02 Base for my son

[Snowbound]

On these Western Ultramounts, the plow A-frame height is set when you put the plow together based on the height of the receiver brackets that are mounted to truck frame. It was actually a better design than the Unimount because the old truck side frame hung low and had to be a set distance from ground to keep plow frame level. So now the receiver pockets set up tight to frame and you can also remove them with a pin so when you don’t have plow on, there’s nothing hanging down to hit stuff. But not all trucks are created equal and you couldn’t grab your buddy’s plow if he had a Dodge and you have a Chevy because the Dodge frame is higher and his plow is set up in a configuration 3 or 4 and the Chevy is the lowest at a 1 or 2. Here you can see what I mean.

And that’s exactly what happened. I hooked up plow to test it out, everything functioned like it should, lights and all. I noticed right away that it was set up for his Dodge and the plow frame was about an inch off the ground! I explained why it was like that and what had to be done and he thought we could change it right there. No way! I asked if he had an impact and an 18mm socket I could borrow and I’ll see if I can crank my torsion bars to get it up high enough to get home without scraping or else I would have to come back with trailer. So that what I did. I buried them adjuster and it got me up another 1-1/2” so I was able to bring it home. I just took it easy.

 

[Snowbound]

Came to work Saturday, didn’t have much going on. Maintenance just has to be here on weekends as a “just in case” situation unless we have a project going on and then it’ll be more than one maintenance guy.
I was by myself and that gave me all day to reconfigure the plow!
First thing I did was remove the side brackets and disconnected the head gear from the A-frame.

Then I removed the hoses to the angle cylinders and pulled the head gear completely off.

I didn’t like the pins that go into that pivot bar. They were pretty rough which is typical. The new updated pivot bar have grease zerks for those pins and it’s not an enclosed tube so it doesn’t hold moisture and rust out. Had to order new pins so I just went ahead and ordered the new pivot bar too. Again, over achiever here causing me more work and money.

I also pulled the carbon steel bolts that secure poly board to plow frame and also the bolts for the snow deflector up top and replaced all them with stainless hardware.

I was gonna pull the poly board, prep and paint the frame of plow but I had to stop myself. I did remove the springs and shock to replace that hardware but ended up ordering shock, springs and eyelet bolts for springs. All my stuff should be here Thursday besides the new cutting edge that I have to go pick up when it comes in.

 

[Snowbound]

So as I wait for my new hoses, guide sticks, hardware, pivot bar, pump filter, springs, shock, pins and eyelet bolts I’m cleaning up some of the brackets to give a fresh coat of paint and I have to install these Timbrens that came in over the weekend. They replace the front jounce stoppers and support the extra weight of the plow. I remember when these things were $130, now they’re $250!! But I’ve always ran them and they are a must on any GM with a plow.

I’ve been looking for a new light kit for the plow but I’m not spending another $4-500 for lights. I’m thinking maybe a small light bar and some LED turn signals but I’m not sure if it’s legal. I’ll figure something out but doesn’t have to be right now anyway.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

I don’t know why I always take things to the extreme. I don’t have it in me to leave well enough alone.
I waited around Friday morning for the guy to give me an address and a time to come get that plow on Friday. I mentioned in previous post that I knew the pivot bar on the back of the plow needed to be changed but I wanted that plow because it has the headlights I wanted. The guy was asking $1950 for it but when I said something about the pivot bar he agreed that it was bad and we agreed on $1400. It was between that plow and another poly but the guy was asking $2400 and when I messaged him asking if he would come down he said he’s gonna hold firm at $2400. That one didn’t have the lights that I wanted but the pivot bar was in good shape and didn’t need to be replaced. The plow has to be taken apart to get that bar off so I threw it out there that I would give him $2000 for it and would come anytime to get it but he said no.
Here’s the $1400 one with the rusted out pivot bar.
View attachment 383629

Here’s the $2400 one but notice it has the lights I don’t want and still needs a cutting edge but it’s in good shape and pivot bar is solid.
View attachment 383630
View attachment 383631
View attachment 383632

Thursday night I get a message and he tells me he will take the $2000 because he needs to get it out of there so he can get his other plows ready for season and not have to keep moving this one around. I said I was going in the morning to buy one already but if it was rough and I passed on it I would let him know right away and we can figure out a time to meet.
Well, I waited until 11:30am and never got a reply from the first moron so I messaged the second guy and went and grabbed it.

Bonus gone. I will PM my address when it snows. You can come do it at night dangerously by yourself instead of sleeping or whatever. I know you're into that kind of thing.

I LOL'ed at your texts knowing full well that it would end with you fixing it before morning. You wouldn't be able to sleep if you didn't do it. Then again, you probably wouldn't have slept anyways because when you got home your garage door wouldn't open so you forged new springs out of adamantium and upgraded the motor because you were messing with it anyways.

Joking aside, @Tonyrodz is right. Listen to your body and take care of yourself. It's ultimately what will let you keep doing all the stuff you love as long as you're gonna want to.

 

[Snowbound]

Bonus gone. I will PM my address when it snows. You can come do it at night dangerously by yourself instead of sleeping or whatever. I know you're into that kind of thing.

I LOL'ed at your texts knowing full well that it would end with you fixing it before morning. You wouldn't be able to sleep if you didn't do it. Then again, you probably wouldn't have slept anyways because when you got home your garage door wouldn't open so you forged new springs out of adamantium and upgraded the motor because you were messing with it anyways.

Joking aside, @Tonyrodz is right. Listen to your body and take care of yourself. It's ultimately what will let you keep doing all the stuff you love as long as you're gonna want to.

Was laughing at this comment. It a sickness I have. Doing all this just to do my driveway and a few others is kinda crazy isn’t it? Not like I have a million other things that need to be done.

The Caddy sits for the most part, usually a couple weeks at a time and then I’ll drive it for a few days. The last two times I went to start it the battery was dead. It’s a new battery and it won’t start off my battery charger, I have to jump it but only after it charges for at least 10 minutes. So the other day I figured I better find this draw before winter. I hooked up the charger just to get some juice in the battery and started wiping down the interior and checking my insurance card ti make sure it’s up to date and stuff like that. When I opened the center console ashtray door to clean out around it, I found my issue!
Two pennies inside the 12v outlet. I told Jack just as I tell Jess about making sure nothing falls inside there but it happened. Funny thing is, after I would get it started and drive it for a few days it would start and run every day until it sat for a while. After fishing the coins out I pulled ground cable off battery and hooked up a test light between battery negative terminal and ground cable and showed no draw. I’m confident that was it. So I’m gonna let it sit for a solid week to 9 days and see if it’ll start.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

Was laughing at this comment. It a sickness I have. Doing all this just to do my driveway and a few others is kinda crazy isn’t it? Not like I have a million other things that need to be done.

The Caddy sits for the most part, usually a couple weeks at a time and then I’ll drive it for a few days. The last two times I went to start it the battery was dead. It’s a new battery and it won’t start off my battery charger, I have to jump it but only after it charges for at least 10 minutes. So the other day I figured I better find this draw before winter. I hooked up the charger just to get some juice in the battery and started wiping down the interior and checking my insurance card ti make sure it’s up to date and stuff like that. When I opened the center console ashtray door to clean out around it, I found my issue!
Two pennies inside the 12v outlet. I told Jack just as I tell Jess about making sure nothing falls inside there but it happened. Funny thing is, after I would get it started and drive it for a few days it would start and run every day until it sat for a while. After fishing the coins out I pulled ground cable off battery and hooked up a test light between battery negative terminal and ground cable and showed no draw. I’m confident that was it. So I’m gonna let it sit for a solid week to 9 days and see if it’ll start.
View attachment 383705

Cost of plow is now 1999.98
Solid work.

 

[Snowbound]

Parts showed up.

Got the side plates cleaned and painted.

Time to put it back together.

 

[Snowbound]

Yeah, I would say the cutting edge was a little worn and in need of a new one. I went with a 1/2” thick instead of the 3/8” one that was on it.

When I took the edge off, there was a lot of crud built up under the poly board and on top of the bottom edge of frame. Now I had to pull the board off and clean it up.

 

[Snowbound]

After scraping the loose stuff off I hit it with a wire wheel.

That’s when I found a stress crack.

Drilled a hole at end of crack.

 

[Snowbound]

Opened up the crack to fill it and then welded it up.

Now I had no choice but to clean up the frame, hit it with some metal etch and then paint it.

 

[Snowbound]

Put the board back on after the POR15 cured.

 

[Snowbound]

Edge installed.

Put my Western flags on instead of the cheap “Think Snow” flags for the guide sticks.

I even touched up the quadrant and A frame a little. Didn’t go too crazy.

 

[Snowbound]

Fluid filter and hoses got changed and now it’s ready to go. I’m gonna change the lights but haven’t found a set that I want yet. The LED Western Nighthawk lights are $850 so that’s not happening. I’ll find something. But for now, I can push snow if it happens before I find lights.

Drove the Caddy to work tonight. Thing fired right up so it definitely was the coins in the 12v outlet. Kids!
Brought my trailer to work to pack the bearings. A buddy is gonna take it 2mrw to go pick up his new sled. I have my old riding partner back! More on that later.

 

[tungsten]

Nice rig! Got about 8" of the white stuff over night here.

 

[pwtr02ss]

Nice work as always!

How's the foot holding up?

 

[Snowbound]

Nice work as always!

How's the foot holding up?

Foot still not doing so well. Have an MRI scheduled for the 9th to see if maybe it’s torn. Have to wear a stupid boot while I sleep which makes it hard to get any good sleep because it gets caught on and wrapped up in blanket and wakes me up. Hate this, but I appreciate you asking. I’ll update when I know more. Until then I’m gonna keep hopping along.

 

[pwtr02ss]

Foot still not doing so well. Have an MRI scheduled for the 9th to see if maybe it’s torn. Have to wear a stupid boot while I sleep which makes it hard to get any good sleep because it gets caught on and wrapped up in blanket and wakes me up. Hate this, but I appreciate you asking. I’ll update when I know more. Until then I’m gonna keep hopping along.

Hopefully you get it sorted out. Don't over do it in the mean time though.

 

[Snowbound]

I think this year is gonna be a good one for snowfall. Even though I’m spread thin and don’t get much sleep as it is, I decided I’m going to use this truck and plow to help others and not charge them. Sure, I could get out there and make some extra cash but I think this is going to be more fulfilling.

It didn’t take long and I have about 6 stops already that I’m gonna do. A 96 year old couple that have nurses visiting 2-3 times a day, an 86 year woman, a 78 year old with Parkinson’s, and 3 others that are on the list but have to see if they make the cut. I’m gonna take the more “in need” and maybe get up to 20 if they are all close.
Have a few people already wanting to help out with donations too. I’m not sure if I’m gonna take any money from anyone unless it gets to be too much. This is gonna be wear and tear on my truck and plow, diesel isn’t cheap and I’m always short on time but I think this is gonna be good for me and hopefully inspiring to my kids. If there are a lot of people that are in need of this service I might look into a non for profit 501(c)(3) and try to hire more drivers and pay them from donations. I think it would be nice if I can get businesses to donate, it would be a tax write off and good exposure for them, cover any expenses and help people. Definitely getting good feedback from people on it.

 

[Tonyrodz]

I think this year is gonna be a good one for snowfall. Even though I’m spread thin and don’t get much sleep as it is, I decided I’m going to use this truck and plow to help others and not charge them. Sure, I could get out there and make some extra cash but I think this is going to be more fulfilling.
View attachment 384405

It didn’t take long and I have about 6 stops already that I’m gonna do. A 96 year old couple that have nurses visiting 2-3 times a day, an 86 year woman, a 78 year old with Parkinson’s, and 3 others that are on the list but have to see if they make the cut. I’m gonna take the more “in need” and maybe get up to 20 if they are all close.
Have a few people already wanting to help out with donations too. I’m not sure if I’m gonna take any money from anyone unless it gets to be too much. This is gonna be wear and tear on my truck and plow, diesel isn’t cheap and I’m always short on time but I think this is gonna be good for me and hopefully inspiring to my kids. If there are a lot of people that are in need of this service I might look into a non for profit 501(c)(3) and try to hire more drivers and pay them from donations. I think it would be nice if I can get businesses to donate, it would be a tax write off and good exposure for them, cover any expenses and help people. Definitely getting good feedback from people on it.

This says a lot about you my friend. Maybe your son would be willing to help out too. Your setting a great example for your kids to follow.

 

[Snowbound]

This says a lot about you my friend. Maybe your son would be willing to help out too. Your setting a great example for your kids to follow.

Thanks buddy, that means a lot.

Getting ready to head north for the weekend. Gotta get that garage in order for the season. I had to work 12 hrs last night and should have gone to sleep when I got home but I was getting things together to go up. Now it’s almost too late to nap. Might have to let my brother drive my truck, be safer that way. We are gonna try to rent a concrete grinder to take down that high concrete and then move everything in. No rest for me this weekend. I’ll update when I get back. Have a good weekend.