Plow Question

Skeld · December 13, 2016

I have a 2016 2500 HD CC 6.0L with a Fisher 9'6" XV on it. Supposedly the dealer turned up the torsion bars some, but it seems to sag quite a bit in the front. Theoretically this truck should handle this plow with some ballast, which I have had 360 pounds in the back so far. I'm going to try adding more. Are people doing anything else with these trucks to carry a plow like this or is it the nature of the beast? It just seems like mine sags more than other trucks I've seen, but I could be crazy.

newdude · December 13, 2016

Was the truck built with plow prep? Check your build label upper glove box for VYU.

Fisher's eMatch calls for 750lbs of ballast with the 9'6" both steel and stainless for a crew cab standard box with plow prep 5200lbs front axle.

cat320 · December 13, 2016

add a set of timbrens in front http://timbren.com/ses-kit-lookup/

sdeeter19555 · December 13, 2016

I have a set of front Timbrens from a 2012 2500hd if they are the same (I would suspect nothing has changed). I bought them, ran them for a few miles, then took them out.

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Andy Seibel · December 13, 2016

Sounds like you only have half the required ballast, but yes, it is the nature of the beast.

You do have your weight ALL the way at the far back end of the bed, right?

Putting it over the rear axle won't help you at all with front end sag.

Skeld · December 13, 2016

I do have the plow package. I have the switch for the strobe light and no garage door opening system. When I run my truck through Fisher eMatch, it says 450 pounds of ballast I believe. I'll go try again. So I'm not sure that 100 pounds is going to make a huge difference but I'm going to bump it up to 600 pounds and try again. I'd rather not have that much weight on there because I will also be towing quite a bit this winter so that's going to hurt me there. And it's a bit of a pain in the ass to load and unload that weight over and over...but I might set it up on a pallet and take it in and out that weigh.

I swear that just the weight of the equipment on the truck for the plow sags it some.

fjtort2 · December 14, 2016

Nice rig! The sag looks normal to me. I run a similar truck with 8'2 boss v. I run about 600lbs in the box

jerseydrew · December 14, 2016

ballast is not going to correct sag. ballast is meant to correct the seesaw effect of the extra weight on the front end so your rear wheels don't lift when braking with the plow in the up position. you need to take some measurements to confirm your sagging more than normal. you have to measure from the center of the front wheel to fender with nothing on the truck, then put plow on and do the same measurement when the plow is raised. that will give you the true sag of the front end. but your truck looks pretty normal to me too.

check on the door sticker and confirm your FAWR (front axle weight rating) the trucks with less sag usually have the 6k FAWR which can only be gotten with the diesel, plow prep and off road suspension. that is what mine has and sags 3/4 of an inch with an 850lb plow.

looks like you have a 1k lb plow and a lower FAWR so you might see a bit more sag than most. but it should't be more than 1.5 to 2 inch.

jerseydrew · December 14, 2016

as far as ballast i use 12x12 paver stones which are 37 lbs a piece. so they can easily be put in or taken out when needed. while the truck can take it the ballast that far back in the bed makes the truck drive a bit different when the plow isn't on.

Skeld · December 14, 2016

jerseydrew, on 13 Dec 2016 - 9:29 PM, said:

ballast is not going to correct sag. ballast is meant to correct the seesaw effect of the extra weight on the front end so your rear wheels don't lift when braking with the plow in the up position. you need to take some measurements to confirm your sagging more than normal. you have to measure from the center of the front wheel to fender with nothing on the truck, then put plow on and do the same measurement when the plow is raised. that will give you the true sag of the front end. but your truck looks pretty normal to me too.

check on the door sticker and confirm your FAWR (front axle weight rating) the trucks with less sag usually have the 6k FAWR which can only be gotten with the diesel, plow prep and off road suspension. that is what mine has and sags 3/4 of an inch with an 850lb plow.

looks like you have a 1k lb plow and a lower FAWR so you might see a bit more sag than most. but it should't be more than 1.5 to 2 inch.

It's a 5200 FAWR, they are 4800 without the plow package and the 6.0 but 5200 with plow prep. I didn't realize the diesel has 6000...that might be some of the difference I'm seeing when comparing to diesels. I know the Duramax is heavier but I doubt it's 800 pounds more?

Cosmic Charlie · December 14, 2016

It's a 5200 FAWR, they are 4800 without the plow package and the 6.0 but 5200 with plow prep. I didn't realize the diesel has 6000...that might be some of the difference I'm seeing when comparing to diesels. I know the Duramax is heavier but I doubt it's 800 pounds more?

My 2015 25HD 6.0 with plow prep (5200) carries my Fisher MM2 8' and or 9' with 3/4" front sag with about 300 lbs in the bed.

The 762 pounds of extra payload that can be carried by the Vortec gas truck is the exact difference in the factory curb weights between the two trucks (gas vs diesel).

jerseydrew · December 14, 2016

It's a 5200 FAWR, they are 4800 without the plow package and the 6.0 but 5200 with plow prep. I didn't realize the diesel has 6000...that might be some of the difference I'm seeing when comparing to diesels. I know the Duramax is heavier but I doubt it's 800 pounds more?

there are actually 3 different FAWR depending on options. here is the chart:

click here

looks like max plow weight for your truck should be 725 lbs

Skeld · December 14, 2016

there are actually 3 different FAWR depending on options. here is the chart:

click here

looks like max plow weight for your truck should be 725 lbs

Well, Fisher seems to be ok with it with the ballast. But this explains why it doesn't carry it as well I had hoped. This plow was a hand me down from another truck, might try to trade for an 8'6" next year.

Skeld · December 14, 2016

ballast is not going to correct sag. ballast is meant to correct the seesaw effect of the extra weight on the front end so your rear wheels don't lift when braking with the plow in the up position. you need to take some measurements to confirm your sagging more than normal. you have to measure from the center of the front wheel to fender with nothing on the truck, then put plow on and do the same measurement when the plow is raised. that will give you the true sag of the front end. but your truck looks pretty normal to me too.

check on the door sticker and confirm your FAWR (front axle weight rating) the trucks with less sag usually have the 6k FAWR which can only be gotten with the diesel, plow prep and off road suspension. that is what mine has and sags 3/4 of an inch with an 850lb plow.

looks like you have a 1k lb plow and a lower FAWR so you might see a bit more sag than most. but it should't be more than 1.5 to 2 inch.

I disagree that the ballast wouldn't change the sag, because if you put enough weight in the rear it's definitely going to pull weight off the front end and free that capacity up for the plow.

Scheib32 · December 29, 2016

I put a new set of torsion keys on the front to level the truck out for both aesthetic reasons and to help with the weight of the plow doesn't completely fix the problem but it sure helps.