Two questions about ballast weight.

[Roger Dodger]

Just wanted to throw this out here to gather some input:

1. Is there a preferred percentage or rule of thumb for the amount of ballast weight? In other words, something like 40-50% of plow weight, etc.?

2. Where's the preferred/best location to place the ballast in a truck bed?

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In my case, I am carrying about 45% in ballast. 10% of that weight is attached as an aux. bumper guard while the remainder is tube sand placed between the wheel housings in a framed lumber "keeper". I need the room nearest the tailgate for hauling small stuff, so placing weight there isn't ideal for me. Because I have the aux rear leaf pkg. I could go even higher with % of ballast, but it seems that 350lbs. does fine without the need to haul unecessary weight and waste more gas or affect vehicle handling.

[snonut12]

Originally posted by Roger Dodger
1. Is there a preferred percentage or rule of thumb for the amount of ballast weight? In other words, something like 40-50% of plow weight, etc.?

No, it vary greatly from vehicle to vehicle because it depends on how much the plow weighs, the truck configuation like motor weight, cab size, bed size, etc. It could range from 250# to 1000# for the same plow on two different trucks. In case if you did not know, Fisher have a kit selection guide (chart) on their website which will show which plows are recommended for a specific truck, and if it is recommended, it will tell you how much ballast you should put in the rear.

Originally posted by Roger Dodger
2. Where's the preferred/best location to place the ballast in a truck bed?

It would be the best to put it as far back as possible. However because sometime we take tailgate off our truck when plowing so it will make it easier to see when backing up, and also to keep the tailgate from getting messed up from tailgate spreader. In that case, place the ballast between the wheel wells and reinforced with two length of 2x8 board to slide in the truck bed and hold the ballast there.

[JCurtis]

Roger, you can go to the Fisher site and look at the application guide for your year truck, then find the model plow you are using.

The application chart is very specific as to the exact amount of Ballast weight required.


I agree, that ballast should be placed as far back as possible, but between the weheel wells is as good a place as any.

Just make sure its secure. I read somewhere that a guy was using concrete blocks loose in his bed, another was using Granite chunks.... I think I prefer tube/bag sand

[Roger Dodger]

The Fisher chart shows 300# for my truck.... that seems kind of light but, then I gather they aren't factoring in a 2880 payload capability and tire tread traction either as I was assuming. I'll stick with their recommendations and lighten things up a bit. Thanks guys.

[JCurtis]

Roger are you sure you picked up the right figure?

My 2000 GMC has 600lbs recommended as Ballast with my XBlade

I just looked at the Dodge application guide, your truck with a 6.5 foot Bed shows 350 lbs and 400 lbs with an 8 foot bed if your are carrying a 8 foot HD MM

[wyldman]

Best thing to do is use a truck scale.Place the front end on the scale with the plow up.Add ballast to the back of the truck and you'll see just how much weight it pulls off the front.Moving it forwards,or backwards will also affect it.Do this with someone in the vehicle,and a full tank of gas.The object is to try and get as much weight off the front end,and stay under your FAWR.You have to be careful too,that you do not exceed the GVWR with the ballast on board.Scale the entire truck afterwards to make sure.

The further back you can get the ballast,the more weight transfer it will provide...BUT,if it's too far back it will start to affect the handling of the truck.Over the axle,or just slightly rearward is the best spot.

I wouldn't recommend any type of wood structure to contain it,unless it's braced with some steel,as it will not hold the weight if you hit something hard.The last thing you want is 600 lbs flying through the back window.

[kawdude]

Originally posted by wyldman
[The last thing you want is 600 lbs flying through the back window. [/B]

And you call yourself Wyldman, sounds like FUN! :D

Just kidding.:zoom :headwall

[Adams Plowing]

ive found that using some chain attached with closeable links to the tiedown holds the weight in plave pretty good... but i also run tubesand in the box so if it breaks loose the sand wont do as much damage as a flying cinderblock.

[CNY Joe]

I like to use the tube sand as well, comes in pretty handy if you get stuck and need a little help with traction.

[BWhite]

I was always told to put the secured weight over the rear axle as close as you can . But my 500# back plow hanging 3 feet off the back seems to do a great job

[Prosno]

Okay so now I'll give you the laugh for the day, What the heck is tube sand???? call me dumb but I cant figure that one out. But hey I read a post last night about someone removing the doorstops off their ford and I couldnt find any on my truck, sooo I asked Snowplowjay where the hell are these doorstops on my truck? he said the plowshoes dummy stop looking at your doors.:headwall

[Crimedog]

It's just plain old sand put into a bag. The bag is long and skinny, so lit looks like a tube:cool: We can get a real good deal on sand around here-free! The local cub foods has 2 pallets left over from flooding last spring:D :D

[Dockboy]

Originally posted by Prosno
Okay so now I'll give you the laugh for the day, What the heck is tube sand???? call me dumb but I cant figure that one out. But hey I read a post last night about someone removing the doorstops off their ford and I couldnt find any on my truck, sooo I asked Snowplowjay where the hell are these doorstops on my truck? he said the plowshoes dummy stop looking at your doors.:headwall

Prosno,

You are killing me!!:grinz :rolling

Hang around awhile, you'll get the lingo;)

Was it in reply to chayesf250??


By the way, tube sand is sand in a tube, kind of like a sausage:smile3

[BWhite]

tube sand

[JohnnyU]

I used to run 8 50# bags of sand. Last year, when I got a spreader, which being all steel, weighs about 150-200#, plus about 500# of salt I had with me, kept my ballast at about 700#. At times it seemed like it was a little light, so this year I'm going to add a few bags of sand in additon to the salt and spreader.

Purely out of conveneince, the salt was always piled up behind the wheelwells, for easier access and loading of the spreader. If you think about the moment arm of the weight of the plow (about the rear wheels) and the moment arm of the ballast, also about the rear wheels, it should be behind the wells, this way the forces will be closer to equalibrium.

[Adams Plowing]

Originally posted by Prosno
But hey I read a post last night about someone removing the doorstops off their ford and I couldnt find any on my truck, sooo I asked Snowplowjay where the hell are these doorstops on my truck? he said the plowshoes dummy stop looking at your doors.:headwall

those that dont refur to them as doorstops like to call em boat anchors too... gotta find some good use for em :D

[Roger Dodger]

Originally posted by JCurtis
Roger are you sure you picked up the right figure?

My 2000 GMC has 600lbs recommended as Ballast with my XBlade

I just looked at the Dodge application guide, your truck with a 6.5 foot Bed shows 350 lbs and 400 lbs with an 8 foot bed if your are carrying a 8 foot HD MM

Well, I looked twice at the chart (which is for the MMII not the MM that I have) & it listed 300#. As it is this morning the truck is bouncing pretty wildly (apparently coming from the rear) between 55-60mph., as if a wheel was out of balance. Quite a serious bounce too. I'll have to check tire pressure throughout; I know for sure it's under the cold inflation recommendation of 80psi. by about 20lbs. so that's a start. I'm wondering if the installation of those Reflex shocks are the culprit when under the extra 1000lb. load of the plow/ballast? It didn't do this at any highway speeds until the plow and ballast got into the mix. For now, I'll suspect tire air pressure and eliminate things one step at a time.

[Roger Dodger]

Bounce & clunking is gone. Found the plow to be mis-attached!!! Put butterflies in my stomach to think what could've happened if it would have fell off at highway speeds! Whew!
Definitely a guardian angel working overtime on me yesterday! :greenange
That's the last time I allow someone to distract me while I attach the plow!!

[EIB]

I have my Pro Flo 2 on the back, along with 200lbs of CC, and 900lbs of salt. That works great.

[BWhite]

By Misattached you mean the pins were not engaged and the plow was resting against its truck frame ? That would have been a wild ride

[Adams Plowing]

You definatly got lucky on that one... better double check next time ya put it on... i sure know i wouldnt be that lucky...

[Roger Dodger]

Originally posted by BWhite
By Misattached you mean the pins were not engaged and the plow was resting against its truck frame ? That would have been a wild ride
Yes, one pin was fully seated and the other wasn't, so it created some flop that was definitely noticable and made for serious handling problems. I believe Fisher's push-plate design helped to keep things somewhat held into the "pocket". It still gives me a sick feeling just to think what could've happened! I feel foolish for even mentioning it but, if this serves as a reminder to others, it's worth looking like a nin-come-poop (just for this one time that is!!!!);)

[Brian Simmons]

that was a close one. As far as ballast goes we only recommend enough to put us within the 62% reserve allowance. Meaning that with the 300# off ballast for your truck you are within the legal limits of the FMVSS. I know alot of our customers usually will lay down a thick steel plate(s). that way it does not take up valuable space.

[BRL]

"I feel foolish for even mentioning it but, if this serves as a reminder to others, it's worth looking like a nin-come-poop (just for this one time that is!!!!)"

No need to feel foolish about this one. I need my fingers & my toes to count the amount of times I've mis pinned, forgot to pin, or lost a pin. It happens, even when you think you are double checking yourself.

What is FMVSS?? Thanks.

Ballast, hmmm.... I am sure I'm always loaded way above what that acronym means ;) The Blazer usually has 600- 800 pounds in it, the F-250 usually has a little over a ton or so, and when I had an F-350 Mason Dump, that always had a couple of tons or so. I never knew you could have too much ballast. But they sure do plow well!!

[Brian Simmons]

Federal Motor Vehicle Saftey Standards

[WoofsPlow]

PLOWTECH - I am an engineer and still had a difficult figuring the ballast weight for my truck. Some of the information I just can't readily get (weight of axels for examble). The calcs are not written correctly and overall it was difficult to figure. :soapbox

AnYways....thanks for your input here. My question is this what do I need for ballast?

1995 Toyota Pickup xcab
6'-9" LD MM1

THANKS!:)

[chayesf250]

Here is a link to the Fisher website where they have a list of vehicles and how much ballast they recommend you should carry. I know everybody does not have a Fisher, but it may be a good place to start. You need Adobe Acrobat reader, and the chart starts on page 8.

http://www.fisherplows.com/pdf/27443_030103.pdf

[Roger Dodger]

Wait a minute now! Hey Plowtech (or others), help me out here:

For my 7.5'RD blade, that chart calls for only 250lbs. ballast for my truck!! -- V10 2500 QC 6.5' bed. Even at 280 lbs. I was spinning tire like never before when the plow is hung. I couldn't turn a corner faster than 5-10 mph and on wet roads I had to allow for plenty of time to gain momentum before an oncoming vehicle!! My tread is good too and I experimented with a couple different air pressure settings but no improvement. I now have 400# and things behave much better. So what gives?

[WoofsPlow]

chayesf250 - Thanks for the link I could'nt find it. I looked it up - 600# of ballast! Holy **** I didn't think it was that front heavy. Oh, well I would be carrying bagged salt anyways.

[W-n-K Landscaping]

Plowtech-
Any way you might be able to help me out as well? I tried to look up my truck and was not successful in finding the ballast listed. I have an '88 full size Blazer with a 7'6" Minute Mount- the HD one, not light duty. When I looked it up in the chart for older vehicles, I found the plow with no problem- but I either did not see, or it wasn't listed as to what the ballast weight should be. I plan on getting soem tube sand, plus I will also be carrying salt for the small spreader on the back, but I would like to figure out what I should try and leave in the back on a regular basis.

Thanks!!

Bill

[EZSnow]

recommended ballast is just that- recommended. If you're still spinning the tires with the recommended ballast- add more!! That's just the amount reuired from proper center of gravity and wight distribution over the axles. I doubt that adding more weight will harm anything, as long as you stay under front and rear GAWRs and GVWR.
LOAD 'ER UP!!! so this doesn't happen anymore!:burnout

[Brian Simmons]

EZ snow is right we just recommend the amount to be within the legal guide lines. You can put as much as you would like for traction purposes just don't exceed the GVWR. Cnypropertysvcs, the reason your truck is not listed is we do not have to provide ballast numbers at all. Actually it is the customers responsibility to make sure the truck is equiped with the appropriate amount of ballast. In 1997 we took the liberty of providing you with these numbers as good customer servicing. Time and resources is the reason we did not go back and figure them out for all of the vehicles. If you read our Kit selection guide all of the vehicles listed are "representative vehicles" meaning that they are all equipped with the same options - auto trans, A/C, spare tire and wheel, rear bumper, 4X4 drive train, and full of fluids - any vehicles with significantly different options should be weighed along with all of the other info required on our Ballast inquiry sheet located on the last page of our lit selection guide. Fax this sheet in and we will calculate the ballast for you. Fill this in and fax it to me and i would be more than happy to get those numbers for you. :) :)

Could we get a spellcheck - all these big words takes me a while to double check.:grinz :grinz

[W-n-K Landscaping]

I will try to get to it in the next couple of days- kinda busy trying to wrap up a roof and deck- if it would only stop RAINING!!! LOL!

I just need a week and then it can snow!!

Thanks again- Bill

Oh, btw- check out our thread on the spell checker in the forum support area- you'll get a kick out of it and find out why we don't have it yet- although at the rate this site is growing I wouldn't be surprised to see it soon!

[Roger Dodger]

Oh, I see now. This explains everything. Since I can haul 2800lbs. I won't worry about tractions problems again, once that bed is full of sandbags! Now, if i can find just enough room for the snowshovel!!;) ;)