# Building a Super plow truck



## welj31 (Jan 20, 2009)

Hello I am looking to build a FORD super plow truck (dont want to buy a new truck) and need help with which one to start with. I would like to know what you think. The truck will be used for driveways and a couple church parking lots. I want to use a older (pre 2000 truck ) We get a fair amount of snow here, small town so MPG wont be a big factor, needs to be able to plow heavy wet snow and bust lose ice ad packed banks. All with out getting stuck.
1st which type of front end .. solid axle or ??
2ed Gas or diesel if gas carb or injected?
3erd Short or long wheel base std cab or ext cab?
4th Gearing? 
5th Lockers or spool or?? traction is very poor here most of the winter.
6th Tcase type
7 tires and lift kit type (body or sup ) I have been looking at green dimon icelander tires?
any other ideals you could ad to help me build it thanks


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## hydro_37 (Sep 10, 2006)

The truck may "bust through ice and hard packed snow but the blade sure won't. 
It will go through some hard pack but I have not seen a blade break loose ice thatsbeen on the ground for awhile and thick.


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## cmo18 (Mar 10, 2008)

buy a 3/4 ton dodge cummins, buy a plow and plow. I dont know if there is such thing as a super plow truck....


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## t.i.b (Jan 17, 2009)

im a chevy guy but the 460 gas job and 7.3 diesel are great pushers id go gas just cause i hate listening to the diesel all storm long. straight axle 4:10 gears and an auto. lift kits dont help plow, harder to see the plow and more crap to break. i preffer single rear wheels and bfg commercial t/a"s


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## cocco78 (Dec 12, 2003)

On the body style you want look for a F350, that will give you the solid front D60 axle. The F250 with the TTB D50 will be a money pit with a plow on it, it will eat tires, ball joints, tie rods, ect...


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Any truck will do that ,even a Dodge. It's the guy behind the wheel that does the real work.


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## 31050 (Nov 20, 2008)

cocco78;723790 said:


> On the body style you want look for a F350, that will give you the solid front D60 axle. The F250 with the TTB D50 will be a money pit with a plow on it, it will eat tires, ball joints, tie rods, ect...


Couldn't't agree more I have a 96 f 250 which I am on me third front axle as they keep tearing between the u bolts not to mention the axle joints and ball joints I have gone through. On my f 350 I plowed four seasons and had 90000 on it before I changed ball joints


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## Dustball (Dec 5, 2008)

Well, if it was up to me and I built it myself...

92-97 F-250 or F-350 body style
EFI 460
C6 trans
BW-1356 t-case
Dana 60 in front, Chev 14 bolt in rear w/ disc brakes
4.10 gears, locker in the front and spool in the rear

That will be more than enough to handle 33" tires long term.

If you don't mind the earlier body style, you can get an '88-'91 F-350 with all of the above except for the 14 bolt rear. The two reasons I didn't include the stock 10.25 rear are the costs of converting them to discs and pinion issues with them.

My '88 F-250 has all the above except that it's geared 5.13, runs an Eaton disc'ed rear axle (earlier version of the 14 bolt) and runs 42" tires.


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## snowandgo (Oct 26, 2008)

99 F450 4x4 diesel ext. cab short chassis, lockers, convert to single rear wheel.

Solid front axle, 4.88 gears, lotsa power, room in the cab for emergency equipment.


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## toyman (Dec 4, 2007)

I'm getting ready to sell the truck you need. PM me your mail and i can send you a picture or 2.

Toyman


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## JDiepstra (Sep 15, 2008)

chris_morrison;723599 said:


> buy a 3/4 ton dodge cummins, buy a plow and plow. I dont know if there is such thing as a super plow truck....


Best advice I have seen on this forum.


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## welj31 (Jan 20, 2009)

*to dodge or not to dodge*

I do like the cummins engine ....but thats as far as i go with dodge. I have owned four and worked on many and I just cant afford to have that kind of down time. No one here likes the IFS trucks? I just got the first one i have ever owned a 91 f150 ext and like the ride but I do question how strong the front end is. Rear end is nice when it works has a locker of some type. I am thinking f350 or f450 short would be best for tight drives. How bout tires any one using the icelanders?


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## Ggg6 (Oct 14, 2003)

Tires I really liked my 235/85-16 Starfire (off brand made by Cooper) great traction, lots of siping, but a little small 30" in diameter for a 1 ton. I just replaced them with 255/85-16 Dunlop rover rvxt good traction and bigger 33" which fit the truck better.
I do not know about the icelanders.
Truck wise; 1 ton, diesel, automatic, solid axle, short wheel base, skinny tires, no lift kit. If you must get a gasser then get a fuel injected one.


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## JDiepstra (Sep 15, 2008)

welj31;725194 said:


> I do like the cummins engine ....but thats as far as i go with dodge. I have owned four and worked on many and I just cant afford to have that kind of down time. No one here likes the IFS trucks? I just got the first one i have ever owned a 91 f150 ext and like the ride but I do question how strong the front end is. Rear end is nice when it works has a locker of some type. I am thinking f350 or f450 short would be best for tight drives. How bout tires any one using the icelanders?


What is the most recent Dodge w Cummins you have owned? I find my 2004.5 to be trouble free so far, other than replacing the fuel pump and a couple u joints. Total downtime when I needed the truck - 0.


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## welj31 (Jan 20, 2009)

Sorry i dont personaly own a dodge anymore I do hear good things about the cummins and dodge drive trains in general, but at the same time I have seen many high priced special order parts for dodges. Most recent was a 3/4 ton needing break rotors that took 2 weeks to get. Right now I have a dodge dokota in my garage that needs a trans front seal ( simple right? wrong) Its like this thing was made so you cant work on it. A total nightmare. And my all time fav, I once owned a 1983 dodge. One day the right front brake stuck so I pulled it apart and found that dodge had used WOOD pistons in this truck.... I checked with several Mopar fans and found this to be true. I think if dodge was still building cars out of wood in the 80's it will be 2030 before they can build a good one out of metal. Now dont get mad this is just good natured joking around. I do it with all my mopar friends. By the way you know why they call in a mopar.... cause it needs more power. sorry could not help myself. Thanks for the help guys I will keep checking back.


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## FordFisherman (Dec 5, 2007)

And my all time fav, I once owned a 1983 dodge. One day the right front brake stuck so I pulled it apart and found that dodge had used WOOD pistons in this truck.... I checked with several Mopar fans and found this to be true. I think if dodge was still building cars out of wood in the 80's it will be 2030 before they can build a good one out of metal. 


Thats some funny **** right there!


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## Dustball (Dec 5, 2008)

Are you sure you didn't mistake it for a phenolic piston?


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## blk90s13 (Sep 1, 2005)

wood calipers ? haha


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## snowandgo (Oct 26, 2008)

I have owned 1980, 84, 85, and 89 Dodges and never had a wood brake piston, so that is news to me. My favorite plow truck that I have owned was the 85 W250 w/360 auto. Bone stock, that thing would push snow better than any other.

I am growing quite fond of my current rig, a 99 PSD with a blizzard 810, but most of that benefit is the plow.


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## welj31 (Jan 20, 2009)

yes it was wood that was the problem it split in half this was a 1/2 truck with a camper package


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## MickiRig1 (Dec 5, 2003)

No matter what you build parts will wear out and need replaced. A one ton with a big V8, good tires, weight added in the bed, tibrens all the way around, a heavy commercial grade plow, will do well. But see above, parts will wear out. Want bullet proof go Unimog. Use the search function on the gray line above. Search - Unimog


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## mulcahy mowing (Jan 16, 2006)

my idea of the ultimate plow truck is a 2006 ford f550 dump with a fisher XLS or western wide out with a downeaster v box...


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## Sweetpete (Jul 11, 2005)

I personally will avoid IFS. I believe they are unreliable and not built to last. As long as Ford and Dodge keep offering the solid front axle, those will be my only 2 choices.

I don't care about ride quality at 3 a.m. and I'm pushing heavy, wet snow. The solid axles just last longer and hold up better. Now, in the off season, then yes, I'd like a little smoother ride. But that's what my wife's Jeep GC is for.

Everything else is truly just preference. Diesel v. gas, ESOF v man shifter, gearing. It's all good.
Also, I love ESOF. They've worked the bugs out for the most part. Mine's an 04 and hasn't let me down yet. With all the switching I do in 1 night, I'm surprised at how well it's held up.

I'll probably get it again.


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