snowplow on jeep?

[nvrstuk]

Ok, I manage some apt. complexes, and we hire out the snowplow. ($115 for one complex, $95 for the other, per push, no salt.) The problem is, every time it snows, we never see the guy. He will show up a day later, after the snow is already packed down, go through the parking lot once, and leaves. This isnt working, as there is now 4" of ice all over the parking lots. I call and complain, but they claim they simply cannot get to our properties soon enough. This is the second company I have hired in three years, and they all seem to be the same.

So, I have finally decided that maybe I should plow our own parking areas with my jeep. My questions are:

1) I heard it is way hard on your rig to plow snow..... Is this true? Will my jeep survive? Its a 93 wrangler, inline 6, with 4.88 gears, locked, 60's, and SOA with 37's.

2) Is it better to buy an older truck and use it only for plowing?

3) Does anyone know of a great snowplower in the salt lake area?

Any comments are welcome, thanks a lot!
Brandon

 

[mbryson]

Ok, I manage some apt. complexes, and we hire out the snowplow. ($115 for one complex, $95 for the other, per push, no salt.) The problem is, every time it snows, we never see the guy. He will show up a day later, after the snow is already packed down, go through the parking lot once, and leaves. This isnt working, as there is now 4" of ice all over the parking lots. I call and complain, but they claim they simply cannot get to our properties soon enough. This is the second company I have hired in three years, and they all seem to be the same.

So, I have finally decided that maybe I should plow our own parking areas with my jeep. My questions are:

1) I heard it is way hard on your rig to plow snow..... Is this true? Will my jeep survive? Its a 93 wrangler, inline 6, with 4.88 gears, locked, 60's, and SOA with 37's.

2) Is it better to buy an older truck and use it only for plowing?

3) Does anyone know of a great snowplower in the salt lake area?

Any comments are welcome, thanks a lot!
Brandon

I've seen quite a bit of frame damage from the snowplow mounts. I doubt you'd want that on your wheeling Jeep. The kewl thing about the Jeep would be the manuverability.

I see trucks on craigslist and/or KSL semi-frequently that include snowplows (I bet they are a premium price at the moment) for fairly cheap.

 

[Verceingetorix]

plow on a jeep

I don't know what the effects would be will you rig being lifted but I would imagine it would increase the strain on the components (frame, plow and mounting points) due to the height of the rig but I don't know. I do know that at the toyota dealership they had two jeeps one cj with a 304 and a yj with the inline six that had plows on them. The detail manager was the one who would plow the lot and he beat the living crap out of them. He drove them like a race car and they worked year after year but I never did look at the frame. If it was me I would find another rig to put it on just for the fact that on your jeep anytime you want to go wheeling you would have to take the plow off and then put it back on. Pain in the butt if you ask me, also if you boke something on the jeep your toy would be down too. Find a cheap truck and do it yourself.

 

[I Lean]

1) I heard it is way hard on your rig to plow snow..... Is this true?

YES.

2) Is it better to buy an older truck and use it only for plowing?

YES. Disposable, cheap, 4x4 automatic fullsize truck. (prolly end up being GM, cuz there were millions of 'em. If you get lucky enough to find a 1 ton, you can always part it out after you ruin it. )

 

[MR.CJ-7]

I've heard it's hard on them, but with your axles and gearing the drive train should be fine. I'd think about stress on the frame. If it's just the complexes you are doing and you can come up with a plow cheap enough to cover your hire out vs. purchase expense. I'd say go for it.

I thought about it with my CJ when I lived in a complex. I had a chance to pick up the contract as a resident. I passed becuase the people were chronic bitchers and didn't want that on me.

Another thought...Do you own an ATV? I have a plow on mine and it works very very nice. I'd do an apartment complex with mine!

 

[ID Bronco]

I managed a large complex and I plowed with an old f150. I didn't like the responsibility of being up all the time watching the weather religiously and being up at 4am to beat the crowds. Paying a good, reliable plower was by far better, cheaper and way less hassle. If you can find one that is reliable and will make you a priority, that's how I would go. We were about $400 per trip so it must be fairly small parking lots.

 

[waynehartwig]

Another thought...Do you own an ATV? I have a plow on mine and it works very very nice. I'd do an apartment complex with mine!

This is what I would do... Warn makes snow plow kits, to which I can get dirt cheap!
http://warn.com/atv/plows/how_to_order_plow.shtml

Just look through and PM me the part numbers you need...

 

[Hickey]

If the lot is small enough, I would plow with an ATV.

 

[Herzog]

If the lot is small enough, I would plow with an ATV.

I agree... and it's fun too.

 

[wally]

Hey Brandon I would say lets trade jeeps since mine is not as high as yours and you wont have to worry about the stain on it.

I would agree get on old beater if my other option wont work.

 

[nvrstuk]

I would love to use an ATV, but the parking lots are much too big for an ATV to do in a reasonable amount of time. I am currently looking into a beater truck.... I found 2 on ksl for under 2K, and they both sold in the last couple of days! Dangit!!!
Thanks for all the comments guys.

 

[Meat_]

My dad started plowing snow in the 60's, he ran 13 trucks in SLC for many years, I ran one of the trucks down here 7 or 8 years, I tell you this so that you might listen to what I have to say.

Your first problem, $115 is WAY too cheap for that job... let me explain, one truck can only plow so many jobs between 3am (the golden start hour) an 9am (when everything is open). A truck has to earn x amount of money per storm (which often times are few and far between) in y amount of time. So you either pay Z amount and know you will be plowed or z amount and live with ice. Also, you shop for a plow guy in July, not after the first storm.

Now for your other questions, NEVER put a plow on something you like, snow plows kill trucks, and demolish Jeeps. You have plenty of axle in your Jeep, but the frame is what takes the biggest punishment, and yours isn't up to snuff. Also a Jeep does not weight enough to push snow for real, although you could get by just pushing your own but make sure you pile it as far as you can during each storm because if you run out of room you are NOT going to be moving it with a Jeep.

The absolute best plow trucks are Ramchargers, Blazers and Broncos with auto and full time 4x4. They are nice and short for maneuverability and big enough to bully the snow around. TTB's suck ass for plows. You WILL break a Chevy frame. Ramchargers are too precious to waste on plow trucks.

A commercial quality plow new will range from $8k to $12k, although you can find and piece together a used Meyer for considerably less. Westerns (the older ones) suck.

If you do decide to get one make sure it is power angle, and make sure that it is wider than your jeep's track when at full angle or you will be packing down your snow as you plow it.

As with a plow guy, July is the time to buy a plow.

If you start plowing do NOT rush it, you will break things and wreck things.

Just to give you an idea for $$$ we sold our last plow truck 6? years ago due to lack of snow. At that time for a lot the size of small convince store it was $65 and still to this day we have old clients calling us to beg us to come plow them. You get what you pay for.

After you've been at it long enough you can step outside at 10pm and know if you have to plow in the morning. I love to plow snow, but with the snow fall we get in the UC anymore it just isn't profitable.... besides plow days clash with good coyote hunting days :greg:

 

[Hickey]

. besides plow days clash with good coyote hunting days :greg:

I wanna go!

 

[wally]

I would love to use an ATV, but the parking lots are much too big for an ATV to do in a reasonable amount of time. I am currently looking into a beater truck.... I found 2 on ksl for under 2K, and they both sold in the last couple of days! Dangit!!!
Thanks for all the comments guys.

There is a full size bronco out here. I think it was for 1500. I know it was under 2...so if you want I can maybe try and get some pic or you can come out and take a look at it. It is at a local shop. Give me a call if you want.

 

[Spork]

Saw a tracker with a plow on it the other day...

That's bound to be better than a jeep

 

[193kyle]

My boss has an 02 Jeep TJ that we use to plow snow, But all we have is a small parking lot and my boss's 1/4 mile driveway. It has a 4 inch lift and 33's with stock drivetrain and it does an OK job. The frame has already been bent once from a small encounter with a curb. The manueverability is nice but in my opinion it is just too light for the job-it slides around alot and will not push alot of snow. And for a 4 year old jeep with only 20K on it, it has got way too many squeeks and rattles and problems. Plowing definitely takes a toll on any vehicle, especially a lightwieght jeep.

 

[nvrstuk]

These are great comments, and thanks Meat, for your comments on the matter. I guess, we have always had these properties plowed for around a 100 a push, so that's why I contract these cheaper guys.... I guess you do get what you pay for.

 

[Unimog]

You've already got good advice here. From my plowing experience, I would never put a plow on less than a 3/4 ton truck unless you want to spend all day messing around. The plow really puts a heavy load on the front wheel bearings, too. 1 ton is even better.

From my own experience and others I've seen, even with a full size truck, plan on cutting your transmission, transfer case, and front axle component life in half. Unless you really baby it, it will beat your vehicle to death.

 

[JoeT]

Sorry had to post these.

 

[Meat_]

You've already got good advice here. From my plowing experience, I would never put a plow on less than a 3/4 ton truck unless you want to spend all day messing around. The plow really puts a heavy load on the front wheel bearings, too. 1 ton is even better....

I forgot to mention, we always had the front springs beefed up wether it be adding a leaf or rearching or both. If you do that on a 70's half ton you're good unless you run a boss (v blade plow) then it should be on a D60.