# Good ideas for raising height of dump truck sides?



## mlars (Dec 1, 2010)

I have 2 dump trucks that have split side landscape/contractor dump boxes, one 14' crysteel one 16' knapheide. I am looking for ideas to raise them up 2'-4' for hauling snow and return them to original for the summer. The thing I would like to add the most is some type of expanded steel gate. The existing gates are only about 18"-24" tall.

Anyone doing what I am trying to do? I'm not afraid of some fabrication, but I would certainly like to learn from someone else's success or failure. Pictures would be great!


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

mlars;1355117 said:


> I have 2 dump trucks that have split side landscape/contractor dump boxes, one 14' crysteel one 16' knapheide. I am looking for ideas to raise them up 2'-4' for hauling snow and return them to original for the summer. The thing I would like to add the most is some type of expanded steel gate. The existing gates are only about 18"-24" tall.
> 
> Anyone doing what I am trying to do? I'm not afraid of some fabrication, but I would certainly like to learn from someone else's success or failure. Pictures would be great!


Can you weld on 2x4 pockets and just run wooden boards up the sides, kind of like a dump trailer. In the summer you can take off in seconds if you don't need the extra height.


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

I would think there would be pockets on them to put tip-tops on.

On my shorter dump body with drop sides, I have the pockets on the end to put a 2xwhatever board in there.

Regardless if you have the pockets or not, I just use 2x12 boards to extend the sides. The boards are semi-sacrificial so if a loader operator kisses them then they are easy to replace. Then you can just take them out at the end of the season.

I leave mine on though as I use my truck to haul mulch and like to keep them on there.

...


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## mlars (Dec 1, 2010)

On the 14' there are stake pocket integrated and we did that last year. The issue I have with that truck is the tail gate. It is a bear to remove the upper pins to drop the gate and if they leave the gate open we get spillage. The 16' is new to us this year and has a much easier tailgate to drop. 

I would like to make a frame that uses an expanded metal gate. It would use the existing latch release mechanism on the dump box to release the lower end of the gate. The frame would also serve as a support for the side boards. 

This seems like a good theory... but sometimes that is all it is. Just wondering if anyone else has done something like it.


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

The bigger the gate, the heavier it's going to be, and in cold wet conditions, that sucks.

Whenever I do multiple loads of dirt/rock I just set the tailgate chains to hold the tailgate at a 30* angle or so. When I dump it's more than down enough to let everything slide out, but up enough to hold material in. That or skip pinning it each time and just use the chains to hold it most of the way closed until your done with your loads.

Just a thought, but I can tell your just trying to get shear volume out of each load.

That and my concern with expanding the tailgate is that when you dump you'll end up damaging it.

....


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## TPC Services (Dec 15, 2005)

That’s what we do on are single axel so we can load a little more on. But maybe stay around the 2’ idea, 4’ will have a lot of side to side flex in it.We run a single 2x12 Maybe the same idea with the sides but Weld some pockets on the gate and drill a hole through the pockets then put may be a single 2x10 or 2x12 in it and run a 3/4 or 7/8 bolt threw the pocket and the board to extend the gate height another 10"-12". I wouldn't try to match the same heights on the sides . for one the gate is going to be heavy as hell to lift back in to place. Also with the weight of snow coming off the bed a 2’ or 4’ boards may not be able to handle the weight of it and break all the time. As long as you load the snow more forward and slope it to the back you should be fine. Just my 2 cents I could be wrong my not wanting to go any higher than 10”-12” on the back.

Just read some more. if you are planning on releasing from the bottom I can see the issue of the snow coming sown and smashing in to the gate and breaking the boards. also you would have to use a very heavy gage metal and like already commented on its going to weigh a lot. I have droped our tail gate for our L8000 single axel dump truck and it one heavy mother to lift back up!!


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## mlars (Dec 1, 2010)

TPC Services;1355161 said:


> for one the gate is going to be heavy as hell to lift back in to place.
> 
> I have droped our tail gate for our L8000 single axel dump truck and it one heavy mother to lift back up!!


*IF* I can get what I have in my head to work I wouldn't have to lift the gate. It would pivot from the top and the weight of it would close it's self. All we would have to do is release and close the lever from the front of the box. That is my main goal to not have to go to the back of the truck for each load with out leaving the gate open and losing part of the load.

There is a roofer (who also did snow removal) in town who has a truck with a gate like I am talking about. His box though is very different than our drop sides. It looks like a small grain box. It has very high sides and the expanded metal gate. I have only seen it in passing though.

It may well be more work than it is worth, but it's worth a shot. At least I am getting some alternative ideas also! I never thought of leaving the gate chained part way up.


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

I see what your saying now. Your just going to let the gate swing open from the bottom.

I'm concerned it won't work though. Sometimes I try to us the lever in the front of my truck to unload mulch and let the gate swing from the bottom. The biggest problem is the mulch will bridge itself and catch and I end up having to shovel it loose.

In my opinion, the swing gate only works for heavy material such as rock or sand. I'm afraid the snow and any snow "boulders" will hang up on you.

.....


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## mlars (Dec 1, 2010)

White Gardens;1355209 said:


> I see what your saying now. Your just going to let the gate swing open from the bottom.
> 
> I'm concerned it won't work though. Sometimes I try to us the lever in the front of my truck to unload mulch and let the gate swing from the bottom. The biggest problem is the mulch will bridge itself and catch and I end up having to shovel it loose.
> 
> ...


I hear you on the mulch, it never dumps real well, it just slides out of the box as a mass.

That's why I want to build up the frame to get the pivot up higher. If the snow is not piled up too far above (if at all above) the pivot point of the gate and it's piled to the front to not have much weight on the gate I think I would be good.

I'm not certain I can build it and have it be economically viable, so I am open to other ideas.


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

Ya I'd say your going to put a lot of effort into it and not really gain much. That and I'm afraid you'll end up bending the crap out of it.

As long as the sides are as high as you need them, then I would just use the chains on the tailgate and do it that way.

....


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## toyotaplow (Jan 17, 2011)

If I'm understanding what you are wanting to do, I would weld on 2 upright tubes at the back, brace them towards the front on a 45* angle to your steel sides or floor. Then just hinge your new gate at the top and use your latch at the bottom as long as everything lines up. If you make a gate out of expanded metal like you said it will be light enough that the snow will have no problem pushing it open. Just make sure the outer frame of the gate is strong as it will work as a cross brace for the high sides. Also you will have to make sure you don't go to high because as you lift the box the hinges of the gate will come down and if the gate is too long it will hit the ground.


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## SNOWLORD (Aug 10, 2007)

If I were you I would remove existing tailgate completely for the winter and build a frame outside of your existing rear corners of your box that goes at least a foot higher than whatever height sides you will be using for the winter put a piece of pipe 3" or so between them you know over the top of load. Then find some pipe that will slide over that pipe and use that as a hinge and build your winter gate coming down from these. You can still use a bottom trip, the key to dumping snow is to have your tail gate pivot higher than your load of snow. We have built several like this cheap and works great, then just take off in the spring. Heck one we even used wide belting between top pipe and bottom of frame for a tail gate it was light and if a big snow boulder hit it, it just bounced up completely out of harms way. We haul ALOT of snow with these gates.


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