# Home-made skid shoes....Anyone make any?



## Mr_Super-hunky

Hello everyone.

I'm new here and just purchased a WinterWolf Extreme 7 foot plow. {made by SnowBear}.

Since I have never plowed before [and am currently up to my rump in 2 feet deep snow], I am anxiously awaiting my Ford F-150 mount so I can get this pusher-party started!.

Anyway, after lurking for a few days, it seems that I should have gotten the skid shoes as my driveway is 1000 ft long and made out of cinders [crushed and compacted volcanic rock like on a bar-b-q grill].

I was about to order a pair from SnowBear and just about burped up my morning milkshake through my nose when I noticed that they wanted $100 bucks for the pair!!:realmad:

Unless I'm missing something, aren't they just a 10 cent bolt with a metal cup welded on??

Since I have a real nice Lincoln powermig welder, I don't see why I can't just fab up something in the garage to use except......where to get the Metal cup???

So, I was wondering if any of you have made your own skid shoes and what did you use for the skid cup?. I am trying to think of some kind of metal ball that I can cut in half to use but I have'nt thought of it yet.

If anyone has made any, or has any suggestions on what to use, I would appreciate it. Btw, I'm very handy and super-cheap!


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## lehmand1

I am not sure how the plow shoes mount on your plow but from your description they sound similar to most other plows. I have a Meyer and made plow shoes for mine. The first thing you need is is the spindle, I just used come mild steel round stock. I would probabally NOT used bolts, especally a high grade hardened bolt because they are proned to breaking when welded.

Next you need the runner assembly. as you mentioned a rounded or cone shape would work as that is what most manufactures use, however it seemed to be more difficult to me to try to make. If you have a set of torches and a press, (or vise and hammer) you can do as I did. I took a 5" wide by 10" long plate of 1/2" thick steel. measured about 2" in, heated with torch, and bent upward at about a 45 degree angle with press. So I ended up with a shoe that is about 5" wide, 8" long with 2" curled up in the front. Then I just welded on the spindles.

As I would probablly assume you are only going to use this plow for your own driveway, you can get away with much thinner steel. Maybe even 3/16 of 1/8 inch or so. Then you probabally wouldn't even need to heat it to bend it.


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## lehmand1

I forgot to mention that you would also need to cross drill a hole in the spindle for a pin so they dont fall off. And you would also need an assortment of washers/spacers so you can get the height right. But I am sure you already knew that. Good luck with the project


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## lehmand1

not sure if this will work


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## Philbilly2

I got an idea for you that I have not made yet but I think it will work.

We have a gravel semi lot that we plow and they get pissed about pushing the gravel they want us to leave snow on the lot and not clean it all the way down.

I thought about this the other day and i was thinking about taking an old leaf spring, putting it upside down and welding a pin to it.

This would make a form of ski

Will it work? I don't know. just one of the many ideas that roll through my head daily that i let go away and just start drinking!


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## SnoFarmer

take a look...
http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?p=482212#post482212


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## lehmand1

I dont know about all the specific technical terms for steel but I dont think welding to spring steel would last very long. Spring steel is just one of those kinds of steels that without proper equipment, the welds will break very easily, like welding cast iron without having an oven to preheat the whole thing in.


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## Mr_Super-hunky

Lehmand1:

Your shoes look great. Good idea. I'm wondering if you could make them a bit longer like the ski idea Philbilly2 is refering to. In addition, it would be really cool if you could somehow make it swivel. While were at it, possibly even give it some type of suspension like in a shock absorber.


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## lehmand1

I didn't want to get too complex when I built my shoes. Just wanted to keep it cheap and simple. The only gravel I plow over is my own and I have 4x4 so it dont have to be perfect.

I do like the shock absorber Idea though. Maybe take a heavy coil spring and put over the spindle. That way you have the spring between your Shoe and Shoe mount????
It might work.

About making them longer I really don't see any advantage to that. What did you have in mind????


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## Mr_Super-hunky

Well, if the spindle is loose through the hole in the plow blade, then it would be able to naturally swivel in the play. If I can find some type of heavier coil spring to go over the spindle, that could replace the washers as well as act as a little suspension.

It seems that many people have a preffered height to pre set it at and the spring will also allow for a little give if needed assuming the spring rate is somewhat accurate and who knows what that would be!.

Either way, a stiff coil spring of any rate will provide more give than no spring at all.

Basically, what I could make would be very similar to a snow machine; only a much shorter ski.


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## RipT

Since you have a gravel drive, I would skip the shoe idea and make a pipe edge.

Slit a 1 1/2 to 2" steel pipe full length so that it can slip over the steel cutting edge. Make the pipe about 4" longer than the blade width and drill for a pinch-bolt near each end. Or you could just tack-weld the pipe to the cutting edge enough to keep it on, but not too hard to grind or cut it off when the pipe wears and you have to replace it.

Several of the other posters on the link that SnowFarmer listed have done nice jobs with pipe edges.

You are probably the first on this site from Arizona.....Welcome !! Yes it snows up north of the Rim and around Flagstaff & the San Francisco Peaks.


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## Mr_Super-hunky

Thanks for the pipe tip Ript. Will the blade still be able to *cut* with this mod? or would it possibly make the entire blade ride up on the snow bank as opposed to *cutting* into it without riding up?


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## CruZer

*Plow feet*

Here are the ones I had made. I had a local trade school do them. Actually, I looked on the Sno Bear site and copied the ones they sell. The only difficult part was pressing the dimples into the steel . I used 5/8" threaded rod welded to the dimpled discs.


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## wagonman76

A lot of guys around here weld a pipe to the bottom of the blade, like a lot have posted here.


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## RipT

Mr Super-Hunky, Sorry I did not see your question sooner....If you are trying to pushback a semi hardened snow bank, most anything other than a steel "cutting edge", such as rubber or pipe would probably ride up the pile rather than "dig in". If you go with the Pinch-Bolt or side-link configuration, it would be very easy to remove the pipe when you had to perform such a task.

A slit pipe is the simplest and cheapest solution for dirt/gravel surfaces. Other techniques such as the Western rubber edge I use are also proven methods, but may be more $$ or complex to make.

Speaking of rubber edges, some folks have found suitable truck tire treads that have been shed along the highway and made their own rubber plow edge. We are talking the tread itself, not a blown apart casing.

Hope your plow mount comes in before you get too burried. It is a lot harder to deal with packed & settled snow than fresh.


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## 18lmslcsr

*--*

A piece of pipe cut approx. 4-6" and a larger dia. bolt say (5/8" or 3/4") welded to that pipe as centered as possible seems like it would work just as well. jmho

C.


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## kwollen

*Spring Steel Works*

I bought an old Meyer plow that the previous owner just used two pieces of angle iron welded together to make a square tube, then to the plow to use as the brackets to hold the feet on (should be able to use heavy pipe if available). Then he used spring steel with a rod welded to it, fit it up through the now square angle iron brackets and unfortunately welded all together at a preset height. This worked for three years before one foot's weld broke. Just welded it back on. Eventually gravel was put on the lane back to the my driveway (total about .4 miles) and I replaced the home made shoes with real Meyer shoes.

Most of the gravel on the lane is gone due to gas well trucks pounding it in so I don't care if I cut to the surface, but my drive (.1 mile of the total) still has gravel I set the shoes up high and it helps some. Eventually when all is packed down and frozen I take the shoes off for this section.

I tried making a 2" schedule 40 plastic pipe last week. I cut a 1/8" wide slot with a saws all and put bolts at each end to use as a vice clamp and plowed my drive. Nothing was frozen or packed down. Some gravel came up, but not as much as with the shoes. I know plastic won't last long, but was a free left over piece and I plowed real slow.


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