snowplow buying

I am looking to buy a snowplow for a 1988 k1500 and was looking for input on what type I should be looking for. I manage an auto center and would use it to plow my lot and maybe one other small lot. Most place around here want to sell western, are there other options.(Meyers?) What about backdragging?? AS I have 6 bay doors and a wharehouse door to clear. My "plow" guy from last year is moving, thought if I do it myself I may save some money. Would appreciate any comments or insight from the "experts" who love plowing. thank you in advance for your help and comments.

 

As far as backdragging, instead, back into each bay, and come out with the plow down.

Of course you'll have to backdrag the warehouse door.

As far as brands, well, just look at all the other threads about that. We have revisited the "brand" issue <B>A LOT</B>.

Add an aux. trans cooler, and load boosters, no matter what plow you get.

~Chuck

 

Hello,
If your truck is a 4x4 then you should check into the SNO-Way plow. It is light weight and made out of lexan. It has the down pressure system to allow you to scrape ice or to pull snow backwards. The web site is http://www.snoway.com

God Bless,
Lawn Girl

 

If the dealers in your area mostly carry western, go with a western, because if it breaks down they are easier to get parts. I would also get the 7.5 pro plow just because they are better than the standard plow. Yes, they are a little bit heavier but your truck can take it. I have had great luck with a Western for the past four years, but if you have a boss plow dealer near you, go with the Boss because they are built even better. I own one of these as well. They are constructed a little better. I hope this help.

 

I'd buy a used Western/Meyer for $8-900 if you're just doing those 2 lots. Probably quite a few out there for that truck, too.

Chuck,
Why do you need load boosters? The nice thing about those Chevys is you just turn up the torsion bars, that's what I do for my subs that run those, seems to work great.

 

Lazer,

Because the front suspension has limited "travel" to begin with. Go measure the distance between the bump stop, and the steel it contacts with on the front end. You'll find it's about 2". Put a plow on, raise the plow, and it's 3/4" from making contact. Cranking up the torsion bars, alters the alignment when there is no weight on the truck (camber/caster) and can cause the tires to wear uneven in the off season. A "nameless" friend here tells me even with the load boosters, his front suspension bottoms out a lot with the plow raised.

I put a Pro Plow on a friend's 93 Silverado 1500, and when he raised it, it <B>was</B> bottomed out. His bars were not cranked up though. Also, Western cautioned against mounting the Pro Plow on a 1/2 ton truck (too heavy). He had a problem with the plow scraping in the raised position when turning into driveways. So bad, that he wore the bolts holding the angle cylinders right down to the nuts, and wore into the nuts too. The bottom edges of the A frame were worn to a "point" at the back ends near where the plow mounted to the undercarriage.

That's why I recommend any kind of a load booster on a torsion bar suspended truck. I'll stick with leaf springs thanks!

~Chuck

 

Where do the load boosters go?? What are they exactly??

 

Load boosters are rubber cylinders that are made to replace the stock bump stops on suspensions in trucks. So instead of solid rubber stops, you have a hollow rubber cone like piece of rubber that is progressive in strength. Mening that the more it is compressed, the more it will resist the weight being applied to it.
Dino

 

It's a 4 point suspension system. It doesn't ride EXACTLY plum up and down, but close.

Plus it takes 5 minutes to turn them up or turn them down. One of my subs will turn his down if no snow is in the long-term forecast. Of course you wouldn't leave them turned up all summer!

That Chevy front end (IMO) is the best on the market right now for plowing because of those 2 things:
1.) Instantly adjustable front end height/suspension capacity to accomadate any/all plows.
2.) CV joints in the front end are much more durable than U-joints and allow for tighter turning/greater maneauvarability.

 

I can appreciate what you are saying about CV joints, but it haunts me that nothing heavy duty uses them. The same as nothing heavy duty uses torsion bars. I know the old Chryslers that used them (torsion bars) first were heavy "lead sleds", but nothing that is <B>really</B> heavy duty uses torsion bars or CV joints. Though front wheel drive cars do, but they have low GVW comparitively speaking.
And the CV joints fail under hard use, the same as U joints do. Get a rip in a CV joint boot, and not repair it ASAP, and the joint will need to be replaced very soon after. At a much higher cost than a $20 U joint. Granted, this is MHO.


As far as leaving torsion bars cranked up, many people think it's "OK" to do. Which we know is not the case.
I'm glad you pointed out they should be cranked back down after the season if one chooses to crank them up for plowing. Hopefully newbies will read and learn from that.

When I see CV joints on 4wd back hoes, and 5 yd dump trucks, and torsion bar suspensions on them, then I'll be convinced they are heavy duty.

Aside from the Powerstroke diesel, I feel that the solid front axles and leaf spring suspensions are a major selling point of Ford's heavy duty truck line. Again MHO.

~Chuck