# Air bags and plows?



## plowN2long (Nov 23, 2005)

I am considering installing a fisher plow on my 2003 jeep liberty and was about to do it when a local jeep tech told me not to because I could have problems with the air bag? I have a plow on my 2001 Dodge Ram with air bags and never had a problem. Anyone ever heard or had a problem with the liberty?This will only be used for several small driveways in my area? The dealer said it is OK to install the plow and Fisher makes a plow for the liberty. Any thoughts or anyones $.02? Thanks


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## 4x4Farmer (Sep 22, 2006)

Id put one on there, I dont think twice about air bags, I'v hit some pretty nasty stuff in my day, and never had one come out at me. Just drive fast a wreck sh#%!!


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## LLM Ann Arbor (Sep 18, 2006)

Airbags are keyed off a sensor in the bumper is my understanding and the plow translocates all the pressure to the frame.

Unless that truck has a different setup whinh I doubt.....dont worry about it.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

LLM Ann Arbor said:


> Airbags are keyed off a sensor in the bumper is my understanding and the plow translocates all the pressure to the frame.
> 
> Unless that truck has a different setup whinh I doubt.....dont worry about it.


 LOL the dreaded air bag debate.:crying:

LLM Ann Arbor. Go and look behind some bumpers of trucks and SUV's for those mythical sensors.

Some CARS may have sensors on the bumpers, but I bought it.
Bumpers are made to bump things,
Most sensors are ether connected to the FRAME or they are centrally controlled by a inertia sensor mounted in the cab on top of the tunnel.
I have removed a few bumpers and have yet to see any of those yellow & black air bag wires any where.
Most air bags will need quite a jolt to set them off. I would not worry about the air bag going off.


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## LLM Ann Arbor (Sep 18, 2006)

I think back in the day they were tied into the bumper to go off at above 15mph or something.

Hell I dunno....I know mine doesn't go off and Ive never heard of it happening either so.


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## plowN2long (Nov 23, 2005)

*plow-vrs-air bag*

Thanks all, I checked the owners Manuel and it too states not to put a plow on the jeep-due to air bag problems? Seems like a load of barn yard variety to me too.

PS Went back to my Jeep dealer last night-who by the way sells the plows and has several jeeps on the lot with them, and they are installing the plow this week. And to think I wanted to get out of plowing and miss all this fun stuff. Thanks again Ben


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## mayhem (Aug 25, 2006)

> LLM Ann Arbor. Go and look behind some bumpers of trucks and SUV's for those mythical sensors.


I was hooking up the headlight harness to my 2000 Chevy 2500 the other day and saw a pair of wiring harnesses mounted to the bumper stops about a foot in from each corner. Nowhere near any lights, all those plugs and wires are accounted for. I cannot imagine what those things could possibly be excepot airbag imapct sensors, but I didn't go digging to find where the wires went either.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

mayhem said:


> I was hooking up the headlight harness to my 2000 Chevy 2500 the other day and saw a pair of wiring harnesses mounted to the bumper stops about a foot in from each corner. Nowhere near any lights, all those plugs and wires are accounted for. I cannot imagine what those things could possibly be excepot airbag imapct sensors, but I didn't go digging to find where the wires went either.


Right, Chev has a sensor block, It is not a sensor per-say, but a brittle bar. You have brake it to set off the air bag. It is mounted to the frame not the bumper. It should be clearly marked and have bright yellow and black wires.

Jeep, Dodge are Chrysler products they use a centrally controlled air bag system with an inertia sensor mounted to the passenger compartment.


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## CURLERIC (Dec 14, 2005)

I Was A Bit Paranoid About The Air Bags Too, It's My Understanding They Work On Centifugal Force. If You Are Concerned You Can Easily Pull The Double Dedicated Fuses When You Plow, The Warning Light Will Display Indicating They Are Disabled.
Rich


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

LLM Ann Arbor said:


> I think back in the day they were tied into the bumper to go off at above 15mph or something.
> 
> Hell I dunno....I know mine doesn't go off and Ive never heard of it happening either so.


lol,,,
I think it was the MFG's were trying to simplify the air bags system, so they could educate and inform the general public about air bags.

Hell,,, lol I have never seen any sensors on a truck bumper.

Q. If the sensor was mounted to the bumper what happens when you put an aftermarket bumper on your truck?

Some where set like you said not to go off until you were over 15mph. Then people wanted protection if they were struck when they were standing still, so the inertia sensor came in to play. Now youn just need a sudden impact that has enough force to set it off.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

35 years in the business. Never knew anybody, heard of anybody, who ever had a air bag go off from plowing.

Had a customer hit a guardrail at 60mph on I-95 with a 7'6" MT snoway on the front. The plow folded then returned. Propelling him back into the guardrail on the other side of the road. Swapped out the power pack, used the same blade, and lights. Everything else was wasted. The angle rams where bent. The lift ram had one end ripped out. every piece of black iron was bent and or broken. All that happened to the truck's front end was the parking lights popped out. he put them back in and drove home. you couldn't lower the plow, took a torch to get off from the truck. Had to cut it apart to relive the pressure from the pins. The back of the truck had $3,500 worth of damage. The air bags never deployed.

Had a customer have a truck with a 8" HT series snow plow stolen and waste a VW beetle with a F250 gasser. Bent the truck frame, wrapped the plow around the truck, the light bar left indentations in the hood. The culprit drove away, the air bag never deployed.

Doubt a curb would do it.


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## Rcgm (Dec 17, 2000)

WOW Basher thats some serious stuff.I know you got some pics for us?xysport 


RCGM
Brad


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

I can't get pics to download, all my files are to big and i'm to old to be interested in learnng to use all the slick programs that compress or surpress or whatever.


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## fernalddude (Feb 15, 2004)

If your using xp go to power tools and get Image Resizer
This PowerToy enables you to resize one or many image files with a right-click. at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx
its easy download the update and right click on the pic and in the dropdown window resize pops up click on the size you need and poof its done let me get some screen capture for ya....


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