# I think its a mistake. School me on this



## 2WHEELGNNR (Jan 6, 2014)

I and my brother both have F-150's with plows for basic driveway use.

my brothers '10 XLT, like my FX4 works FINE... he has same Fisher plow. he wants to add a 6" suspension lift to his truck. I advised him to double check that it will still work with his plow. he discounts it and says the plow will be just fine. it will just be more angled down from the mounts. Says its no big deal but I seem to think that this may not be the best idea. I told him he should check with fisher or a plow dealer to double check before he drops 2,500 on a 6" lift and find that something with the plow that isn't right.

He says im paranoid. Anyone have any experience. I can see up to may 3 or 4 inches wouldn't be a problem but 6". that's quite a difference.

I'm afraid he will regret it and trying to see if anyone here know anything about lifting a truck and ends up too high for a fitting a plow.

I'm thinking the steeper angle will hit the bottom portion of the vehicle mounts as they have a solid bottom sloped upward so that when you pull up to plow the bottom drives the a frame of the plow up to the mount pins. if that all makes sense. I should take a or make a drawing of what I mean. Thats were I think he will get into trouble with it.
thank you all.


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## Freshwater (Feb 28, 2014)

Terrible idea for a multitude of reasons. 
1. It sucks plowing in lifted trucks due to limited visability.
2. Sounds like hell be getting wider tires to compensate for the lift. Plowing you want skinny tires. You want to burn through the snow to the pavement as fast as possible. Wide tires make you float over snow/mud.
3. The plow blade will not only be angled improperly for a bad scrape, the a frame will be angled wrong. A frame is supposed to be parallel to the ground for maximum strength, it's called attack angle. He will need a lowering kit for his mount. 
4. Lifting a truck is just dumb.


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## tpendagast (Oct 27, 2012)

I have had the last two trucks I’ve run be REALLY high fords ....
Not 6” lift but probably 4”

Thing the sucks the most is trying mount/in mount it.

With a 6” lift there’s no way he can do it solo without modifications to compensate

4” is max.

In deep azz rural snow the lift has been good
Can’t get it all in one pass 
Many times what you’re cleaning off isn’t pavement 

So a lift isn’t terrible 
Just a 6” is 

Figure a 6” lift gets bigger tires (otherwise it’ll look funny ) so it’s really an 8” lift easy 

My power stroke was probably 4” including tires above stock and it was plenty 
I sold it 
And it’s still plowing snow 
That outfits go to rig.

You can have two sets of tires 
You can find skinnier ones that are still a bit tall for winter plowing and keep your fancy mudders for summers


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## Sawboy (Dec 18, 2005)

You’re right. Your brothers wrong. Wait till spring when ya can sit back, laugh and tell him I told you so.


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## 2WHEELGNNR (Jan 6, 2014)

or wait and after installation and plow on and he drops in down to the "plow" position and it gets hung up and wont do down due to the mounts having a bottom to them and its plow is down as afar as it will go and still 3: from touching the ground!!!!!!

wow...best 2500 Hes ever spent!!


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

I personally don't understand the whole lifted truck, big tires thing. A truck to me is a tool. With that said, I run a business with my truck. I'd rather throw money elsewhere. If he thinks he needs the lift to be cool, have someone fab up something to lower the mount. He can potentially cause some damage to the plow and his truck


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

Somewhere on here I made a post, it has been a while now, I performed some deep surgery on a Minute mount set up where there was a lift on the truck. The lower portion of the upright did not like it so much as it gave up the ghost and broke like in three places. I beefed it up the best I could but the A-Frame attaching points needed to be dropped down to keep the A-Frame parallel to the ground. It can be done with some skill, machines and fabrication. However leave your 110 Harbor Freight Welder and grinder at home.


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## tpendagast (Oct 27, 2012)

JMHConstruction said:


> I personally don't understand the whole lifted truck, big tires thing. A truck to me is a tool. With that said, I run a business with my truck. I'd rather throw money elsewhere. If he thinks he needs the lift to be cool, have someone fab up something to lower the mount. He can potentially cause some damage to the plow and his truck


The lift I have on my last two trucks (granted it's not a 6" lift) contributes significantly to it not getting stuck in situations where we send say a stock Chevy and it's gets stuck like a mother.
For whatever reason , fords are always taller than chevys (like significantly) 
During the summer I like working out of a Chevy easy to reach in the back of the truck for tools 
I'm 6'5" and I need a ladder to get in and out of the bed of a new ford (I don't really but wait til I'm 50 and I just might)

Anytime we get a call from a driver about a stuck truck is always a Chevy.

Seems like in the last few years tho the new gm trucks are higher as well but we don't own any 
I call them all factory lifts
Every couple years fords seem to get taller


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

tpendagast said:


> The lift I have on my last two trucks (granted it's not a 6" lift) contributes significantly to it not getting stuck in situations where we send say a stock Chevy and it's gets stuck like a mother.
> For whatever reason , fords are always taller than chevys (like significantly)
> During the summer I like working out of a Chevy easy to reach in the back of the truck for tools
> I'm 6'5" and I need a ladder to get in and out of the bed of a new ford (I don't really but wait til I'm 50 and I just might)
> ...


I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing you probably need it more than most around here.

I'd say probably 90% of the trucks I see never leave a paved road.


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

tpendagast said:


> Anytime we get a call from a driver about a stuck truck is always a Chevy.


You should get better drivers...


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

TJS said:


> Somewhere on here I made a post, it has been a while now, I performed some deep surgery on a Minute mount set up where there was a lift on the truck. The lower portion of the upright did not like it so much as it gave up the ghost and broke like in three places. I beefed it up the best I could but the A-Frame attaching points needed to be dropped down to keep the A-Frame parallel to the ground. It can be done with some skill, machines and fabrication. However leave your 110 Harbor Freight Welder and grinder at home.


He's busy fixing the HT plow in the other thread.


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## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

Sawboy said:


> You're right. Your brothers wrong. Wait till spring when ya can sit back, laugh and tell him I told you so.


I was thinking more along the lines of DA but told you so works too.....


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## LapeerLandscape (Dec 29, 2012)

BUFF said:


> I was thinking more along the lines of DA but told you so works too.....


District Attorney?


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## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

LapeerLandscape said:


> District Attorney?


Absolutely...


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## 2WHEELGNNR (Jan 6, 2014)

I was thinking it was Dumb A$$


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## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

2WHEELGNNR said:


> I was thinking it was Dumb A$$


Thats a .......


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## Sawboy (Dec 18, 2005)

Philbilly2 said:


> You should get better drivers...


Yup. I love my Fords. I'm a Ford guy, but I've been the dope stuck in the snow twice with them. It happens.


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

I got stuck in my Chevy this last storm. Hit the pile a bit too hard with the plow angled (had a leak and weak hydraulics, so I couldn't straighten it) slid me into my 3' windrow and high centered. Dug out and threw some salt around the tires and I was out in about 15 minutes. Seeing that my employee took my tow strap a month ago and "forgot" to return it, I would have been SOL, and he would have received a call at 2am, it was a good thing I got out...


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

JMHConstruction said:


> I got stuck in my Chevy this last storm. Hit the pile a bit too hard with the plow angled (had a leak and weak hydraulics, so I couldn't straighten it) slid me into my 3' windrow and high centered. Dug out and threw some salt around the tires and I was out in about 15 minutes. Seeing that my employee took my tow strap a month ago and "forgot" to return it, I would have been SOL, and he would have received a call at 2am, it was a good thing I got out...


No pictures,?


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

Randall Ave said:


> No pictures,?


Nope... too concerned with being hours behind, then getting stuck....


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

JMHConstruction said:


> Nope... too concerned with being hours behind, then getting stuck....


Years ago, I was making a spot in the grass for the mutt's. Had to call the town with the backhoe. I kinda sunk it. No frost, just hit mud just right.


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## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

Randall Ave said:


> Years ago, I was making a spot in the grass for the mutt's. Had to call the town with the backhoe. I kinda sunk it. No frost, just hit mud just right.


That's too bad, I was wasting my time reading about some dental assistant and his vehicle that has 100% traction all the time.


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## sota (Jan 31, 2011)

When I decided to get the plow for the jeep, I upgraded the suspension, resulting in a mild lift of 1.5" over stock height (and 2.5" above where the limp noodle original springs had sagged to.) I'm seriously looking at getting a proper sized piece of boxed steel to make new adapters that lower the plow back down that 1.5". The thing about the upgraded springs is, they're designed to handle the weight of the plow, so the front end only sags about 1" when the plow is raised, versus the probably on the bump stops the OEM springs would have compressed.


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## tpendagast (Oct 27, 2012)

Philbilly2 said:


> You should get better drivers...


You have a source?
Lucky to find people that have a license


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## tpendagast (Oct 27, 2012)

JMHConstruction said:


> I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing you probably need it more than most around here.
> 
> I'd say probably 90% of the trucks I see never leave a paved road.


I dunno 
To be honest 
We're not that much different than Colorado (in the city) 
If I didn't do this work , or literally psychologically "need" a truck... something with awd (Subaru or a awd charger) is plenty good

We have a lot of unimproved roads in this state but 50% of them won't eveb fit my land yacht of a ford down them

That's what my Jeep is for

But even still 
The real off road around here is so rough and wild, you're not really taking pick ups off road 
Not far anyway

It's ATV/utv land or modified off road rigs (like heavily modified) 
Our off-road terrain here is similar to the Everglades 
You're never really sure where the solid ground is 
Except we don't call it swamp it's muskeg
And permafrost

So with that being said 
Most trucks still don't leave the road (improved or otherwise) Simply because you can't

The lift is for heavy snow really

Lots of skinny unimproved roads with very long pushes and fauna so thick the windrows often rebound under the vehicle

Also common not to be able to push a full scoop so you have to take half off the top and take a second run.

That's where the lift comes in


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## scottr (Oct 10, 2013)

OP, tell your brother lifted trucks are less desirable to plow with. I know . They are harder to get into for old guys, but you can get away with not needing plow lights . If he gets bigger tires, he can compensate by adding lots of weight to achieve the ground pressure needed for superior traction. Sipping your tires ( real sippin, not factory ) makes a world of differance in traction and adds tire life if used in the summer.


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## tpendagast (Oct 27, 2012)

scottr said:


> OP, tell your brother lifted trucks are less desirable to plow with. I know . They are harder to get into for old guys, but you can get away with not needing plow lights . If he gets bigger tires, he can compensate by adding lots of weight to achieve the ground pressure needed for superior traction. Sipping your tires ( real sippin, not factory ) makes a world of differance in traction and adds tire life if used in the summer.
> View attachment 186860


Agree with siping

Any higher and you could just get a belly blade!


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

scottr said:


> OP, tell your brother lifted trucks are less desirable to plow with. I know . They are harder to get into for old guys, but you can get away with not needing plow lights . If he gets bigger tires, he can compensate by adding lots of weight to achieve the ground pressure needed for superior traction. Sipping your tires ( real sippin, not factory ) makes a world of differance in traction and adds tire life if used in the summer.
> View attachment 186860


You know you are the exception to the rule here as you do stuff right and I know you don't have the 99.00 Harbor Freight welder.


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## 2WHEELGNNR (Jan 6, 2014)

?? sipping?? I will have to look that up..not familar with the term.

Ive gotten stuck before with trying to take down a large area with blade part way up..and got myself buried in the snow left from the 1/2 swipe.


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## scottr (Oct 10, 2013)

TJS said:


> You know you are the exception to the rule here as you do stuff right and I know you don't have the 99.00 Harbor Freight welder.


I live a sheltered life, never seen the inside of a harbor freight store.


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

scottr said:


> I live a sheltered life, never seen the inside of a harbor freight store.


You are only missing a bunch of "toilet paper tools"

(one time use)


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## 2WHEELGNNR (Jan 6, 2014)

ok sipping I got it


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## scottr (Oct 10, 2013)

2WHEELGNNR said:


> ok sipping I got it


as an example, this is my wifes rig, she has over 100K miles on this set of tires ( best tire I've found ) shows all the razor cuts ( siping )


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## gtmustang00 (Feb 23, 2010)

You can lift a truck as high as you want and still be able to plow. Modify the plow a frame itself where the 3 holes are. May possibly need longer hoses, and longer chain. Truck push plates stay the same. Simple as can be. I have a lifted truck with a Extreme V that is perfectly level, and a straight blade and the a frame is level...


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

gtmustang00 said:


> You can lift a truck as high as you want and still be able to plow. Modify the plow a frame itself where the 3 holes are. May possibly need longer hoses, and longer chain. Truck push plates stay the same. Simple as can be. I have a lifted truck with a Extreme V that is perfectly level, and a straight blade and the a frame is level...


I don't follow...  got pics??


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

Philbilly2 said:


> You are only missing a bunch of "toilet paper tools"
> 
> (one time use)


 one of these days I'll teach you about harbor freight. In a world that name brand tools have also become throw away china tools, HF has saved me and made me a lot of money.

Coming from a guy WITH the 110v welder, I wouldn't use it on anything more than an exhaust, and never on anything that will see stress.


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

JMHConstruction said:


> one of these days I'll teach you about harbor freight. In a world that name brand tools have also become throw away china tools, HF has saved me and made me a lot of money.
> 
> Coming from a guy WITH the 110v welder, I wouldn't use it on anything more than an exhaust, and never on anything that will see stress.


Not to steer this off into a HF tool discussion but I will tell you this. The Vulcan TIG gloves outlast and out perform the $$ Tillman and any other TIG glove I have been using. Also my next backup TIG machine will be the Vulcan ProTIG 200 after the holidays hopefully another "no exclusions" coupon will come out. My current TIG machine is a Miller Dynasty 300DX.


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## 2WHEELGNNR (Jan 6, 2014)

and to add to that I too have the HF welder and only use for like exhaust and stuff too..nothing my butt has to depend upon!! BUT sometimes a one time use tool will do the job and cheaper than a good one that will last. the way i see it at times...I just need to do this!! I dont a GOOD tool to do that..if i get one use out of it...works for me...sometimes!!

I even have their tire changer and I have changed my fair share of tires with that sucker!?


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

JMHConstruction said:


> one of these days I'll teach you about harbor freight. In a world that name brand tools have also become throw away china tools, HF has saved me and made me a lot of money.


It is fine for your one off jobs... 
But when your labor costs more than anything... harbor freight has no place in your employees hands from my experience with them.


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## gtmustang00 (Feb 23, 2010)

Here are pictures of my 2 plows.


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## 2WHEELGNNR (Jan 6, 2014)

ok this makes sense..those adjustment holes are how to get the plow a frame level with the ground depending upon truck heigth...Im sure we have those but I have not seen them. I may have him talked into a more mild like of like 4 inchs or so vs 6" !!!!!

these adjustment holes may keep him good. thank you gtmustang00


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

Philbilly2 said:


> It is fine for your one off jobs...
> But when your labor costs more than anything... harbor freight has no place in your employees hands from my experience with them.


We also have as many tools in the trailer as employees on the job, so if something chits out, we have extras. The only thing we only have 1 of is the generator, and I have an extra in my storage unit.

Pretty much the only thing I don't have backups for is snow removal  ...dumb...


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

JMHConstruction said:


> We also have as many tools in the trailer as employees on the job, so if something chits out, we have extras. The only thing we only have 1 of is the generator, and I have an extra in my storage unit.
> 
> Pretty much the only thing I don't have backups for is snow removal  ...dumb...


Makes more sense. I can't have a trailer full of tools behind every van on the road just in case one craps the bed.


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

Philbilly2 said:


> Makes more sense. I can't have a trailer full of tools behind every van on the road just in case one craps the bed.


And your tools are a little more specialized and expensive than mine.

If we use it daily (other than the generator) it's name brand. Less than once a month is HF, anything else I use my experience with HF vs name brand. They have quite a bit of good stuff, but they do have a LOT of crap...


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

JMHConstruction said:


> Nope... too concerned with being hours behind, then getting stuck....


Or getting to the crapper after that gas station hot dog...


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

Mark Oomkes said:


> Or getting to the crapper after that gas station hot dog...


Took 4 trips to get that out of me!


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## 2WHEELGNNR (Jan 6, 2014)

thats a staple I used to tell the kids it was a construction lunch.....hot dogs on a roller with that cheese paste......nothing beats the hot dogs on a roller...NO CHILI though!!!! Not for me...cant do that!!!!!!!!


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