mountainexplorer
1/2 ton status
Since I've owned my plow, it has been on 5 different trucks. I hadn't originally intended it to be swapped around so often, but it happened.
CK5
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1 plow on 5 trucks
- Thread starter mountainexplorer
- Start date
what no crewcab plow trucks?
6.2puller
1/2 ton status
So the pushplates from a 1/2 and 3/4 ton will fit on a 1 ton?
front of the frames are the same on all 3 tons.
beater_k20
Banned
my 131.5" wheelbase is a mile long. compared to a K5, the maneuverability absolutely sucks. however, i've never street driven a shortbox truck, so the 131.5" feels natural to me. i cant imagine what a crewcab truck would be like with a plow on the front.sweetk30 said:
6.2puller
1/2 ton status
I think I will be finding out. I am betting that for small drives and just my personal use it will be managable. Besides my choices are the burban or the CC dually 
Not that much different.
Not that much different.
any they are all chevy's 
mountainexplorer
1/2 ton status
Here's the unnecessarily long explanation of why I've had the plow on 5 trucks:
I wanted to just have it on my '87 1-ton Utility bed truck (of which I had robbed the 60 out of and put a Dana 44 under it). But when I bought the Hiniker plow, the Utility truck had the old Meyers 2-way blade on it still, so I put it on a '78 K20 I had at the time to get it home.
The '78 got traded for my Blue Blazer I have now, and the next winter I took the Meyeres blade off and put the Hiniker plow on my '87 and plowed until the motor started knocking. The frame was also cracked on the '87.
I found an ad for a '77 1-ton 4x4 Flatbed with a 454 for $1200, got excited and went and looked and it was only a 3/4 ton (dana 44, not a 60), but bought it anyway so I could finish the plow season then parted it selling the 454 for $700, TH400/203 for $350 and sidewinder winch for $80 and sold the rolling truck with flatbed and axles for $400 and partial trade- expecting to have the '87 going again. I sold the knocking '87's 454 and TBI setup for $950, then bought an '83 K30 Dually "engine fire special" for $1300 to give me a non-cracked frame and Dana 60 front for the '87 body.
I parted out the '83 body, Dually rear end and rims for about $850 total money back and kept the frame, 454/400/205/Dana 60, and put a single wheel 14-bolt rear under it.
Last fall I didn't get the body swap done (from the '87 onto the '83), but I had bought an '84 Chevy with a 454, 465/205, CUCV Dana 60 with crossover and 14-bolt with Detroit and 4.56s and 39.5" Boggers for $4000... took everything out of it- putting a 350/TH350/208/14-bolt with 4.10s and 10-bolt front under it and the stuck the plow on it. I used it last year to plow and then I sold the '84 for $3000 on payments this year thinking I'd finish the '87 plow truck by fall '05.
This year I ended up selling the 454 out of the '83 K30 frame for $500 cause I needed money towards a stepside... then I took the TH400/205 out and we put that in an '84 K5 Blazer which I had got and then traded for an '83 K30 6.2 Diesel truck that had 4.56 gears. I put 4.10s under it and a 3" lift, and seeing how my '87/'83 K30 plow truck project was mostly parted out by now, I put the plow on the '83 Diesel K30.
I'm hoping by fall of 2006 I'll have a 454/TH400/205 back in the '87/'83 K30 frame and the '87 body on it and have it going finally 2 years later than expected. Then the plow may end up back on it.
Anyone confused yet?
I wanted to just have it on my '87 1-ton Utility bed truck (of which I had robbed the 60 out of and put a Dana 44 under it). But when I bought the Hiniker plow, the Utility truck had the old Meyers 2-way blade on it still, so I put it on a '78 K20 I had at the time to get it home.
The '78 got traded for my Blue Blazer I have now, and the next winter I took the Meyeres blade off and put the Hiniker plow on my '87 and plowed until the motor started knocking. The frame was also cracked on the '87.
I found an ad for a '77 1-ton 4x4 Flatbed with a 454 for $1200, got excited and went and looked and it was only a 3/4 ton (dana 44, not a 60), but bought it anyway so I could finish the plow season then parted it selling the 454 for $700, TH400/203 for $350 and sidewinder winch for $80 and sold the rolling truck with flatbed and axles for $400 and partial trade- expecting to have the '87 going again. I sold the knocking '87's 454 and TBI setup for $950, then bought an '83 K30 Dually "engine fire special" for $1300 to give me a non-cracked frame and Dana 60 front for the '87 body.
I parted out the '83 body, Dually rear end and rims for about $850 total money back and kept the frame, 454/400/205/Dana 60, and put a single wheel 14-bolt rear under it.
Last fall I didn't get the body swap done (from the '87 onto the '83), but I had bought an '84 Chevy with a 454, 465/205, CUCV Dana 60 with crossover and 14-bolt with Detroit and 4.56s and 39.5" Boggers for $4000... took everything out of it- putting a 350/TH350/208/14-bolt with 4.10s and 10-bolt front under it and the stuck the plow on it. I used it last year to plow and then I sold the '84 for $3000 on payments this year thinking I'd finish the '87 plow truck by fall '05.
This year I ended up selling the 454 out of the '83 K30 frame for $500 cause I needed money towards a stepside... then I took the TH400/205 out and we put that in an '84 K5 Blazer which I had got and then traded for an '83 K30 6.2 Diesel truck that had 4.56 gears. I put 4.10s under it and a 3" lift, and seeing how my '87/'83 K30 plow truck project was mostly parted out by now, I put the plow on the '83 Diesel K30.
I'm hoping by fall of 2006 I'll have a 454/TH400/205 back in the '87/'83 K30 frame and the '87 body on it and have it going finally 2 years later than expected. Then the plow may end up back on it.
Anyone confused yet?
beater_k20
Banned
that's precisely what mine is used for, and the wheelbase is a big problem many times. a K5 would be a much better choice for a plow rig as far as wheelbase is concerned. my grandpa had one before the K20, the only issue he ever had with it was the back window covering with slush when driving from one family member's house to another, which made backing up a little interesting.6.2puller said:I think I will be finding out. I am betting that for small drives and just my personal use it will be managable. Besides my choices are the burban or the CC dually
mountainexplorer
1/2 ton status
my choices are the burban or the CC dually
My friend used to plow with his '88 Suburban. It did good, but was a pain to see backing up, especially with heavily tinted windows. A Suburban actually has a 2" shorter wheel base than a regular longbed truck of the '73-'87 era... but a crew cab would be too long. That is, for in-town plowing or parking lots. If you have a long driveway or big open space, then it wouldn't be as bad. I've seen some crew cabs and extended cab longbeds with plows, as well as K5's. The guys with the K5's brag about maneuverability and the guys with Suburbans brag about weight and control while pushing snow.
My '87 was a good plow truck cause it wasn't too long, but the utility box was heavy, in addition to the previous owner bolting a piece of steel railroad track under the bed attached to the frame.
I'm confused!...
Wow..I thought I took a lot of plows on and off of trucks!..I have been trying to find out if the Fisher plow push frames from my 74 K20 setup will fit one ton 4X4's as well as the 73-87 1/2-3/4 tons like it came from (I think it would fit 67-72 4X4's too)--which I know are the same..also,will they fit a 2WD truck,especially a 1 ton??..SweetK30 says the 4X4 1 tons are the same frames up front,so it would work on a one ton 4X4 right?..I had a few guys with 2WD dump trucks interested in my plow setup I'm selling..but I can't get the Fisher website thing to download on my computer that lists what they will fit!.Some other ads say they will also fit some later Tahoe's and GM trucks..I wish I could find out for certain,I could probably have sold it by now,had I known just what other later trucks they might work on..hell,I'm tempted to put it on my C10 if it doesn't sell.!I'd use a bedfull of sand and chains if I had too,if I blew up my diesel or something!....The Fisher "fit guide" file wont play on my window's media player...grrr..I plow with my 131.5" wb Longbed trucks just fine!--sure,a K5 would be nicer in the tighter spots,but I can put my K20 in places my C10 cant go--that thing steers like a bus compared to a 4X4..I can turn my K20 right around in the street without backing up--but I'd have to make a 3 or 4 point turn in the C10!..and they are both the same wheelbase..the 4X4 front wheels turn sharper I guess...I plowed with Suburbans,they are pretty manuverable,and I like the longbeds and burbs because they don't get shoved sideways as easy as a shortbed or K5 will in heavy wet snow conditions..A crew cab is only good for straight ahead highway plowing,or huge long shopping mall parking lots..I plowed at the boneyard with a 70 F-350 Beavertailed ramp truck..it was a huge PITA--had to have a car on the bed for weight,chains,and we about wore out the steering box from turning it lock to lock a million times!..and I backed into just about everything in the yard with it too..
Wow..I thought I took a lot of plows on and off of trucks!..I have been trying to find out if the Fisher plow push frames from my 74 K20 setup will fit one ton 4X4's as well as the 73-87 1/2-3/4 tons like it came from (I think it would fit 67-72 4X4's too)--which I know are the same..also,will they fit a 2WD truck,especially a 1 ton??..SweetK30 says the 4X4 1 tons are the same frames up front,so it would work on a one ton 4X4 right?..I had a few guys with 2WD dump trucks interested in my plow setup I'm selling..but I can't get the Fisher website thing to download on my computer that lists what they will fit!.Some other ads say they will also fit some later Tahoe's and GM trucks..I wish I could find out for certain,I could probably have sold it by now,had I known just what other later trucks they might work on..hell,I'm tempted to put it on my C10 if it doesn't sell.!I'd use a bedfull of sand and chains if I had too,if I blew up my diesel or something!....The Fisher "fit guide" file wont play on my window's media player...grrr..I plow with my 131.5" wb Longbed trucks just fine!--sure,a K5 would be nicer in the tighter spots,but I can put my K20 in places my C10 cant go--that thing steers like a bus compared to a 4X4..I can turn my K20 right around in the street without backing up--but I'd have to make a 3 or 4 point turn in the C10!..and they are both the same wheelbase..the 4X4 front wheels turn sharper I guess...I plowed with Suburbans,they are pretty manuverable,and I like the longbeds and burbs because they don't get shoved sideways as easy as a shortbed or K5 will in heavy wet snow conditions..A crew cab is only good for straight ahead highway plowing,or huge long shopping mall parking lots..I plowed at the boneyard with a 70 F-350 Beavertailed ramp truck..it was a huge PITA--had to have a car on the bed for weight,chains,and we about wore out the steering box from turning it lock to lock a million times!..and I backed into just about everything in the yard with it too..
pvfjr
1/2 ton status
Hmm, my 1-ton and my 1/2 ton were different when I went to swap the bumper...sweetk30 said:
mountainexplorer
1/2 ton status
Front frame horns and bumper mounts/brackets changed in 1981... 1973-1980 were the same and 1981-1987/91 were slightly different and used a bolt-on bumper bracket. Essentially the same dimensions though.
The plow bracketry I have bolted right up to the '78 K20 frame, '77 K20, '87 1-ton, '84 1/2 ton (the red one was originally a 1/2 ton) and '83 1-ton. I was also told when I got this plow that the bracketry would bolt up to the late 80's and early 90's Dodges as well.
The plow bracketry I have bolted right up to the '78 K20 frame, '77 K20, '87 1-ton, '84 1/2 ton (the red one was originally a 1/2 ton) and '83 1-ton. I was also told when I got this plow that the bracketry would bolt up to the late 80's and early 90's Dodges as well.
gravdigr
1/2 ton status
Try a plow on the front of a 160" dump truck. It's like trying to plow with a motorhome.beater_k20 said:my 131.5" wheelbase is a mile long. compared to a K5, the maneuverability absolutely sucks. however, i've never street driven a shortbox truck, so the 131.5" feels natural to me. i cant imagine what a crewcab truck would be like with a plow on the front.
walla2k5
1/2 ton status
I bet you've been busy the last week or so....We've just had an inch or two at a time down here.
