snow plowing
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 835
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snow plowing
well ive always been scared to put a plow on my truck because of messing up the truck. everybody says youll have to rebuild the front end and such every year its going to gouge out your frame rails where it mounts and such. so whats the real scoop? im missing out on some good cheddar thats all i know. so how bad does a snow plow beat up on the ole' superdute? id just be doing private driveways.
Freshman User
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 29
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I have two superduty's 250 with v-10's. yes, ball joints tie rods and such should be replaced every few years.
Some winters you make money, others you break even. But when you make the $$$$$, it's very nice. I had about 75 driveways with two trucks. done in about 5 hours. $30-$50 a driveway. Thats about $3000 a snow storm. Pay the other driver a few hundred, plus gas and such, and you make about $2k per storm. Plows were like $8350 for two fisher minute mount HD. So you have to pay the plows off first.
The first year I plowed, we had like 14 storms......
last year we had 2. this year going on storm 9.
So every year you have to put about 1k into the truck in the spring.
Also helps when driveways are close together. gas and drving time can kill ya.
Some winters you make money, others you break even. But when you make the $$$$$, it's very nice. I had about 75 driveways with two trucks. done in about 5 hours. $30-$50 a driveway. Thats about $3000 a snow storm. Pay the other driver a few hundred, plus gas and such, and you make about $2k per storm. Plows were like $8350 for two fisher minute mount HD. So you have to pay the plows off first.
The first year I plowed, we had like 14 storms......
last year we had 2. this year going on storm 9.
So every year you have to put about 1k into the truck in the spring.
Also helps when driveways are close together. gas and drving time can kill ya.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 189
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From: Harris,Minnesota
I have had a 7.5' fisher plow on mine on since 2000 .I replaced the ball joints and one hub assembly since then,I think they would of gone bad even without the plow it has 151,000 miles on it. I only plow about 13 driveways.I wouldn't get the biggest, baddest plow you can put on it either, too much weight, although my next plow will be a V-plow.I also have a tuff country leveling kit in the front of mine. Before I put it in the front would go down quite a bit,with it goes down about 1". It rides a little rougher but looks a lot better, also gives a lot more clearance between plow frame and the ground.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,569
Likes: 5,605
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
my 88 has had one set of tie-rod ends replace in 20 years. and they were put on 4 years ago, at 90,000 miles.
my 02 had the front end replace in September just before i bought it with 140,000 miles on it, and it plowed every winter since new.
if people are telling you they need to replace the front end in their trucks every year, it is from massive abuse, not from plowing.
my 02 had the front end replace in September just before i bought it with 140,000 miles on it, and it plowed every winter since new.
if people are telling you they need to replace the front end in their trucks every year, it is from massive abuse, not from plowing.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 432
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From: Upstate NewYork
I have had a stainless steel 8' Fisher X-Blade on my 04 F250 6.0 since new, no problems to date. the only thing i do and a good suggestion is i have the trans, flushed and external filter changed ever year when i get my New York State Inspection. $100.00 dollars or less a year is not a bad deal to keep the tranny healthy, Also do alot of heaving towing year round. All front end parts are still tight with no problems
More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 515
Likes: 6
From: Denver, NC
My 86 F250 has had the front end rebuild 1x and it has been plowed with since new. I now have a 04 F250 just put a plow on it this year. Will see how it does. I know many superduty truck with plows and some guy have no front end trouble some do. It all how you treat the truck while plowing. If you are hard and beat on it plowing you will have problems. The guy I know whith front end problems all are hard on the trucks. You don't have to be hard on the truck to plow snow. You will get just as much done maybe a little longer but won't have to worrie about repairs as muck.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,634
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From: bricktown NJ
With all the good advice from above.Keep your front end greased up and trany fluid clean during plow season.The hardest thing about plowing is traveling in the storms with the knuckle heads on the roads.Good luck
More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 561
Likes: 2
From: Indianapolis, IN
These trucks are designed to work and will plow fine. Sage advice has already been offered about maintenance and related issues.
Surf to www.letstalksnow.com and noodle around there for a lot more information concerning plows, the business, the good, the bad, the ugly, and so forth.
Surf to www.letstalksnow.com and noodle around there for a lot more information concerning plows, the business, the good, the bad, the ugly, and so forth.
New User
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
I plow, however I don't currently own a Ford, but theres really not much different between the solid front axle rigs.
Preventative maintenance will save you quite a bit.
Being smart and using caution while plowing will also help keep repairs down a lot, but it definitely puts a bit of stress on the truck over all, especially front suspension components as mentioned. I find that the most abusive thing from plowing is if you are trying to push a high snow bank/pile while running your plow route (So it is perpendicular to you) and the plow is pushing you away from where your wheels are pointing, thats something you should avoid.
The one component that continually went out on my dodge was the track bar bushings, so when you initially kill the bushings on your track bar if they're not replaceable a after market track bar with replaceable bushings is the way to go.
All that is general for plowing from my experience, IMO it doesn't really make a difference which truck you use, talk to any dodge/chevy/ford guy they'll all tell you yes they have to do similar repairs after time + plowing. The guys who probably saw the least amount of repairs are those running older fords with the kingpin axles
Preventative maintenance will save you quite a bit.
Being smart and using caution while plowing will also help keep repairs down a lot, but it definitely puts a bit of stress on the truck over all, especially front suspension components as mentioned. I find that the most abusive thing from plowing is if you are trying to push a high snow bank/pile while running your plow route (So it is perpendicular to you) and the plow is pushing you away from where your wheels are pointing, thats something you should avoid.
The one component that continually went out on my dodge was the track bar bushings, so when you initially kill the bushings on your track bar if they're not replaceable a after market track bar with replaceable bushings is the way to go.
All that is general for plowing from my experience, IMO it doesn't really make a difference which truck you use, talk to any dodge/chevy/ford guy they'll all tell you yes they have to do similar repairs after time + plowing. The guys who probably saw the least amount of repairs are those running older fords with the kingpin axles
Junior User
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From: Central New York
This has been the best truck for plowing and I've had several Chevys and Fords. The trucks really are built strong and are built to work. Just don't lose your common sense when you plow and you'll be fine. Of course anything thats going to be used is going to need maintenance so factor that in like mentioned before and enjoy! Theres lots worse ways to make a few extra bucks.
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 9,303
Likes: 48
From: Lyndonville, Vermont
My truck just goes and goes and goes, nothing really breaks and its rugged. I wouldn't plow with anything but the X plow springs..Also use an 8ft plow. Smaller doesn't work on angles and 8.5 may work for large parking lots but its more stress in heavy snow on narrow long drives..You're gonna need about 1000 lbs in the back to get you to where you need to go and offset the weight of the plow.
Dick
Dick
here sometimes
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 374
Likes: 8
From: Algona ,IOWA
We are a large landscape biz in chicago area and are heavy into snow removeal and all our trucks (except the peterbilts ) are ford with most being superdutys from99-08 250-550 and can say with experiance that we have hands down more issues with the snowplows than the trucks. Even on the trucks that have extremely abusive drivers (yes it happens to us all ) the truck end is holding up extremely well.Ball jouints are the biggest number of replacements but after we put the gresaeable ones in ,they dont go bad again.Preventative maintence is the key. All trucks get trans fluid and fliter once every two years,brakes are removed on every vehicle and inscected and slides are greases as well as rotor mounting and wheels each year, tire pressure is checked after every storm and all fluids as well .Plow fluid and filters are changed once a year. Seems a lot but the trucks are lasting pretty good so far with this program.