# 01 F350 - too much front weight w/ plow?



## J_Kleve (Oct 3, 2007)

I've got a 8.5 ft Meyer Diamond and when the plow is up the front drives on the truck. Maybe I'm just use to the F550, but it seems a little too much. I don't have the snow plow package but I've got the tow package (6k gvw if I recall). It's a 5.4 gas. 

Has anyone added air bags or extra leafs to the front? Do you think its necessary? 

The truck is used for driveways, alleys and some small commercial lots.


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## hydro_37 (Sep 10, 2006)

Look on the drivers door jamb and see what the front end is rated for and go from there. My F250 carries a Snoway 8 1/2' V Plow with no problems.


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## framer1901 (Dec 18, 2005)

Save your money and throw 500# in the bed over the axle and` don't look bvack.


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## wild bill (Feb 10, 2007)

*front end*

you need a min 5200 lb front gross axle weight rating,unless it's real light and you have a lot of obstacle's ,flat ground should be ok with ballast .or add a leaf to the front or timbren load booster's


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## BoulderBronco (Aug 20, 2003)

8.5' plow on an F150! Way to much. After 96 the F150's front ends were not as beefy (not that the pre 97's were all that beefy either.) And on the pre 97's you can't put anything bigger than a 7.5' and even that is pushing it in some peoples opinion.


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## Boast Enterpris (Oct 26, 2003)

You need about 500lbs balast behind the back axle. This will solve you problems.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

framer1901;412048 said:


> Save your money and throw 500# in the bed over the axle and` don't look bvack.


Except when backing.



BoulderBronco;412232 said:


> 8.5' plow on an F150! Way to much. After 96 the F150's front ends were not as beefy (not that the pre 97's were all that beefy either.) And on the pre 97's you can't put anything bigger than a 7.5' and even that is pushing it in some peoples opinion.


  He said an '01 F350, not 150. Guess that 8'2" Boss V on my 1500 has been way too much for the past 11 seasons.

Shouldn't be too much. I have an '00 350 with an 8'6" Fisher V and an '02 with a Blizzard 8611LP. Did add a leaf to the '02 because the LP is a heavy plow.



J_Kleve;412030 said:


> when the plow is up the front drives on the truck


  

Not really sure what the question is, though. Are you saying that your 550 is smoother than the 350 with the plow? What year is your 550? If it has the new coil springs, yes it does and always will ride nicer than a leaf spring 350, same thing happens with my trucks.


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## J_Kleve (Oct 3, 2007)

Mark Oomkes;412308 said:


> Not really sure what the question is, though. Are you saying that your 550 is smoother than the 350 with the plow? What year is your 550? If it has the new coil springs, yes it does and always will ride nicer than a leaf spring 350, same thing happens with my trucks.


It was a newer 550, I was referring just to the amount of dive the truck has when lifting the plow. That one had a 10 footer on it and there was almost no dive. I was trying to put into proportion to the amount of dive my 1 ton has.

My truck has a tommy gate on the back, that's a solid 600 LBS, so I should be fine. I'll double check the tag in the door - but the thing seems to have every other 'heavy duty' feature.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

OK, thanks for clarifying. Sometimes it's the little voices that mess me up. 

Anyways, no it shouldn't be diving that much, but the springs on a 350 are weaker than 550 so you will have more sag\dive even with a smaller plow than a 550. My 550 with 8611 drops about 1 1/2", that's a 1500# plow and the 350 would drop more than that with the LP a 1000# plow. So I added a leaf. They weren't worn out, just needed some help. Maybe yours are tired, maybe they can be rearched, not sure. But an 8.5 Meyer is not too much plow for that truck, especially with the 5.4. Mine all have diesels and are fine. 

Heck, maybe Ford didn't put the right springs in even if it did have the plow prep. They've screwed up before, it's just some guy on a line installing springs, could have grabbed the wrong ones, someone might have marked the spring pack wrong, who knows.


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## J_Kleve (Oct 3, 2007)

The truck does have 106k on it. I thought it was odd because there was 2(?) springs in the stack. It seemed light. I'll check to see how much the truck is dropping but I bet it was 2-2.5".


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Yeah, my diesel only had 2 springs up front too. And it has the plow prep, plus diesel. I also added Timbrens. The extra leaf leveled it out too.


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## PLOWTIME (Jan 16, 2004)

I have a 99 f 250 with a 9ft fisher. I put in a tuff country 3.5" leveling kit and the front end only drops a 1/2" with no ballast.


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## BoulderBronco (Aug 20, 2003)

Mark Oomkes;412308 said:


> He said an '01 F350, not 150


Doh!


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## midnightrodeo (Oct 20, 2006)

J_Kleve;412030 said:


> I've got a 8.5 ft Meyer Diamond and when the plow is up the front drives on the truck. Maybe I'm just use to the F550, but it seems a little too much. I don't have the snow plow package but I've got the tow package (6k gvw if I recall). It's a 5.4 gas.
> 
> Has anyone added air bags or extra leafs to the front? Do you think its necessary?
> 
> The truck is used for driveways, alleys and some small commercial lots.


I HAVE AN 04' F-350 AND I PUT F-550 SPRIGS UNDER THE FRONT OF IT AND IT SURE HELPED IT HOLD THE WEIGHT OF THE PLOW. ALSO HAVE A 05' F-350 W/ BOSS V-PLOW W/ F-550 SPRINGS IN THE FRONT AND IT WORKS GREAT TOO!


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## wild bill (Feb 10, 2007)

*swing low*

i think air lift make's air bag kit's for the front if they clear the mount kit !


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## earl964 (Feb 4, 2006)

I had the same problem . I have a 350 diesel I ended up putting a extra spring in the front and it maid a big difference


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## oldmankent (Mar 2, 2001)

beef up the front springs


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## rcpd34 (Jan 16, 2004)

Try these:

http://www.suspensionmaxx.com/f150.html

They work great; send me an e-mail and I'll show you how to get them at a discount.


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## natureguy (Nov 13, 2005)

i have an 04 350 that i beefed the front springs on. i took an overload spring from the rear stack ( these can be purchased at the dealership for about a hundred bucks) and added it under the front leaf pack. i got about 2 inches of lift or leveling out of it and the nose of the truck only moves maybe an inch with the plow up. the overload spring is the high arched spring on top of the rear stack. just fyi. my overall ride is pretty stiff but it is solid when plowing. ALWAYS add weight to the bed so the front isn't doing all the work!!!!


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## dieselboy (Nov 27, 2006)

Have you had any issues since adding that helper to the front leaf pack? i think i might try that.


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## glenspot (Aug 11, 2004)

the previous post about the front axle rating is the right answer... you always have the option to overload anything.... i did it for years with a dodge 1500... but its additional wear and tear.

plus, what "feels" like too much weight isn't necesarilly too much weight. if the plow still fits the truck's weight rating, then ballast is the answer. -- something to balance out the load. 

also, keep in mind that a bigger truck isn't always the best plow vehicle. for example... a diesel engine weighs so much, that it often reduces the front end's additional capacity so much that many plows are too heavy.


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## natureguy (Nov 13, 2005)

i haven't had any problems since adding the leaf to the front. i highly doubt that im overloading it and if i am, im not overloading mine nearly as bad as many people with plows on 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks are. Love mine and i can stack snow up to the gutters of a single story house..... been there ....done that..........don't pizz me off!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## joeco129 (Feb 3, 2007)

I agree with Framer and Boast on this... I buy 70lb. traction bags or sand bags from Ace Hardware for $3 a piece... I put 7 in my bed, over the axle, which gave me 490lbs... what a difference... I also made a small box out of PT plywood to keep the bags from sliding around. I have the sand bags trapped between the rear wheel well and the gate... works perfect... For $21 plus tax you can't go wrong.

Then in the summer i just store them with the plow. Good luck!


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## Bernie Lomax (Mar 15, 2007)

Mark Oomkes;412338 said:


> Heck, maybe Ford didn't put the right springs in even if it did have the plow prep. They've screwed up before, it's just some guy on a line installing springs, could have grabbed the wrong ones, someone might have marked the spring pack wrong, who knows.


I'm going to measure mine. I honestly believe there's something wrong. It drops a ton when the plow is raised.

What Add A Leaf options are there for the truck? Its an 04 350.


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## Bernie Lomax (Mar 15, 2007)

I guess I take it back, the front fender only drops 7/8" when the plow is fully raised. Maybe I just need some weight in the bed.


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## Dissociative (Feb 28, 2007)

FWIW i put a 2.5" leveling kit from summit racing on front of my truck...the one for the diesel has full length leafs...5 of them....so now i have 7 leafs in front...ride is decent added 3" block to rear to match...stock shocks were fine.....truck now hauls 8' proplus 900? and 2500 in bed..and 130 on spreader...drives and rides great...


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## JCplowboy (Dec 9, 2005)

I went with Air-Lift bags in front on my 2001 F-350 Diesel.
With my Boss 8'2" V mounted she dove into the weeds, no suspension travel and rode like my IH dump truck!
With the bags, now I have full suspension travel with the plow mounted; and it rides like a dream.
Plow off air down, plow on air up.
Good luck.


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## 91AK250 (Nov 28, 2007)

man, i really need to replace my springs after hearing you guys...i prolly drop 3-4" when my plows on front tires are almost in the fenders and the truck rides on the bump stops..they gotta be worn out.

heres with the plow down..on my f-250


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