# am i doing it wrong



## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

am i letting the plow down too far?

the plow pushes down and forward quite a bit. the way its designed, but its staying down (driveways)

am i only supposed to lower it till it hits the ground with a little pressure, rather than all of the way down?


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## leon (Nov 18, 2008)

*plow*

You can not scrape effectively if it is not in float.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

well, one driveway i didnt seem to scrape at all, there was some ice but it didnt scrape at all, there was loose snow.

the next one i pushed half of the dirt back to the end of the drive. the whole time the plow was tipped way forward.


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## leon (Nov 18, 2008)

*plow*

If you dont use or have skid pads properly set your doomed.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

what is a skid pad? i have (not installed) plow shoes.


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## snowtech (Sep 18, 2010)

sounds like you are trying to plow gravel. if so you will want to set your shoes lower than the cutting edge on the plow. you wont be able to scrape clean but will help not trip the blade as much


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

the front half where they park plowed great, but the back where there wasent any packed snow is where it got the dirt.


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## affekonig (Aug 5, 2008)

You might also want to check the tension on the trip springs. Also, if you're plowing a gravel or dirt driveway, you can drop the plow all the way (float) then bump it up a little to keep the cutting edge just off the ground. Keep your hand on the control and adjust the heigh as necessary to scrape as close as you can without digging in.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

im thinking ill just use shoes on the dirt ones till they harden over, but what concerns me is when the plow tipped forward, it did not bounce back up, it just stayed forward while i was plowing.

could the tension bee too loose. if so how do i know how tight to make it?


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## EIB (Oct 30, 2002)

Tighten the trip springs until you can fit a dollar between the coils of the springs


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

Is your A frame level? if the truck end of the Aframe is too high the blade will trip very easily


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

not sure about the a frame, but the springs have a visable gap in between the coils, does this mean i need new springs?

when it "trips" i guess its called, it feels as if the truck is holding it down, if i lif the plow, it pops back up.


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## mayhem (Aug 25, 2006)

birddseedd;1151047 said:


> the front half where they park plowed great, but the back where there wasent any packed snow is where it got the dirt.


Its just early in the season and the ground isn't frozen yet. Raise the plow very slightly on this softer surface so you're scraping the bulk of the snow off and the problem will vanish in a week or so when the ground freezes for the season.

Plow shoes are not required to plow dirt or gravel driveways...been using my 8' Fisher to plow my dirt/gravel driveway for years...first time it always digs in for a few feet in the loose spots until I remember to hit the lift slighty in those spots.

It would help if we knew more about your setup. We don't know what you're driving or what your plow is.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

hehe. ya. its complicated. 

but basicially, 
04 ram
meyer UC
western plow 3" short of 8 foot
basicially no edge (getting new one soon
lift frame from a real freakin old western
western pump with a motor that doesent fit quite right.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

i did notice it doing it some on a cement driveway also. but not as much.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

will replacing the old springs make a difference?


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

Yes and so will replacing the cutting edge.


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## mayhem (Aug 25, 2006)

Again, what are you using for equipment?

Re-reading I'm getting the impression your plow is flopping over forward and staying down? 

Is your plow properly installed on your vehicle? Have you used this setup before successfully or is this new to you?


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

its a cobbled together mess.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

im pretty sure it is the springs. there is a pretty big gap inbetween the coils. it may also need another spring as the plow was moded to be a half of a foot bigger.

ill start with a new edge and 2 new springs. if it still does it ill get a 3rd spring


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## Rc2505 (Feb 5, 2007)

You might even want to think about putting 4 springs on it. 2 on each side of the A frame mount.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

i thought about it. ima start with 2 and see how it does. if i need ill add more.

first i need to lengthen it and add the edge


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## LD4850 (Jun 5, 2005)

When the plow is down, is the frame (the part between the plow & the truck) level?
If the truck end is higher then the plow end, it will make your plow dig in & trip it easily. It needs to be level.
With a 7'+ plow, you most likely need at least 3 springs.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

havent really checked the frame since i got it on. it should be pretty level once i get the new edge on.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

new springs fixed it.

im also nearly finished adding the 3 inches to the blade length. i used a wire brush to remove what metal i could behind the edge and will put a coat or two of rustolium on it before the new edge.

then all i have to do is mount the control box, fix a bracket, and figure out why it doesent want to angel and ill be done

oh, and paint and customers


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