# Chevy 3500 Front End



## JohnnyRoyale (Jun 18, 2006)

Does anyone have any experience solving the front end sag issue on 07 3500 Crew Cab Long Box Dually's with 9.5 Western V? Plow tips are 2 inches off ground and impossible to drive in V position without scraping. I know theres many threads on this topic with other trucks and plow models, but honestly have spent hours searching for this particular truck/plow combo. Timbrens? Air Lift? Ride Right? Fire away! 

And.. am I going to have this problem again tonite when I get my Ford Ext Cab Dually Long Box back from the dealer? 

Damn Chevy's!


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## Kevin Kendrick (May 3, 2007)

The Chevy's just dont handle a plow like a Ford or a Dodge (height wise that is). The front ends are just naturally lower and we have problems all the time trying to get the plow mounts at the right height on GM products. The bigger V plows enhance this problem.


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## JohnnyRoyale (Jun 18, 2006)

No Sh!T! I'm not a Chev fan, Ford has always been my choice, but my partner is kinda stubborn and loves his Chevy's-so he's the only one that drives one. We already turned up the front end, and not much better. I'm not crazy about a lift kit, but air assisted shocks have worked for other trucks in the past (on rear ends) and wonder if I should do the same.


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## Kevin Kendrick (May 3, 2007)

Be careful with the lift kit. We put a plow on a Chevy truck and then the customer took the truck to have a lift kit put on it. When they put the lift kit on, they removed the rear supports for the undercarriage. Then, he brought the truck back down to us to reinstall the rear supports and lower the undercarriage and what we found was that the lift kit impedes the ability to put a snow plow on it. They guy spent thousands of dollars to lift his truck and now he is without a plow truck.


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## JohnnyRoyale (Jun 18, 2006)

What about truxx kits? Lifts 3" in front and 1" in rear? www.truxx.com


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## Kevin Kendrick (May 3, 2007)

Check with the people that install the lift kit...I am not familiar with lift kits, only the plows.


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## Newdude (Dec 4, 2006)

I say a front end leveling kit from cognito, a set of timbrens and if you find it necessary a t-bar cranking. And no, your Ford should not have the same problems.


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

JohnnyRoyale;613119 said:


> We already turned up the front end, and not much better.


How much did you turn it?


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## brad96z28 (Aug 21, 2005)

What engine does it have?


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## dsc (Jan 8, 2006)

Determine how much the front end sags when the plow is lifted off the ground. If 3 or 4" I'd try the ride rite air bag/shock combination. I believe the riderite product supports around 1500#. I'd imagine that could shore things up. Lift kits are not engineered for snowplowing. I've tried timbrens but wasn't really impressed. You can also gain some ground clearance up front by obviously increasing tire size. A good amount of balast weight will also help pull the nose of the truck up. Good luck.


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

Just put Timbrens in and let the wings ride a bit forward and forget about it.


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## Farm Boss (Jan 20, 2007)

Timbrens. Don't crank too much on the torsion bars, don't want to set the truck out of alignment.


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## bucket (Aug 3, 2008)

Kevin Kendrick;613115 said:


> The Chevy's just dont handle a plow like a Ford or a Dodge (height wise that is). The front ends are just naturally lower and we have problems all the time trying to get the plow mounts at the right height on GM products. The bigger V plows enhance this problem.


hijacking thread here....kevin...i'm guessing your with american equipment. you guys installed a 9' super duty on my 01 350 crew dually 2wd. while it plows great the mount is so low that we scrape it all summer. do you guys recomend timbrens or springs to give a slight lift to the front?


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## Kevin Kendrick (May 3, 2007)

You are correct. Hmmm...a 2wd with a 9' plow? The Timbrens arent really going to help with the clearance problem and the springs wont help either. You could cut off the bottom of the bracket but if you are hitting the center piece, you are SOL. Plows just aren't meant to go on 2wd trucks even though we do it all the time.


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## mcwlandscaping (Sep 8, 2005)

I'm swapping out the torsion bars on my truck to really combat the sag issue  yea it's going to ride like a dump truck but it'll sure handle my plow like a champ!!


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## JohnnyRoyale (Jun 18, 2006)

brad96z28;613377 said:


> What engine does it have?


6.6 Duramax


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## JohnnyRoyale (Jun 18, 2006)

B&B;613339 said:


> How much did you turn it?


I didnt-mechanic did. I dont know.


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

Ballast, ballast, ballast and some Timbrens along with possibly additional T-bar adjustments. Not uncommon to put 4 turns in them for starters.


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## JohnnyRoyale (Jun 18, 2006)

Thanks-I'll try the ballast idea today.


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## JPMAKO (Dec 10, 2003)

My Pick-up got the T-bars cranked up a little and a set of timbrens.
Dump truck got three turns of the T-Bars no timbrens added and it is carrying a 9' HD Fisher which is a heavy plow. I don't notice much sag in the front end but I always have about 800- 1000 lbs of salt in the back. Both trucks are Diesel by the way.

Jason


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## Monte (Feb 2, 2007)

My chevy salesman told me GM is coming out with a truck in 2010 that will handle any truck/plow combination. He said it is a truck to fill the gap between the 3500 and the Kodiak. He heard this at the northeast truck meetings in Atlantic City. All of the Northeast dealers at this meeting are constantly complaining about the front end of the Chevy's. I own four Chevy's and would like to see something done. Has anyone else heard about this?


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## badabing1512 (Aug 28, 2008)

Monte;618723 said:


> My chevy salesman told me GM is coming out with a truck in 2010 that will handle any truck/plow combination. He said it is a truck to fill the gap between the 3500 and the Kodiak. He heard this at the northeast truck meetings in Atlantic City. All of the Northeast dealers at this meeting are constantly complaining about the front end of the Chevy's. I own four Chevy's and would like to see something done. Has anyone else heard about this?


that is true i have heard that in 2010 all the 3/4 ton and 1 ton silverados are going to have beefed up front ends to handle heavy plows like the v's and wideouts. also heard that the ext cab and crew cab diesels will come with plow prep packages. this would be great becasue although i love chevys the only thing that sucks is the front nose dive with a plow.


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