Losing my wings

[chtucker]

:huh

This is really upsetting. Both wings on my 10'V are coming detached from the center tower. They are seperated about 3/8" in and coming apart along the weld lines. This is not a tripping problem, I believe that this is occuring in the V position and the lower out side corners are being pushed back.

I had my suspicion that this was too much truck for the plow... What do you think Boss is going to do warranty wise for me?

[chtucker]

And yep it is snowing 6-12 predicted for tonight... rereading the post this is occuring at the top of the center tower.

[T-Zab]

Sorry to hear about the Big Boss blade Howard. Do they list it for that truck? As in is there is a mount that fit that truck or was it a Universal ? I think if they spec that blade/ or make a mount they damn well better warranty it! Most of the guys around here with rigs of that size or lil bigger C6500 or F650 run Western 10' heavyweights and they do hold up fine, with the heavier trucks. Obviously they are not runnin a movable v-blade though.

Not to Hijack the thread but do you guys think an 8611 would fair any better ? I realize thats not apples to apples but there has to be a ton of stress on those wings too. With all the weight behind them.

Todd

[chtucker]

Yes it is a specific mount for the truck. Matter of fact GM used a Boss 10' straight blade on their demo truck that they took to municipal equipment shows. I did work with Boss at first to get the mount correct. There were some issues with the the mount not coming down low enough on the high sitting 4x4s.

This is my mind has nothing to do with the trippin action of the plow. I have plowed ALOT in the V position opening roads (not scoop). I have never plowed at full GVW (19,500lbs). I have maybe been up to 15,000lbs. The plow is rated for 14-24,000 lbs trucks.

I have an 810 and don't know if an 8611 would fare any better... I am thinking about asking about a 10' straight blade at this point... or maybe upgrading to a 11' viking.

Howard

[Pickering Snow]

Howard

Hopefully Johnny D will chime in seems i remember him saying he had issues with his boss v doing something simalar or maybe give
Jerre a call iam sure he could tell ya what to expect from boss has warr go
i would think it should be covered i mean hey thats one reason i switched out of or away from western there two winter warr was i dont know seemed every thing that broke wasnt covered by there warr ask John though i know he made comments about the center pin and wings on his.

[BWhite]

Boss should fix it . I think you need to move up to the next class of plow

[Mark Oomkes]

Howard, it's too bad to see that happening. We never had it pulling away like that on top, just the constant breaking on the bottom of the hinge. Your explanation sounds logical to me.

I hope Boss takes care of it. I can't think of an easy way of solving the problem, though. Hopefully it isn't just a normal maintenance item like our lower wing\hinges turned out to be.

If you do get a different plow eventually, do some checking first. We have a Viking and a Monroe. The Viking is an excellent plow, just don't go less than 11'. The Monroe is an awesome plow, had it 8 years now and other than some broken fittings and scraper edge, we have had ZERO repairs on this plow. It is heavy, but the 5500 should handle it. You can also get a very universal mount for them, that way maybe you could get a small V that would hook right up for breaking open drifts if needed.

[John DiMartino]

Chuck, Im sorry to hear about your plow. I had no structural problems with my 9'2" in the first year.When I sold it,there were cracks forming,and the outer mounts on the wings were tearing from the moldboard,framework slightly. The center pin area was in perfect condition at that time.The drivers side wing was also coming back further than the pass side,due to the mounts tweaking. IMO the 8611 Blizzard would do much better,esp if you kept the wing in somewhat during heavy pushing.My 810 is doing much better than the Boss 9'2",it has too,its built much heavier,and the worst thing that can happen IMo is the one of the wings get tweaked.Get it checked ASAP to see what there going to do for you before the warranty is gone. Maybe now we know why that 10ft V on Ebay was so tweaked :(

[chtucker]

I appreciate all the responses. I think Boss should warranty the plow, but my feeling is that this is going to be a reoccuring problem???

My choices were limited and I was in a hurry when I bought the truck. No exact fit mounts were available except for the Blizzard and the Boss.....

We will see what happens, I emailed the pics to Boss and I will talk to my dealer on Monday.

Howard

[Mark Oomkes]

I shouldn't have opened my mouth so quick. I just looked at our 9'2" and it has been welded there looks like a couple times. It's covered on our plows by the flap we have in the center. That is the weak spot of the whole plow--how the wings attach. That is one of the reasons we were\are getting away from Boss--got sick of repairing the hinge areas.

I know that doesn't help you at all. I hope you get them to fix it, but the fix will probably be just weld it up--not replacement.

I'll second the vote on the 8611 :blizzard , even though we don't have that many hours on it yet. Thank you Ford.

[T-Zab]

Chuck

If I were you I would insist on new wings ! What the heck good is a warranty if they are just going to have your dealer fix er up for ya !! The plow is less then a year right ? So they weld it up, what will the finish look like from the powdercoat burnt off from the welds :zoinks
If Boss has an issue then ask why they would list and sell this item for this truck and not warranty it. I would get the plow repaired properly and take it home and list it on ebay. Get the 8611 If you think it will hold up better. At least you can still work some of the smaller sites and have the big blade for the wide open stuff. Just my thoughts on what I would probally do.

Todd

[chtucker]

I don't know what I am going to do.... A trip to Jerres is what I keep threating.

This plow is 2005 model that was installed in November.

[John DiMartino]

Id try to get new wings,then sell it while it looks new,and take a ride to Jerres.

[chtucker]

more blurry pics

[grizzlyadams73]

got almost the same problem with mine but it's coming apart at the bottom.

[chtucker]

Here is my letter that I sent with the pictures

I had OJ Watson of Denver Colorado upfit my 2005 GMC Topkick c5500 4x4 with a 10' Superduty V plow in November of 2004. I have been using the plow and just this past Friday noticed that the wings are ripping off of the center tower at the top.

I do not know what is causing this, but obviously am very concerned. This truck has been plowing at approximately 15,000lbs GVW (truck is rated for 19,500lbs) Truck has been used plowing asphalt parking lots and roads.

My concern is that the plow cannot withstand the consistent use like I am subjecting it to here in the Colorado Rockies. This truck plows approximately 5 acres every storm. At a cost of over $6300 and less 5 months of use this is not what I was expecting.

I was hoping that you could contact me with your thoughts of what is causing this and a remedy.

Please contact me at your earliest convenience at (970) 406-1374

Howard Tucker

[derekbroerse]

Simple and straight to the point. Good letter. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, hopefully this is the case here.

With any luck you'll see some results....

[T-Zab]

I like the letter too, please keep us posted.
Maybe you should be planning a road trip. Jerre could dump it out back next to Freds mvp.

8611 and maybe a wing on the Gmc, 810 on the Excursion, sounds like some pretty awsome looking pics. Everybody loves those mountains in the backround, I can see em now. :D

Todd

[Jerre Heyer]

Ok since I was taking the weekend off...LOL ( working at the house not the shop ) I missed this thread earlier so Howard sent me a PM on it.

:nothingfu

Jerre

Now on a serious side. Howard I have some really detailed pictures of what the inside of that plow looks like when you use a plasma cutter to open it up and straighten it out after it tears off the top or the bottom.

BOTTOM LINE.......WARRANTY FROM BOSS SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

Problem occurs from this... Think physics now. Plow in V. Center is cutting the snow/drifts. Back edges of plow is throwing it off. BOTTOM of the cutting edge at the back end of the plow is taking the majority of the force on each side. Plow twists on the pivot hinge. Think bottom trip plow........ The top of the plow is trying to move forward and this tears the center at the hinge.

Solution. SLOW DOWN...LMAO :rolling :jk

BOSS has a pretty weak IMO assembly for this whole hinge section on the 9.2 and 10' V plows. They are a great plow but this section and the bushings take ALOT of stress. Tearing is common in my market and you plow alot more than we do. The internal gussets and supports put alot of stress on the bushings also and the top bushings are the same size as the rest in the interest of space savings and parts to keep on hand. The top bushings on each side and there tie in's need to be Thicker, Taller and better gusseted IMO.

Howard, Would be glad to have you come to ERIE for an 8611 and will outfit you if you want.

If you are doing alot of the work on roadways and NEED the V postion then you need to stay with a v plow. If the roadways are gravel and not blacktop/concrete you may want to get a FISHER 9.6V though. The bottom trip would be more forgiving in this instance. They tear out at the bushings also though eventually ( just thought I'd warn you )

Best of luck, Jerre

[chtucker]

I only took the road jobs cause I had the V plow, I would gladly give them up as they are tough on me and truck/plow.

How much do you think I could sell the Boss for? Do you think that they will give me new wings or try to weld back it back together?

How much for one of those 8611s (got a 1014???) with the flipped manifold, double springed, upsized hosed, super monster nascar jobbies pimp :blizzard

[cat320]

So howard sound like your putting your order in for a Jerre special

[chtucker]

pretty much... when I come back in May or June if Jerres got the time and inclination

[Jerre Heyer]

Howard, Pimp my plow.........Sounds like a new TV show for sure.

Can easily do a 10-13.3 for you. Manifold is no challenge. Heavy hoses and Carbide cutting edges. 3/4 main edge with a 1/4" carbide insert for the main edge. Winter group will make me custom XTENDORS for the 8611 or the 810 wings now so I don't think other customs will be a problem.

I think you really want to look at my GET WIDER PROJECT as it comes to production. Problem is you may not have enough truck for it. Me thinks John D will be awe struck when he gets a look at the GTG in April. Makes the 8611 into a 10.6 or 10.9 to a 13.9 or 14.

Like anything though you can break it.

Jerre

P.S. if you want me to get started on one let me know.

[chtucker]

I can't find the Get wider posts

[John DiMartino]

One by one,we go to Jerre's :rockon . Howard,a trip to Jerre is well worth it,from my experiences. Jerre,i cant wait to see your get wider plow :blizzard

[Mark Oomkes]

Thanks a bunch Jerre. First they rub it in about Fords, now you're teasing me about the get wider special. :headwall Dangit, always a day late and two dollars short.

[chtucker]

Woo hoo Boss said whole new plow!!! Dealer has cut up this one and show them some pictures of it in pieces.

Howard

[T-Zab]

Howard that is great news !! Good to see Boss stands behind there products.

Todd

[Mark Oomkes]

Obviously nobody at Boss ever worked at Ford. :grinz :grinz

That's awesome, Howard, glad to hear there's at least one manufacturer that takes responsibility for their products. Raises my opinion of Boss a little and makes me think it might have been a dealer issue as well for us.

[chtucker]

Anybody want to buy a new 10' Boss V plow??????

Seriously list is over $7,000. I paid $6300. What do you think I could get for it? Ebay???? :greenange

[labsnducks]

Howard.. Great to hear that Boss is doing the right thing!!!
Congratulations


Obviously nobody at Boss ever worked at Ford.

:rolling :rolling :rolling :rolling
Mark, that was GREAT... Thanks I needed a laugh!!!

[Alan]

It's nice that Boss is taking care of you on that. Hopefully #2 will hold up better than #1 did.

Just in case you want to spare set on hand. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7965000497&category=63688

Even though it looks funny, I like a couple things about the Sno-Way vee. That unorthodox center tower allows use of a longer hinge sleeve which allows for more weld area. And the skins on those are loose, they are not a part of the structure of the wing. The framework of the wing is where the strength is, the skin only keeps the snow from falling through. Too bad they only go 9'1" with it.

[chtucker]

Pricing out the parts from Central Parts that is not too bad. (off the top of my head) 350 for tower, and 1800 for the wings..

So that is not too bad...

Howard

[derekbroerse]

Ahhhhhh is that the smell of satisfaction or what?

Glad to hear that BOSS is standing behind it... especially since I valiantly defended my favorite manufacturer in another post, I was really starting to worry that my unit was the fluke for lasting!! I was afraid I'd eventually have to eat a whole bunch of ***** for it!!! :grinz

Its nice when you get your way, isn't it? Seems to happen so rarely these days.....

[Garagekeeper]

Howard I had talked with Dan in the service dept at Boss today about your plow, he said that you and your dealer should have already received the e-mail with their decision to replace the wings.
Boss does stand behind their product if there is a problem.
Plus I think he enjoyed your pictures too.
:rolleyes: John........

[chtucker]

Howard I had talked with Dan in the service dept at Boss today about your plow, he said that you and your dealer should have already received the e-mail with their decision to replace the wings.
Boss does stand behind their product if there is a problem.
Plus I think he enjoyed your pictures too.
:rolleyes: John........

Hope I didn't stir the pot too much :zoom

My blurry pics :grinz I was so wound up Friday that I had to take them in the dark, while it was snowing.... Wife took the bottom set of three, a little better.

I am glad boss is doing what they are doing... My dealer said new a frame and everything??

I left a few messages at the factory, but never recieved a call.. The dealer was very responsive however. I got two phone calls from two of their employees wanting to set up an appointment. Their words where all new... come on in, double check mounting height and pull on out??? I hope that is the case....

If you talked to Boss on my behalf I sure appreciate it John. Did not expect that in the least, if it came up in coversation.... again a big thank you none the less. What were their thoughts, metal fatigue for sure, poor welds, contaminated metal/weld?.... or as Jerre said sllllllloooooowwwww down?

Howard

[chtucker]

Comfirmed with dealer today... Completely new plow... By the time Boss shipped the parts, the cost of the parts and the labor involved it would over the cost of just giving me a new one that is in stock.

Dealer is going to let me finnish out the season (2 or 3 more weeks) with what I have and start next season with the new plow.

Heck, I got new cutting edges and a new sno catcher out of the deal.

I am VERY VERY VERY pleased with Boss. I have another 1.5 years of warranty left. After that level of service, I think I will stick with it for now.

Boss felt that it was a bad/missed weld.

Maybe my luck changes once and a while...

Howard

[John DiMartino]

Excellent news! Im am glad Boss is stepping up to the plate for you! I dont blame you for running the new one,but at the same time if you were going to bail on the V plow,now would be the time to do so while its brand new. :blizzard

[T-Zab]

That is awsome Howard maybe some preventive work to keep it from happening again could be in order.
Todd

[chtucker]

I have thought about some bracing, but I would probably void any warranty that I have...

[Mark Oomkes]

That's amazing, Howard. I had very little hope for just about all manufacturers anymore. But then I've been dealing with Ford.

I hope for your sake it was a bad\missed weld, but I'm with John D, now's the time to switch if you are going to. I believe Jerre is correct, this is just a weak spot in the plow and it will continue to happen, although I would rather be wrong about it.

Too bad you can't get a 9'2" for the Excursion and switch the 810 or an 8611 on the 5500. :blizzard

[szorno]

Howard, once again, I miss out on the fun.
As of today my 9'2" is doing great ! I haven't used it nearly as heavy as you have. I am really glad that Boss is honoring their warranty. I am really glad your dealer got in to help you too. As I was reading this and thinking about them I figured you would hit major problems with them. Glad I was wrong. I'll call you later this week. Hope you get thru the season with the problem blade OK.

[derekbroerse]

After the other day's snow storm I stopped to grab a quick pizza (didn't feel like cooking!) and saw the most sorry looking Boss plow I've ever seen in person (only worse one was that 10 footer on ebay!).

It was an old RTII on a lanscaper-stickered Dodge (so much for the theory of it being the age difference) but was obviously an employee's truck. Besides the usual scratches and rust, it was dented all over the moldboard--obviously not a stranger to being used as a battering ram... The driver's side wing was torn at the bottom of the hinge and rewelded without pushing the gap shut (ie: 3/4 - 1" of weld!).

I might be tempted to agree that this has obviously been a recurring problem but this particular one had been beaten near submission and was still out working. Being an RTII it is at the newest, what, about five years old?

What really proved to me that it was shear abuse was that even the lever to actuate the attaching linkage was broken and hack-welded back together. omg Figure that one out. How did they manage that???

Mine took a real beating the other day, as the ground was so soft that the tires would sink and the blade would grab (even with the wear shoes) so it was trip trip trip trip trip all day. If you release it gently it returns gently. If you release it quickly it will make the truck jump. Its all in how you handle it. Even through all that it is still going strong...Can't say the same about my exhaust system :grinz

[T-Zab]

So on the Boss V you can release the trip ??? Is this done by backing off the object that triped ? Not sure what you ment, I know on my old v-blade (western) it came back on its own unless you had it pinned to a curb. If you caught a manhole cover at speed it sprung back on its own. The straight you can barely tell it triped with the shock. Just wondering what you ment by "release it gently".
Please dont take this the wrong way Derek, just wondering what you ment. Not looking to start world war 3. My next new plow wont be red (or yellow) so I really dont care about the v blade wars.
Todd

[derekbroerse]

So on the Boss V you can release the trip ??? Is this done by backing off the object that triped ? Not sure what you ment, I know on my old v-blade (western) it came back on its own unless you had it pinned to a curb. If you caught a manhole cover at speed it sprung back on its own. The straight you can barely tell it triped with the shock. Just wondering what you ment by "release it gently".
Please dont take this the wrong way Derek, just wondering what you ment. Not looking to start world war 3. My next new plow wont be red (or yellow) so I really dont care about the v blade wars.
Todd

Don't worry, it would be around World War 15 or so by now if we were counting! :D

What I have found is that when you catch it on, say, a manhole cover on asphalt, it will trip and stay there until you reach a full stop, then release itself... however, if it is in the soft gravel as mentioned, it seems to stay there until you a)lift it out with a loud bang as it returns, or b) a quick shift to reverse and gently release the clutch to ease it back down. Sure beats the hammer-blow return it does otherwise without the shock absorber kit. Whenever possible that is what I do--only takes an extra second or two.

[T-Zab]

Derek Thanks for clearing that up, I kinda thought that was what you ment.
Todd