# sand bridging



## Winterworks (Oct 17, 2000)

This is the 1st year using a hydraulic tailgate salter (on a Ford L8000) as we have always used V boxes. This morning on its maiden voyage loaded up with sand/salt mix (a weak mix) the driver advised that the sand was going to the auger fine, but the auger would turn and the sand did not continue to flow down to the auger, just packed around it. He finished his route with his helper in the dump box clearing the constant jam. (I know, very dangerous). Rather than hire someone to ride in the box all year (hahah) I would like to solve this problem. Is my sand too wet? To top it off the driver put this big beast into the ditch on their last property (with the helper still in the box). I wish I had been there to see it. I drove a loader over and pulled them out without damage or injury thank goodness.
Thanks, Pat


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## CT18fireman (Nov 30, 2000)

Not sure with a tailgate but what I have found with a v-box:

If it sits it will pack in and bridge
If it is wet it will as well.
A good idea that I use is to turn the pile over before I scoop and load into a sander. This fluffs up the sand a bit I find. Seems to work for me.

Yes that is very dangerous IMO. Be careful.


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## BRL (Dec 21, 1999)

A vibrator will help greatly with avoiding that problem. I had a sub salting for me with that same truck & tailgate spreader. Had a strong vibrator (probably not a good idea to use in residential areas LOL) and he did not have this problem that I can remember.


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## Alan (Mar 2, 2000)

I would say your sand might be too fine. The stuff we use here for raod sand is really quite coarse and I've never had it bridge in our undertailgate unit. When we used to run coarse bank sand in our vee box it would bridge and that problem went away when we switched to the coarser grade. The coarser and more uniform the granulation the better it will flow. Also, washed sand will flow better and create less dust when it's dry as well. The stuff everybody uses here is washed.


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## Winterworks (Oct 17, 2000)

Thanks folks, I will speak to my sand supplier re coarse sand today and also try "fluffing the pile". We keep the mix covered but I guess moisture can still get in to it. The vibrator is the last option I guess but it may come to that. It is a great truck with an awesome payload so I want to solve this.
Thanks again, Pat


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## Alan (Mar 2, 2000)

To get a little more in depth into this, are you letting the truck tailgate open fully against the back plate of the spreader? That's about the only variable involved other than the material itself. All the towns around here as well as VT DOT use mostly that same setup with sand and have no problems at all. All of them that I know of leave their sand pile uncovered and all that, so they are useing very damp material. But they are also using coarse sand. The big payload is why I like the spreader on the big truck also, if it's nasty I can put on 6 tons and just keep laying it down. Please keep us posted about how you resolve the problem.


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## Winterworks (Oct 17, 2000)

Yes the tailgate was open as far as it would go (against the back plate). My driver is over at the sand supplier as I type this so I should know soon about the sand issue.


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## Alan (Mar 2, 2000)

If bad comes to worst, Central Part Warehouse, www.centralparts.com has a vibrator kit for the Snow-Ex hopper spreaders that works quite nicely. We have one on our hopper spreader and it cured the problems with salt bridging in that one. It is their part number VBR080 and the cost is (US) $399.


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## Alan (Mar 2, 2000)

Winterworks, what did you find out about the bridging problem?


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## BRL (Dec 21, 1999)

Alan, 
Is that a plastic "hopper" spreader? Reason I ask is do you think that a vibrator built for one of those is powerful enough for Winterworks' situation? I think that the sub I mentioned had a smaller one that was really for smaller spreaders (small V-box?) on his at first & it really didn't do much. The one they found specified for that truck was in more of the $600.00 - $700.00 range. What he ended up doing was buying a used (or rebuilt) starter for around $60.00 and welding a piece of unbalanced steel onto it. This was much better & much cheaper than the $399.00 one you mention & the $600.00+ one they were looking at. An added benefit was no falling asleep during long nights when that thing was fired up every once in a while  I can get the specifications of how they fabricated it if anyone is interested.


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## Winterworks (Oct 17, 2000)

Well my driver went to the sand supplier and discussed our problem. Seems there is a coarser sand available so I had some delivered. We have not had a chance to try it out yet as it has been very warm. We are going to fill the truck and spread it around the yard to try it out. We initially had a large quantity of sand delivered this fall to make the base for our salt storage cement pad. When we had the sand for spreading delivered I think they brought the same stuff which was too fine I guess. I will let you know how this works out.
Pat


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## SWR11 (Mar 23, 2003)

BRL I am interested in how you constructed the starter motor viberator. Please fill me in 

Thanks


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## gene gls (Dec 24, 1999)

*BRL:*

I am also interested in the starter viberator set up.

Thanks......
Gene


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## BRL (Dec 21, 1999)

Next time I visit with him I'll take a closer look at it & get details. It may not be for a few weeks though, but I will post after I see it again.


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## landman (Dec 2, 2001)

you can purchase a vibrator that mounts under the floor of the dump bed. it's along the lines of a starter motor but has 2 hard rubber flaps that flop against the floor of the body. it has an electric switch that is in the cab so you run it when you have to, it also works well for salt so that you don't have to raise the body as high either when your salting. the cost was about $400.00 and took about 3 hrs to install with the wiring and welding of the brackets. well worth the investment.


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## nben (Jan 22, 2003)

We've got a homemade shaker made from a starter motor. I will try and get some pics tomorrow for those that are interested. Very simple and very inexpensive.


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## Bob Church (Dec 22, 2001)

*Vibrators for Dump Beds.*

The State of Ohio DOT called us last year with a problem moving fine salt in their dump trucks with tailgate spreaders. I recommended our Sure-Flow Z-200 Twin kit for $449 (we pay the freight). They tried one and it worked great. They put one Z-200 at the rear of the truck to stop material tunneling at the auger and one Z-200 closer to the front to move the material to the rear without completely raising the bed while they drive. After trying one kit they came back for more and said the Sure-Flow Z-200 Twin worked great.

I'm sure the $60 starter motor idea works fine, but the Sure-Flow Z-200 Twin is designed to move the material without tearing up your equipment. The kit comes with everything needed to install and operate the vibrators and it has a 1 year warranty. You can see the Sure-Flow kits on-line at www.karrierco.com . We've sold over 7000 vibrators to guys that work in the snow & ice management industry. The Sure-Flow brand is a proven performer.

We make the Sure-Flow vibrator kits that Central Parts Warehouse sells. CPW carries the standard Sure-Flow for plastic tailgate spreaders and the High Performance Sure-Flow kit for other applications in stock. If you want to buy from CPW make sure you ask for the Sure-Flow Z-200 *Twin* kit. It's exactly what you need to fix the material flow problem in dump trucks with tailgate spreaders. Or you order direct from Karrier Company on-line at www.karrierco.com or by phone at 800-709-4434 or 330-823-9597.

Please let me know how we can help.

Kind regards,

Bob Church
Karrier Company


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