Snowplows on K20's

[Vintage Windmills]

The seasons are changing up here in Minnesota. I picked up a fixer upper (rusty) snow plow for a couple hundred bucks. Its a Diamond, by Meyer from the 90's. It is very large and heavy duty. Weight of total unit or (most of it) is 900lbs and its 9ft wide. Seems a little too heavy for a K20 but what do you guys think? Maybe I should put on my 01 2500 HD? I just don't have experience with plows on trucks. I have always used tractors with 3pt blades. This would only be for my private driveway or I'd store at my brothers and let him use on his private drive at shop. Would not be for commercial use and you can bet that it won't see salt again.

Also, looking at the frame on the front, there isn't much room for spreading out the load by having good sized mounts. Anyone have a pic of their setup where it attaches to the truck frame?

[special-K]

I don't have any close up pics. I know the mount bolts to the sides of the frame and back up against the spring mounts. a 9' blade is for a dual wheel truck or larger than light duty. These trucks would take 8'.

[JimKshortstep4x4]

I used a Meyer snow plow on my K-10 that weighed over 800 lbs complete. The bumper was home made and massive!

I never had any issues with the plow and it worked well except for the engine driven hydraulic pump.

I have since changed to a Western snow plow because the mounting of the carriage to the frame is much better and picks up more of the frame. I will get a couple of pictures of the frame mounts. You can probably modify the carriage to use the Western style mounting.

I wil get some pics of the mounting tomorrow and post them unless someone else has posted the same setup.

Plowing your own driveway is pretty easy service on a truck and if the springs will hold the plow up, it should be ok.

Here is a picture of what I had for a plow.

Jim

[Vintage Windmills]

Thanks guys, I'm basically going to have to build my own frame mount since this one was for a early 90's F**d. I could attach one set of members to where tow hooks bolt on but its behind that I worry about. I don't see where else it could attach that wouldn't interfere with the suspension travel. Main thing is which truck would I put it on. Guys have run 9 footers on the 2500hd's like my o1 and said it works fine on those with timbrens and the truck will push it, but the HD has another 1000 lbs and a heavier frame than a 67-72 K20/K2500. I like the idea of using the old truck though.

[da-burb]

I had an 8' Western on a 72 K20. It had 3 leaf springs up front and it didn't have any problems at all.

[Coboyle04]

subscribed

[special-K]

I think a single wheel truck should handle a 9'. The problem is a dual wheel using an 8'. The plow needs to be at least as wide as the wheel track so your tires are in what you just cleared.

Try going to www.plowsite.com and see if you can get some ideas.

[mrein3]

I don't know much about plows but a few years ago while doing my normal 67-72 Chevy and GMC searches on the local craigs list I found a plow set-up off of a 71 GMC. I believe it is referred to as a "western style" set-up. Best $400 or $500 I EVER spent! Its been long enough now that I don't remember what I paid for it.

I never even measured how wide it is. I just put it on every fall and use it.

I used to take the plow frame that mounts to my truck's frame off every year but that got old so I just leave it on now.

Like you are planning I only use it on my own driveway because I too don't want my truck covered in salt from November until April. I do drop the blade and make a pass back and forth to my fish house if the snow starts getting deep on the lake. That can be up to a mile one way depending on where the fish are biting.

I'll try to snap a few shots this evening of the plow frame as it is mounted on my truck. It is a home built job that the craigs list seller cut off the old truck. Rather than welding it back together on my truck I made a plate splice and use four 3/4" bolts to hold the plate splice together. I went with 3/4" bolts because that is what bolts the light bar/frame to the plow frame attached to my truck.

I've used my snowblower twice since I picked up this little gem. And that was to cut a shortcut across the lawn for my kids to get to their bus stop.

Oh and my plow is on a K10. I believe the K10 and K20 truck frames are pretty much the same under there.

Start watching the Menard's ad for the tubes of sand. I put seven, seventy pound tubes (490 pounds) in my bed when the plow is attached. You may want/need a little more with a bigger (heavier) plow.

[chevy292]

I have a very heavy 8' Fisher plow on my K20. It works no problem. The front of the truck sags only about 2" when the plow is up. It pushes the snow without a problem. The hydraulics are just a little slow with the old motor driven hydraulic pump. I'll take a picture of how it is mounted to my frame.

[Vintage Windmills]

Also, do you need posi or a powerlok (Dana) setup?

[special-K]

Originally Posted by Vintage Windmills

Also, do you need posi or a powerlok (Dana) setup?

No need for that. Figure,people plow with 2wds,so having 4wd gets it done just fine.

The newer mounts are goofy. They had to change because of bumper laws so that they all detach and everything is in front of the bumper. I couldn't find any old frame mount pictures,but that site I gave you probably has pictures. If not,I'm sure someone would get you some.

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by Vintage Windmills

snip...

Also, looking at the frame on the front, there isn't much room for spreading out the load by having good sized mounts. Anyone have a pic of their setup where it attaches to the truck frame?

OK. I took a few pictures. The first one is the part that I leave on the truck. It is clearly home made. The back of the plow pins to the two holes in the front of this hanging down piece.

[JimKshortstep4x4]

The Western carriage on my truck attaches to the frame horns and has two heavy arms that attach to the sides of the frame. 3/4" bolts are used for fasteners. Here are some pictures of the carriage as it is attached to the frame. Pic 1 is the driver's side arm where it attaches to the frame. Pic 2 is the lower part of the carriage where the arm attaches to it. Pic 3 is the carriage attachment to the horn.

My plow truck is made out of a Blazer frame with truck body mounts so that the truck body will work on the frame. Since it has a light bed, I run an Eaton posi in the rear.

Jim

[mrein3]

That piece bolts to the front frame rails and has a piece made into a triangle that goes back almost to the engine stand. (Looking at these pictures I may have issues if I ever go with a 700r4 and try to move my engine forward. Hmmm...)

The guy that built this thing welded it in place and had to cut it off. I spliced the RHS with a plate and two HEAVY duty bolts (3/4 inchers).

[mrein3]

The "light bar" for lack of a better term bolts to the piece that hangs down. The up/down piston (hydro up, gravity down) pins under the bar under the lights. A chain wrapped around the plow attaches to the bottom of the up/down hydro piston.

[mrein3]

Like a jig saw puzzel, the light bar bolts to the hanging down piece with four, two per side, 3/4" bolts.

[mrein3]

The plow pins to the semi-permanent hang down piece. The chain on the plow pins to the bottom of the up/down cylinder the top of which is pinned just under the lights.

[mrein3]

The pump appears to be a GM starter motor. The reservoir for the hydro fluid (I use GM tranny fluid) is on the front of the starter motor. That whole contraption believe it or not fits under the hood on the LF frame rail.
The hydro piston next to it is the up/down piston. I store all that stuff in my fish house which is only used when everything is bolted on the truck.

I hope this helps.

[Vintage Windmills]

Originally Posted by mrein3

The pump appears to be a GM starter motor. The reservoir for the hydro fluid (I use GM tranny fluid) is on the front of the starter motor. That whole contraption believe it or not fits under the hood on the LF frame rail.
The hydro piston next to it is the up/down piston. I store all that stuff in my fish house which is only used when everything is bolted on the truck.

I hope this helps.

Definitely! I actually was thinking about sending you a PM before you found my thread. I noticed your lift cylinder is double acting- do you use it in that manner and have down pressure or is it just a salvaged cylinder?

[Vintage Windmills]

Originally Posted by JimKshortstep4x4

The Western carriage on my truck attaches to the frame horns and has two heavy arms that attach to the sides of the frame. 3/4" bolts are used for fasteners. Here are some pictures of the carriage as it is attached to the frame. Pic 1 is the driver's side arm where it attaches to the frame. Pic 2 is the lower part of the carriage where the arm attaches to it. Pic 3 is the carriage attachment to the horn.

My plow truck is made out of a Blazer frame with truck body mounts so that the truck body will work on the frame. Since it has a light bed, I run an Eaton posi in the rear.

Jim

Thanks also! I bet that is pretty manuevable on the short wheelbase. How wide is your blade?

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by Vintage Windmills

Definitely! I actually was thinking about sending you a PM before you found my thread. I noticed your lift cylinder is double acting- do you use it in that manner and have down pressure or is it just a salvaged cylinder?

That cylinder came with the used setup I purchased off of craigs list. It is hydro up and gravity down. It may have two fittings on it but only one hooks up to the hydro pump. The other I think just lets pressure out of the cylinder when I pull the "down" cable.

The setup came with "push-pull" rods that the PO had go through the firewall and ended below the steering wheel, sort of knee-knocker style. I went to Northern and purchased 4 dirt bike throttle or brake cables and rigged it so I pull up, pull down, pull left, or pull right. The cables were easier to route. I routed them through the no longer used clutch linkage hole that already existed in the firewall.

I fabbed a small piece of sheet metal that I attach to the two screws that hold up the plate under the steering column. That piece of sheet metal secures the other end of the pull cables and is only there when the plow is attached. There isn't a whole lot of clearance under the column but I'm not a huge guy so it works for me.

If we have a month or so without snow I can pop the two pins that hold the back of the plow and the one pin that holds the up/down cylinder, disconnect three hydro hoses, and leave it off the truck.

[badpeanut]

Attached are some pictures of the Western Ultramounts (newest generation of Western plow mounts from 2002-ish and newer where the entire plow including headgear and pump comes off in one piece with the plow) on my 1972 Chevy K10. I modified '81-'87 Chevy mounts. They use the factory tow hook bolt locations on the frame horns, pick up on one of the 1/2" engine crossmember bolts on the underside of the frame, and pick up on both 3/8" bump stop bracket bolts. These mounts are not objectionable in the summer (don't hang low or stick out far).

mrein3's and JimKshortstep4x4's plows look to be conventional type (headgear is meant to stay on the truck) which was the style until the early 1990s. Here are some pictures of too much stuff's conventional: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=440884

My plow is 8' wide and the truck has a factory limited slip (clutch type), but since I built it last fall I haven't had it out of the garage (last winter didn't have much snow).