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Another Chevy question
Now I'm considering purchasing a 2000 chevy 1500 pick-up, four-wheel drive with a 4.8 liter V-8. A lot of people tell me this truck would get trashed plowing snow. They say the motor is too small and it doesn't have heavy enough suspension for plowing. They say you need at least a 2500 or 3500 to do the job. Is this true?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mr. Plow on -
I think Chevy K1500s are fine trucks for plowing. Keep in mind that many plow manufactures make heavy, all-steel plows that place a lot of strain on a half-ton front axle. Indirect linked plows (ones that hang from chains) also tend to overstress smaller trucks.
I know Sno-Way makes a direct-linked plow that weighs about 540 pounds... no sweat for a half ton Chevy with a small V-8. To make up for the light load, the hydraulic system adds any needed downward force on the plow. That should be a smooth set up... You might consider a turn and a half on the torsion bar adjustment screws to offset the additional weight of the plow.
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Tessler on -
Is it true that putting a plow on a truck voids the warranty?
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Permalink Reply by Mr. Plow on
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Simply putting a snow plow on a truck does not void your warranty. All warranties are best viewed as a "cause and effect" relationship. If the weight of the plow overloads the front axle rating of the truck and causes the axle to break, the manufacturer should void your warranty on the axle and all related components. If the taillight breaks you could hardly blame the plow installation. If the taillight breaks because you backed into something while you were plowing then you should not get warranty coverage.
Generally, snow plows do not void manufactures warranties as long as they are recommended for the vehicle. Obviously you can not take the plow off a state highway truck and put it on a half ton pickup. Major snow plow manufactures work with the factories to see that their plows are suitable.
For example, Sno-Way has four different plows that are approved for mounting on a 2010 Silverado. You have to follow both the trucks and the plow manufactures' recommendations for both installing and operating the plow. I've personally seen customer letters from truck factories stating that the warranty will not be violated.
You can ask your local snow plow dealer for a copy of the appropriate page from their application guide.
Jeff Tessler said:Is it true that putting a plow on a truck voids the warranty?
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Permalink Reply by Rick Pilgrim on -
We have an 86 Chevy K10 Silverado with a Meyer plow that was extended to 9'10" . It had a 5.0 305 cid 180 hp untill 2007 and we never had a power issue, and there were times snow was going over the top of plow on bigger parking lots so the 4.8 should be fine. That being said the 10 bolt GM front axle gets replaced every 5-6 yrs as eventually the tube cracks from the abuse. As to the 1999 and newer 1500 IFS keep in mind these are what we call city trucks, meaning they were designed for comfort, smooth ride and good fuel economy. You can put a lite duty plow on it, be very nice to it you will get your jobs done if it is a low milage unit. If you are doing more than your own driveway you will do all the transmission/suspension/ t-case/rear axle/u-joint swapping we did on the 86 (lite duty) untill we basically rebuilt it into a 3/4 ton driveline. We also have 2 2500 HD units, a 1998 and a 2003 with a Western pro plow stretched to 10' (98) and a Boss 9.5 V (03). These are much better at plowing than any 1500 we have tried and even at over 150K miles have very few problems and O drastic failures(axle, t-case/trans) to date. IMO if plowing for money a 2500HD, no less is where to start.
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Permalink Reply by Chris lawn care services on
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We talked to the dealer before the purchase and said we will be putting a plow on will this cause a problem with warrenty and they said it is no prob. But 2 years later my 2 year old truck lost 1/2 of my dash lights and had a few other little issues and chevy told me that they are voiding my warrenty because i put a plow on it so i think they can say or do what ever they feel like. this is a 2005 chevy 2500. The best bet is to find a good repair guy.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Bromley on
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It depends what kind of plowing you are going to do . If you're just doing a few driveways without much traveling , you could probably get by if you run a fairly light duty 7'6" plow . If you do any serious plowing you're going to want a heavier Truck and plow !
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