Western Ultra-Mount sits lower on my GMT800, have others faced this?

[CMNTMXR81]

So a little back story, I've been using my 1/2 ton GMT400 Suburban to plow for several years.  It is a Western Pro 8ft with Ultra-Mount setup.  The plow is a little heavier than that truck should be handling, so it was one of the reasons (among others) that I specifically got a 3/4 ton 800 with the Big Block.

 

So yesterday I put my Ultra-Mount truck side mount on the 2003.  Put the receivers on, and thought...  WTF...  This looks like it sits lower.  Sure as crap, when I put the two trucks nose to nose, and measured, to the top of the mount on the GMT400, it was 17" off the ground.  I did the same on the 800 and it was 15" off the ground.  Not to mention, the mounts on the 800 sit much further out than my 400.

 

So I'm a little frustrated.  The whole impetus here was to get a 2500, get a little more ground clearance for the delicate Ultra-Mount parts as well as the angling ram parts, and here I am sitting 2" lower before even mounting the plow.

 

Are others with 800's seeing the same?  Any solutions?  I already have one size larger tires on it, and will be buying a new set of tires another size bigger here in the near future, but...

 

See how far they stick out...

 

By way of comparison, here is my 400;

Edited October 19, 2020 by CMNTMXR81

[CMNTMXR81]

Oh, and I should mention that the torsion bars are up pretty much all the way.  If I were to go this route, I'd need new keys.

[davester]

You might want to research getting heavier duty torsion bars, to handle the extra weight up front.

[CMNTMXR81]

There is a double edged sword to putting bigger keys in.  Yes, I can get additional front lift, but...

 

1) I have it lifted already to where I feel it's pretty level.  Crank them higher, and then the front sits very high, making it look like the back is sagging just to support a plow on 3/4 ton truck that shouldn't have this issue handing it.

 

2) lifting the front to much, you start wearing your CV joints out from the angle they get put in to.

[CMNTMXR81]

I forgot I posted this here...

 

So I did the mounts (as posted above), then got around to the truck side wiring.  Then mounted the plow.  Was HIGHLY dissappointed...

 

See any possible reason why...

 

Yea, , that was MAYBE an inch of clearance between the plow and the ground.  I was NOT happy.  The whole point of getting a 3/4 ton truck was for this plow.  It is/was supposed to support it a lot better than my 1/2 ton.

 

Anyway, asked around, and found out that my plow (I bought it used), was "configured" for a ford setup.  They sit up much higher in front than the GM IFS trucks.  So their configuration is to sit them lower.

 

So I went about fixing this "configuration" to a GM setup.  To do this, you move the pivot plates on the back of the plow's "A" frame.

 

See the circled plates.  The flat edge of the plate, is for a ford setup;  GM needs the beveled side up;

 

As one can imagine, a plow that dates back to the early - mid 2000's, and having been used and subjected to snow, ice, water, muck, things are rusted!  Well make no doubt, the bolts for this pivot plate did NOT want to come off.  Even my 400lb/ft impact couldn't break them loose.  I ended up with a 5ft breaker bar, and snapped a couple off completely.  The remaining 5, no dice.  So I had to breakout our the sawzall.

 

Got everything done, moved around, reassembled, and statically, sitting on my rollers, it sat 3" higher.

 

Note, the beveled edges facing up...

 

Then this past weekend, I actually mounted it to the truck...  Success...  5.5" of ground clearance.  And this amount is WITHOUT the 700 pounds of ballast I put in back to counter the plow, the front Buyers bump stops I had not yet put in, and the smaller tires I currently have on (I plan about another half inch to inch of clearance with the tires I want).  So I am happy!