Snowplow Brackets on a 40

[CruiserStuff]

I checked into the Hanson, truck-mounted blower - seemed okay, but pricey. For whatever reason, their website won't come up anymore - wonder if they're out of business? There's a practically new one for sale in Colorado on craigslist for $5000 - he's selling cuz it didn't work well in wet snow. I think I'll stick with the blade....besides, from what I understand, the company recommends a truck with an auto tranny....

 

[CruiserStuff]

Resurrecting this thread because it's getting to be that time of year again.

I'm plowing with the '76 again this year (with a '79 engine that replaced the one I seized last plow season).....and I've installed mini-truck PS, so I'm hoping that helps.

I need to design and build new mounting brackets (with subframe) and pump mount for this season.....what I've been using for years is worn out. I think a better mounting system could be designed.....here are some thoughts and some challenges:

1) Clearing the diff, but not being too low to the ground (both Bennett and I had to remove some of the channel to clear the diff and this inherently weakened the channel on that side). Go below the diff and clearance becomes an issue. I'm thinking a redesign that would extend the "ears" on both the front and back and reinforce them with square tube. The main channel would be super heavy duty and the reinforcements would join to this channel to facilitate clearance of the diff....something like this:

2) Redesign the pump mount. The "hoop" from Meyer has no bracing to keep the hoop from bending forward over time (the weight of the plow is multiplied when you're driving down the road and hit a pothole - the blade bounces up and then SLAMS down....over time the metal is weakened). I'm thinking some kind of triagulation could help this.....

3) A faster, easier way to hook-up and remove the brackets. It's a pain to lay on your back and fish the bolts through the existing holes in the frame.....there....must....be....a.....better.....way!!! I've toyed with the idea of hitch receivers and pins, but haven't developed anything solid yet. I'm starting with something like this, but not sure where to go from here:

Please chime in with your creative ideas or, better yet, pics of what you guys have come up with. I need something that will be heavy-duty and dependable.....I plow a lot of accounts and don't have a back-up rig if this setup fails. Thanks in advance.....

PS.....Bennett.....hope you don't mind that I used your images to illustrate my ideas.....

 

[Living in the Past]

I don't have a meyers but I do have a western plow. I have yet to install it. I did remove the plow from the 76 Fj40 when I bought it years ago. The western has to plates that mount just behind the the spring perch. Then a sub frame runs from there towards the front Thses clamp to the springs. Then the frame that bolts to the plow itself is attached by two heavy pins. The pump has a frame work that uses about the same holes as the PTO winch. I just headed out of town for the weekend but could post up some pictures of what I have next week. Just the parts showing how it goes together. It's not mounted on anything.

 

[CruiserStuff]

Thanks Living in the Past......pics would be much appreciated. The subframe actually clamps to the spring packs? That's very different from the Meyer-type setup I have now. You get snow in Phoenix?

 

[Bennett]

That time again eh'

I have not pulled my rig out of storage yet... I attached this pic because I too did not want the hassle of fishing the nuts thru the frame to the bolts. You can see by the arrows where the force of energy is produced.
I welded a heavy bar under the back side of the bracket( yellow dots) so the silver bolt is a pivot point and the force is pushed up toward the frame. I suppose the bolt is in shear and the rear bracket is in tension.
The front bolt was the easiest to get a nut on so I welded a 1/4' x 4" rod on to the nut for easy maneuvering of the nut onto the bolt. I can do it without crawling underneath the rig.
to fish the nit in the hole and not spin when tightened. red neck but it works.
I'll post a pic later when I get the plow on. I plowed a bunch last year and had no problems.

 

[Bennett]

Like I said we had snow last year...

seemed like I was plowing every weekend.........again I just do some driveways for friends.

Funny story,, the kid in the pic is my neighbor and is add or something.. he will not hardly talk to anyone. Very quiet and shy...When I pull the plow out each time he would show up and just hop in the passenger side with no words and stand there watching the plow and hardly ever speak. When done he hops out without a word and is gone. He lurks around the cruiser and one day while I was gearing up to go out I heard one of his friend's ask about the "jeep"...... he corrected him and said " it's a land Cruiser"

 

[CruiserStuff]

Bennett - Love the story about the neighbor kid! Kids absolutely love Cruisers. Love your rig, too....

Thanks for the pic of your rear mount. One of my old rigs actually had a second hole drilled in the frame so that the rear mount couldn't pivot. I hate drilling holes, though, so that's not an option for me. With only the one bolt, there was too much play and pivot and it actually ended up bending the angle iron that runs across the width of the frame.

I'd thought of welding something to the nut like you suggested....great idea....I'll definitely do that. I'd love a pic if you can manage it.

What do you think of the rough sketch I posted above for the main channel? Do you think that would work? Let me know your thoughts.....I respect your opinions.

 

[CruiserStuff]

Yeah, we had quite a bit of snow last season, too:

Before:

After:

Here's my rig as it ran last year:

By the way, Bennett, do you have extra leaves in the front packs or OME/etc, or are you running stock suspension? I have stock, but am considering an add-a-leaf or something to get the axle off the bumpstop.....

 

[girraffe]

No pics of the plow that mine looked like with the plow on it but i can show you where the frame bent. Sure wish somebody would have triangulated the frame before running a plow!

 

[Bennett]

no extra leaves up front... I' running a 2.5" lift... the plow is usually down so I'm not putting tons of stress up there. Since I have teh lift and 33" tires.. thats why I had to mod the mount at the rear of the plow cradle.. stock would not require it IMO.
Cruiserstiff I think you are good togo with that drawing... looks beefy and along the lines of the pre engineered meyer set up.
great pics .. keep em coming.

 

[Justaguy]

Cruiserstuff.. If your axle is on the bumpstops with the plow up I would definitly run an extra leaf or two.. maybe even rearched springs. I know they are stiffer and make for a rougher ride without the plow but the weight of the plow will take the chop out of it. btw where are you to get that much snow? and when does it start to come down. Its off to a slow snow season here... as in we should have some but dont. I plow snow for a living and right now its really boring at work.

 

[CruiserStuff]

Bennett - Thanks for the input. I'm gonna try mocking up the brackets and shopping for the steel. I'll keep you posted on my progress (which has been slow lately).

Justaguy - I'm thinking of getting an add-a-leaf to help out - I can always take it out when the season's over. Thanks for the input. Believe it or not, I'm in the mountains in Southern California! We're at about 5500 feet elevation - who'd believe that Los Angeles is only 1.5 hours away, huh? We usually start getting snow in late November and it continues through February or so. We're getting some pretty substantial rain right now, but no white stuff yet. BTW, I spent a summer while in college working at Whitney-Kassiloff on the Kenai Peninsula near Soldotna. As a matter of fact, we hobboed a coal train from Denali to Anchorage.....good times!

 

[CruiserStuff]

No pics of the plow that mine looked like with the plow on it but i can show you where the frame bent. Sure wish somebody would have triangulated the frame before running a plow!

Yes, where did it bend? I'd be curious to know.....thanks! I've plowed for over a decade now....all with FJ40's (several of them) and have never bent a frame, burned a clutch or wrecked a tranny.....knock on wood.....

 

[Justaguy]

cruiserstuff- right on, I like to hear that people have had adventures up here. I'm still enjoying my adventures. One day I hope to have a few more adventures in other places, but that will come. If you ever feel the itch to come back for a visit call me and we can wheel. I've got some vintage iron that likes to play. Always work in progress though so give me a heads-up.

 

[CruiserStuff]

Was kinda thinking about this....what do you guys think? What if you just flipped a trailer hitch (just out the receiver portion) instead of fabbing a new bracket.......would it hold up? I'd just need to find one that was the correct width for the frame rails and then drill holes. Thoughs?

10,000/12,000-lb. Class IV Receivers - JCWhitney

 

[CruiserStuff]

This is what I'm having welded up for the main channel (it's just a rough sketch, but you get the idea):

Looking for input on this.....the guy fabbing this for me thinks it would be a good idea to run the rear mount hanger straight down instead of angled as it is currently....

So, like this......

....instead of this.

What do you guys think?

 

[Bennett]

I'd run them straight down.. seems like outboarding the bracket would also put more tenison out ther as well.
I would go straight down but use heavy angle like the original.

your drawing looks good- I think you got a winner...

 

[cruiser user]

Hey, I just finished bolting my meyers on my bj 42. The plow came with my 71 chevy p//u back in 1980. Its been on my old v8 fj 40 for about ten years and on my bj for 3. My mounts are different . The front part has two clamps that bolt around the leafs just in front of the diff this gets the pivot point well back under the truck and the two braces run back up to special brackets bolted thru the frame right behind the spring perches. I think it was professionally made for the 40 series. I bought it from a guy fifteen years ago at least. I also shortened the frame on the plow itself when I switched from the chevy to the 40. My plow is also run by a mechanical pump sitting on top of the alternator. It all comes off in the spring and goes on in the winter only takes an hour or so. I'll try to take some pictures but probably be a few days till I have time. Just the small pic for now.

 

[CruiserStuff]

Bennett - Thanks so much for your input.....I'll post up the finished product, hopefully within a week's time or so.

cruiser user - The mounting system you're describing sounds alot like the Western plow design. I would LOVE to see your set-up....PLEASE post up pics when you're able. Thanks a bunch!

 

[cruiser user]

Just took some pictures of my Plow Brackets. Hope this helps someone!