# one man plow removal tips needed



## xtreem3d (Nov 26, 2005)

Hey guys,
How do you guys who run central hydraulics lower the ram and unhook the plow chain when your by yourself ? Right now I am carrying a cheapy small floor jack to jack the plow frame up enough to slacken the chain so I can get the plow off by myself. Tried a 50lb bag of calium on the ram but it's not enough to lower the ram. Maybe use a bungee to hold the stick back while I undo cahin?
TIA,
Steve


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## heavyiron (Dec 7, 2007)

Can you put slack in the chain so the ram will settle an inch or so when the plow is down and you can lift the chain off? I have never thought about it before, my ram always sags a bit when the plow is on the ground - or blocks so it's easy to unhook the chain. Maybe it's because it's an old setup...?


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## darryl g (Jan 30, 2010)

On my old truck I just put the plow in float and then pushed the ram down by hand to slacken the chain. Won't the stick stay down in float by itself?


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

I presume you have a float position on your valve?

Use your foot and push in on the chain about halfway between the ends. Gives you plenty of leverage.


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## xtreem3d (Nov 26, 2005)

I don't believe I have float, even I thought it should in order to float along the surface...this is an older setup (1982) but I will double check it today. I will also check into slackening the chain enough to unhook it and still be able to raise the plow high enough,
Steve


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## darryl g (Jan 30, 2010)

Sometimes you have to engage some sort of stop to keep it down in float position. It's kind of hard to plow without a float position and I've never seen a truck plow without one. What plow do you have?


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## theholycow (Nov 29, 2002)

Assuming float isn't an option and optimizing chain length won't work, why not bring a couple blocks of wood instead of a jack? Raise plow, place blocks, lower plow.


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## xtreem3d (Nov 26, 2005)

theholycow;1575413 said:


> Assuming float isn't an option and optimizing chain length won't work, why not bring a couple blocks of wood instead of a jack? Raise plow, place blocks, lower plow.


If I lower the plow on blocks it will be just like on pavement..I need to be able to push ram down by myself.

The plow itself is a 10ft western that I mated to the central Hyd's on an old Illinois DOT truck from 1982

http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?p=1539356#post1539356 post 9318


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## theholycow (Nov 29, 2002)

You're right, that was a dumb idea on my part.

Instead of a hydraulic jack, get a spare tire scissor jack with hex drive from a car at the junkyard. Mount it to the push frame. Carry a cordless drill with a square drive adapter and a 3/4" socket. My drill easily lifts a car all the way up in a few seconds...


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## darryl g (Jan 30, 2010)

I'm still having a hard time with it not having a float postion. How do you get the plow to follow the contours of the pavement...you have to hold the stick down the whole time? If it's just a matter of not being able to push the ram down, maybe you could just wrap a ratchet strap around the top of the hoist and use that to leverage it down?


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

You guys make things wayyyyyyyy to hard.

Get a heavy black rubber bungy cord.

Stretch it between the A-frame and chain hook.

Then go push your lever into the lower/float position and the cord will pull down the lift arm and ram.

If you have too much length on the cord, tie a knot or two in it until it stretches.

I have to do this on my truck.




......................


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

darryl g;1575827 said:


> I'm still having a hard time with it not having a float postion. How do you get the plow to follow the contours of the pavement...you have to hold the stick down the whole time? If it's just a matter of not being able to push the ram down, maybe you could just wrap a ratchet strap around the top of the hoist and use that to leverage it down?


Yes, you have to hold the lever down.

Meyer and fisher used to make a return spring for the old speed caster plows to pull the lift arm down faster when you put it in the float or down position. It was similar to a storm door spring.

Might want to look around and try to find one.

If not, you could fashion one with something like this. Just a storm door spring. Might have to hook two spring assemblies together to get the travel you need.










........


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## theholycow (Nov 29, 2002)

White Gardens;1575947 said:


> You guys make things wayyyyyyyy to hard.
> 
> Get a heavy black rubber bungy cord.
> 
> Stretch it between the A-frame and chain hook.


I was going to post that yesterday but then I went back to review and saw this:


xtreem3d;1574514 said:


> Tried a 50lb bag of calium on the ram but it's not enough to lower the ram. Maybe use a bungee to hold the stick back while I undo cahin?


Even if that rubber strap can do the job, I wouldn't want to be the one stretching it with that much force, in the slippery icy cold, waiting for it to break or slip and snap back in my face...and if he's considering it for the stick, he's probably considered it for the lift arm.

I was thinking of chaining it to a tree or something when I got another idea: How about a 10 foot chain? Hook it to the lift arm and put the other end under your front tire. Drive forward onto the chain and along the chain while holding the down control.


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

theholycow;1576242 said:


> Even if that rubber strap can do the job, I wouldn't want to be the one stretching it with that much force, in the slippery icy cold, waiting for it to break or slip and snap back in my face...and if he's considering it for the stick, he's probably considered it for the lift arm.


It doesn't take much to pull it down. I do it all the time with no ill effects.

In my truck, if the fluid is warm enough, i can just hold the stick forward and the lift ram will slowly collapse on itself. Might take about 20 seconds, but it will do it.

.......


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## theholycow (Nov 29, 2002)

White Gardens;1576261 said:


> It doesn't take much to pull it down. I do it all the time with no ill effects.
> 
> In my truck, if the fluid is warm enough, i can just hold the stick forward and the lift ram will slowly collapse on itself. Might take about 20 seconds, but it will do it.


There are definitely differences from one rig to the next. My E47 I'd just set in float mode and push down by hand, not much pressure was required but if I didn't push then it wouldn't slowly collapse on itself. If a 50 pound bag of ballast doesn't do the job then he's dealing with something different.


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## Buster F (Jun 12, 2006)

Perhaps a small bungee to hold the control in the down position while you push on the chain?


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## Ford.crazy (Jun 19, 2012)

Buster F;1576278 said:


> Perhaps a small bungee to hold the control in the down position while you push on the chain?


I was just thinking this while reading the post. A small bungee, the kind they use to hold CB mics to the roof with. Any truck stop shold have them.


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

Buster F;1576278 said:


> Perhaps a small bungee to hold the control in the down position while you push on the chain?





Ford.crazy;1576372 said:


> I was just thinking this while reading the post. A small bungee, the kind they use to hold CB mics to the roof with. Any truck stop shold have them.


It takes a lot of force to hold the central hydraulic valve lever in position. You would need a rubber strap and then it would still be iffy.

It's not like the old speedcaster valves where it's pretty easy to hold in position.

I have a feeling if the OP did this when he put his bag of calcium on the ram, he didn't have lever engaged fully.

Another option would be to hang a bucket of sand on the lift arm, then go hold the lever.

.......................


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## cutbetterthanyo (Feb 3, 2010)

Could you just run your front tires up on some 2x4s(maybe something bigger) let plow down, then back off the 2x4s. That should pull it down, or find some uneven pavement and do the same.


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## xtreem3d (Nov 26, 2005)

White Gardens;1576525 said:


> It takes a lot of force to hold the central hydraulic valve lever in position. You would need a rubber strap and then it would still be iffy.
> 
> It's not like the old speedcaster valves where it's pretty easy to hold in position.
> 
> ...


That is correct...this is a stiff lever to pull back and push forward


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## Buster F (Jun 12, 2006)

Well if that's the case how bout a ratchet strap to hold the lever in the down position?


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## Snow Commandor (Jan 30, 2011)

I seam to have the same problem with my minutemount Insta-act set-up. After I drop the blade in float position I can't push the lift ram down to take the plow off the truck. And it makes no difference if someone's holding the controller in the down possition while I try to push it down. I'm pretty sure the froat function works fine when I'm plowing. It just won't go down manually after I lower the plow.


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## xtreem3d (Nov 26, 2005)

I eventually used a bungee strap to the brake pedal to get it to lower. I ccan't speak about your ram but mine is huge and hard to get down even with my body weight on it.
Steve


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## tjctransport (Nov 22, 2008)

when alone i will use a stiff bungee strap to hold the lever in the down position, then take a 6 foot pry bar, and stick it in the lift arm to collapse the piston. 
once it is all the way down, i disconnect the chain.


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## xtreem3d (Nov 26, 2005)

Guess I'm not alone with this problem  Might have to try the pry bar
Steve


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