Jump to content

6.2 with a plow? Anyone?


mike-z71

Recommended Posts

Posted

Thinking about a new truck. Current is a 2014 LTZ Z71 5.3 with 3.08. I'll need to plow my personal driveway with this truck and one other short driveway. Anyone have a 6.2 that plows? I'm also looking at the 6.2 for some summer time fun with the added HP over the 5.3 and pushing snow. The 2500 is not an option for me. This truck will be a custom order and I would like some input before pulling the trigger. Thanks.

Posted

Half tons can certainly plow. Wouldn't recommend it for commercial plowing as they take a beating. But for consumer plowing and using a lighter plow blade, they certainly can handle it.

Posted

On GM's side of the deal, plow prep package is regular cab only on 1500 trucks. So, there would be the potential that if something failed and they can relate it to the plow, your warranty would be at risk.

 

That said...I would go no bigger than a 1/2 ton specific snow plow, so, Western HTS or Fisher HT Series. Boss does not have a selection for 6.2 trucks. Most of the plow OEMs for a 1/2 ton crew (using this assumption based on your current truck) call for quite a bit of ballast as well. Western calls for 470lbs, Fisher calls for 440lbs. The ballast will be very important for loading the truck properly.

 

Using the weights and options calculator in the GM order guide, a 6.2 max tow crew standard box LTZ would leave you, without ballast, 668lbs. of front end payload (GVWR is 3950lbs, total front weight with options is 3282lbs, subtract and you get the 668lbs payload remaining).

 

Using the 668lbs...GM allows on regular cab 1500 with plow prep, 40lbs permanent truck side hardware, and a max plow weight of 500lbs. 668lbs, subtract 40lbs for truck hardware, 628lbs, then (we will use the Western HTS), 412lbs for the plow, you have a remainder front payload of 216lbs. You can go overweight real quick from there on the front. You and a front passenger and bam. So, ballasting would allow you to squeak that out a bit more. And a leveling kit to gain frt. ground clearance.

 

Fisher and the Western are the lightest 1/2 ton specific blades out there that I can see. Well, there is the Meyer 6'8" Drive Pro, but...Western and Fisher give you better off season clearance.

 

Just gotta ballast to better weight it if you are going to leave it on for long periods of time and hauling more than you around.

Posted

I see new 1500 truck with V-plows everyday.

 

I would install Timbrens on the front and counterbalance, should be good to go.

 

Are you going strait blade or V-blade?

 

I have done commercial snow removal for 18 years and cannot stand a plow that is narrower when angled then the track width of the truck so I only like a 8ft strait blade or 8.2 V-blade, it isn't that much additional weight.

Posted

My driveway is fairly short and I would only plow my grandparents after a lot of snow fell or when grandpa doesnt want to be out in really cold weather on his kubota. Great info on ballast 15HDriver. I only need a light duty plow, but I will buy quality. It wont be staying on for more than i need it. Work is only 3 miles away and my grandparents is 8 miles away. I will be putting a level or lift on this truck as well. I like how they look a bit higher than factory. My 14 has a 2.5 lift and I couldn't be happier.

Posted

My driveway is fairly short and I would only plow my grandparents after a lot of snow fell or when grandpa doesnt want to be out in really cold weather on his kubota. Great info on ballast 15HDriver. I only need a light duty plow, but I will buy quality. It wont be staying on for more than i need it. Work is only 3 miles away and my grandparents is 8 miles away. I will be putting a level or lift on this truck as well. I like how they look a bit higher than factory. My 14 has a 2.5 lift and I couldn't be happier.

 

Sounds like you should be good to go with an HTS. Looking forward to seeing what you put together for your next truck!

Posted

Thinking about a new truck. Current is a 2014 LTZ Z71 5.3 with 3.08. I'll need to plow my personal driveway with this truck and one other short driveway. Anyone have a 6.2 that plows? I'm also looking at the 6.2 for some summer time fun with the added HP over the 5.3 and pushing snow. The 2500 is not an option for me. This truck will be a custom order and I would like some input before pulling the trigger. Thanks.

 

You have the same truck I have, read about my plow....... http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=155939

Posted

I have the Boss Sport Duty on my '13 Ext Cab 1500. At the time I had it installed, (Aug '13), it was a lot lighter than the Western HTS or Fisher or Snoway plows that were available for my 1500. The local Western dealer would not install the HTS on my truck even though I have the 3950 front axle. He told me Western would not allow it and would only allow the Suburbanite (which is junk as far as I'm concerned).

The Boss plow (not including the truck mount) weighs about 385 lbs. It's been great, no problems whatsoever. I keep about 300 lbs. of sand in the bed during plow season.

The Snoway and Boss are direct linkage plows, no lift chain, no bouncing of the plow up and down over railroad tracks, etc. I think that is a big benefit and reduces the stress on the front of the truck.

  • 8 months later...
Posted

There is always the Snowsport HD plow setup. Great for smaller jobs and won't gouge landscape. I use one for 900' of drive and occasionally cutting a path to highway 1.5 miles away when county can't seem to get to our gravel roads in a timely manner. I made a lift with a winch for it so it can be raised from cab for short jaunts from drift to drift along that stretch of gravel road.

 

 

Posted

Half tons can certainly plow. Wouldn't recommend it for commercial plowing as they take a beating. But for consumer plowing and using a lighter plow blade, they certainly can handle it.

 

my dad just bought a 2016, not called a heavy half, but gvwr is 7200.

towing package, etc.. manual 4x4 lever.

 

the salesman was very honest (especially after my dad spoke up of my 96 at 355k miles maintained by me)

 

"don't do big plowing on the half ton."

 

the front suspension back in the days of torsion got away with it too long on the half tons, today, it is not a good idea...

 

get the bigger truck... or maybe get an old torsion one to beat around the yard with.

  • 3 months later...
Posted

hey micheal,

 

I have this truck for sale that I no longer use, 55k mi, 6.0 gas. Not much more money than a plow alone, let me know what you think about this idea?

post-169145-0-46763400-1486841926_thumb.jpg

post-169145-0-46763400-1486841926_thumb.jpg

post-169145-0-46763400-1486841926_thumb.jpg

post-169145-0-46763400-1486841926_thumb.jpg

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • You can install tailpipes that direct the exhaust sideways vs the OEM one that goes straight back. There are several on the market, do you own research. HOWEVER, you need to make sure the Venturi vents are still intact, otherwise it will throw a engine code. There is a sensor somewhere that detects back pressure on the exhaust. And if it doesn't collect the correct metrics, it will throw the truck into limp mode. 
    • "Teardown" is complete. Head surfaces are clean and ready, new intake is prepped and ready. Coolant drained and water pump is removed, radiator is removed, new hoses and pump are ready.   The replacement intake is also from a '95 (with I think 260k, the odometer said). Noticeably less pitting where it covers the rear coolant passages. I'm not sure if that's a tribute to more frequent use, more frequent coolant changes/upkeep, or if the intake was machined at some point. But it appears I found a good one.   My coolant hoses were original, and the lower hose still retained the factory spring inside. It's not really rusty, but it's got deposits all over it. Unsure if I should re-install it (will thoroughly clean it first). Someone said hose technology has gotten better since 1995 (has it?) and I don't need the spring. I think modern EPDM is what made those hoses last from 1995-2026, so it's a question of how much suction can the water pump really pull, and will it collapse the hose without a spring?   I'm stopped and waiting for parts, however.   When I first brought the truck home, the fan was intermittently hitting the radiator shroud. I could see someone had monkeyed with the shroud (put a bunch of cardboard as a spacer between the upper/lower shroud halves. Someone said the motor mounts have likely failed and the engine has sagged. I wasn't sure I believed that. The engine is really solid in its mounts: To remove the old intake I *just* nearly permanently welded to the heads with freshly cured RTV and gasket snot two weeks ago, I literally had to use the arms on my lift and a chain with a bolt attached to the intake to pull it loose. It almost picked the front of the truck off the ground before ....scuuuuuuuuuuup.... I could actually hear the gaskets tearing and it broke loose and the whole truck settled back down. Motor barely moved.   SO, those parts I'm waiting on... The lower radiator mounts/bushings had completely failed. The radiator needs to be insulated from the rad support, and the bushings help the rad stand at the correct height. The plastic "baffle" was also destroyed at some point. Someone had attached the shroud to it incorrectly, overlapping a joint that should have been underlapped, creating another suspect issue potentially causing things to hit the fan. Broken tabs, side is busted off, and it's perma-formed/bent where it was jimmied incorrectly.   The baffle? Unobtainum. Long since discontinued from GM, of course. Aftermarket/capa/chinese? Also unobtanium. In GM's infinite wisdom, it appears there are at least two different variations whether the Blazer is 2 or 4 door, and I can't yet tell if they shared the same part with the S-pickups. Plan B, if I can't find a viable used one, will be to create a bracket to re-assemble the critical joint I need to seal a gap with the shroud. But that will bug me, it won't be...perfect.   The water pump bolts appear to have been installed with...plumber's putty. I guess, sure, if it works...? I've found a few "backyard fixes" like that. Someone's been here before....   If I can't find someone to jam bamboo under my fingernails to fill my free time this week I think I'll install the driver's power window motor and replace the rear door speaker that's inop. I've got a genuine GM "9.5" ohm working replacement. Why GM used a non-standard resistance....nevermind. Of course they did, you can get more sound from a cheap factory amp that way.   And the saga goes on...
    • // Thank you, also for your  response. More information is always good. This 2013 GMC is most likely my 'forever truck"-I'm 77 and retired...and truck only has 42K on it-very clean-so I try to keep it that way.  Tks again for your  response- glenn
    • I started my install this weekend. Everything was pretty straight forward but I ran into one issue with running power through the firewall. The nipple grommet on my High Country already has a small harness running through it - has anyone else ran into this issue? And on the engine bay side, does the wire basically just penetrate the factory wiring boot? I did this on my '22 Trail Boss and it seems much easier but thats been a few years. My other thought would be possibly drilling a new hole adding a rubber grommet just to the lower left of the factory hole. Thoughts?   Has anyone used a T-harness off the Bose amp and obtained power from there? It seems a little odd that such a small amp needs 3 power leads
    • ///// Ok--Thanks for that info--I could not find yesterday when I looked for the specs on that NAPA filter what I wanted. Their website is not very user friendly. I buy all teh filters for  our three vehicles once or twice a year. Have always run NAPA Gold on everything I own....I buy it thru my Son's account for his business-which he has a Heavy Equipment repair shop-one reason he uses NAPA so much-they have such a full line of coverage for just about anything/anywhere- He gets s  good discount because of volume bought. Anyway-Thank you -Sir for your response.   glenn
  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...