Here's my advice:

[*]TIMBREN.. Get 'em, install 'em, enjoy 'em.

[*]Know what you're plowing.. Know where manhole covers are, curbing, speed bumps, railroad tracks, etc..

[*]Plow slow and steady.. Hauling ___ and throwing the snow 20ft away is stupid.. Cool looking, but stupid.

[*]Whilst driving with the plow up, monitor coolant temps closely.. You may need some sort of deflector to force air into the grill, as the plow will cause a serious blockage and coolant over-temp issues. I usually carry the plow about a foot off the ground.

[*]Ensure you carry about 3-400lb in the bed, behind the wheel-wells. This will aid in a couple ways: 1) takes some of the load off the nose when the plow is up, 2) adds rear tire traction when the plow is up/down.

[*]Insurance.. You'll need the plow rider on your vehicle insurance. Last thing you need is to have to use pocket money to replace/repair something even as simple as a curbing piece, let alone a manhole or train track.. Or worse..

My 96" plow weighs in at 744 lbs, 830 lbs when you factor in the frame brackets, lights, etc.. The blade and A-frame assembly is 698lb. And it's 1/2" thick poly blade.

Charge accordingly, and factor in your fuel expenses, maintenance and repair. This includes driveways for residents. I remember telling a senior couple in my neighborhood "whatever you think it's worth" when she asked if I could plow her driveway. It had a steep incline, was curved, 8" coverage, and took me about 45 minutes to clear, as there was a layer of ice underneath the snow from freezing rain prior to the snowfall. When I finished the driveway, she asked if I could shovel the sidewalk, so I did. Another 25 minutes later and I was finished.. She gave me $20.. LMFAO.. Needless to say, I haven't plowed there again.

I have several contracts that are 2" minimum, and a couple zero-tolerance accumulation accounts. The 2" minimum accounts are also 2hr minimums. So every time I plant the plow on those accounts, it's 2hrs pay + travel time. The zero-tolerance accounts are a littler cheaper priced, hourly, as they require a more frequent cleaning, but they bring in the bucks.. One account is generally a 3hr job, each time I touch it.. It's a strip mall extravaganza, so there are tons of curbing and islands in it, so it's quite a technical plow. Stacking/storing also proves to be tricky. This is something you need to plan out ahead of time, as well.

[Cummin Dodge]

Thanks for all the input y'all, after I put a new set of tires on my truck real soon I think the only things im worried about on the truck are the ball joints and rear u joints. I have already replaced the tie rods and the front u joints along with a built auto tranny with a temperature gauge in the pillar.

- - - Updated - - -

So I wrote this long post about my plowIng experience as an income and just as I started to hit submit, my computer died..

I'll write it again later..

From the Galaxy S3

- - - Updated - - -

BTW, the auto-save feature here on the forum is DA BOMB!!! (thanks, Mikie! )

I'm by no means a 'professional snow plow guy', but I have plowed for businesses the past couple years; both of those were with my 2001 2500 QCSB 6 speed. The key is maintenance.. Be diligent about it, too. Clean, tighten, clean again..

Don't hot dog with the plow attached, whether it's up or down.. And remember, when it's on the ground pushing (even if it's a neighbor's driveway) you're ___ had better be making money.

As previously stated, it increases wear and tear, magnified many times.

Here's my advice:

[*]TIMBREN.. Get 'em, install 'em, enjoy 'em.

[*]Know what you're plowing.. Know where manhole covers are, curbing, speed bumps, railroad tracks, etc..

[*]Plow slow and steady.. Hauling ___ and throwing the snow 20ft away is stupid.. Cool looking, but stupid.

[*]Whilst driving with the plow up, monitor coolant temps closely.. You may need some sort of deflector to force air into the grill, as the plow will cause a serious blockage and coolant over-temp issues. I usually carry the plow about a foot off the ground.

[*]Ensure you carry about 3-400lb in the bed, behind the wheel-wells. This will aid in a couple ways: 1) takes some of the load off the nose when the plow is up, 2) adds rear tire traction when the plow is up/down.

[*]Insurance.. You'll need the plow rider on your vehicle insurance. Last thing you need is to have to use pocket money to replace/repair something even as simple as a curbing piece, let alone a manhole or train track.. Or worse..

My 96" plow weighs in at 744 lbs, 830 lbs when you factor in the frame brackets, lights, etc.. The blade and A-frame assembly is 698lb. And it's 1/2" thick poly blade.

Charge accordingly, and factor in your fuel expenses, maintenance and repair. This includes driveways for residents. I remember telling a senior couple in my neighborhood "whatever you think it's worth" when she asked if I could plow her driveway. It had a steep incline, was curved, 8" coverage, and took me about 45 minutes to clear, as there was a layer of ice underneath the snow from freezing rain prior to the snowfall. When I finished the driveway, she asked if I could shovel the sidewalk, so I did. Another 25 minutes later and I was finished.. She gave me $20.. LMFAO.. Needless to say, I haven't plowed there again.

I have several contracts that are 2" minimum, and a couple zero-tolerance accumulation accounts. The 2" minimum accounts are also 2hr minimums. So every time I plant the plow on those accounts, it's 2hrs pay + travel time. The zero-tolerance accounts are a littler cheaper priced, hourly, as they require a more frequent cleaning, but they bring in the bucks.. One account is generally a 3hr job, each time I touch it.. It's a strip mall extravaganza, so there are tons of curbing and islands in it, so it's quite a technical plow. Stacking/storing also proves to be tricky. This is something you need to plan out ahead of time, as well.

I have a couple of questions for you, how much did the insurance rider cost you and as for the bump stops, do you think a stronger spring would be better up front instead of the bump stops or should I put on both.

[Rogan]

Your insurance rider may vary, as I am in Virginia, and (ironically) insurance is fairly inexpensive here; I pay about $800/yr full coverage for a 2007 Nissan Quest and my 97 3500.I think my rider (when applied) raises the monthly cost about $30-40. I don't carry the plow rider all year.as for springs/bumps, I just went with the bumps. Springs will help, too, but remember, when you're not carrying the plow, you have the added stiffness of the spring as you ride around 'empty'..

[gredneck]

I too Will be adding a plow to 2000 laramie SLT Quad Cab.I have been plowing on an off for over 20 years.my first plow vehicle was an old international Scout.I bought it for $500.00 to do my families parking lotIt barely lasted a season as I beat the hell out of it.last time i used it, we had 2 feet of snow and I was flooring it.lets just say lesson learned (somewhat). I had a few more junkers i used to plow withby the last junker I was plowing very easy and didn't wait until the storm was done to plowas waiting for the storm to end before plowing will beat the hell out of your truck.it lasted 5 years without a break down.last 7 years I have been using new plow trucks doing parking lots and roads (for associations) Now I"m doing my own stuff again so back to an older truck.after that long winded story, I just want to say that older trucks will do the job, just don"t beat on them and if you live in a heavy snowfall area think about pushing the snow as far back as you can starting with storm 1.or you'll kill your truck pushing back a 4 foot iceberg!

[Rogan]

^^^ Troof!