Dealer is telling me that the manufacturer (Dodge) recommends that one does not plow if they own a Diesel due to the excessive weight it puts on the front end. I am looking for opinions, comments and suggestions regarding this issue. I have a 2000 SLT 4x4 5.9 cummins.

Thanks.

 

I dont plow at all but from what ive heard people say online. The front axel is almost at its load limit as it is with the diesel. Putting on a plow (all that weight and so far extended forword from the front axel) overloads your front axel. Now I "think" someone had said theres a light weight plow out there that you can get away with. not sure really though.

 

Well. All I can say is there are lots of CTDs pushing plows.

My cousin has a kevlar plow mounted on his truck. Supposed to be quite lightweight.

Others also change out the front springs to handle some of the extra load.

What are you going to be plowing??? Just your own driveway or do you have a lot of contracts......

If your not doing a lot of road travel with the plow mounted it wouldn't be an issue at all.

 

Why does Dodge offer a Snow Plow Pkg?

 

well i it cant be that bad the city around here has 2nd gens 12v & 24v and ford p-strokes that they plow with

 

We have over 10 Dodge CTD plow trucks at work. All have 9 foot Diamond plows on them that are VERY heavy. Never any front end issues. Not even ball joints. (Insert Ford bash here).

Like Nospin4me said, that is why there is a snow plow package. Which is usually just heavier springs.

 

I've run a Blizzard 810 on my truck for a year and a half. This thing is the mother of all plows, it weighs in (just the blade and a frame, not including truck mount) at about 950 lbs. She isn't light. I've never gone to the scales with the plow on, but it's pushing the sticker limit of the front axle. BUT, like Andy said, plow prep is just stiffer springs, a skid plate and a higher output alternator. Dodge changed the front end ratings from 4850 to 5200 in model year 2000, but yet the axle didn't change. The springs are the limiting factor. The common way to fix the saggy springs is the D25 coils from Skyjacker, or do like me and a few other commercial plowers out there, get the 047 and 048 spring combo from Dodge. Run about 1,000 lbs of ballast in the back for stability and you'll be fine. I will say that the plow weight doesn't really like the trac bar, but that's easily fixed. These are work trucks and they can handle the work...

 

Don't the Snow Plow package rigs with autos also come with an additional cooler?

 

9 foot western on mine, put it on first winter i got it.
Never had anything out of the ordinary get messed up.
I put D25 coils on last year, still feels good. I have to do my shocks as soon as the weather breaks.
I put alot more highway miles on now than I used to, so with 93000 miles on the stock ones and plowing every winter seems to be time for a new set to tame the ride.
Only thing is making sure you put the plow down when truck is off, no sense in having it hang on there all night.

 

For '96 model plow prep gave you a 241HDH tranfser case. I was told that the springs for that model year were the same on plow prep or diesel engine option.

IMHO, I wouldn't think about driving around more than 1 day with the plow hanging off the front end even with heavy duty springs. It makes stopping interesting with the blade up and no ballast in the rear...

 

I thought the axel did change. That they got rid of the vacume 4x4 mess and the front end just always spins. That would certinally make the axel stronger having only 2 axels shafts insted of 3 and not having that coupleing severarly weaking the passinger side axel tube.

 

Only with gas engines. With the diesel you get the normal style fluid cooler up front (like a radiator), also with the diesel you geta nice liquid to liquid heat exchanger ( thats the large barrel thing underneath and behind the turbo)

I learned that with the plow prep package comes with the the following:

1 - addition tranny cooling - The diesel Rams already have the most coolling available.
2 - Higher output alternator - Diesel rams aleady have come with the bigger alternator to support two batteries.
3 - Bigger springs - Diesels have the big springs already due to the wieght of the engine but they are not the plow springs.

So you are only paying for new springs with the plow prep package.

 

I think you are right, but a friend of mine bought a 2000 CTD, and I looked and he had the CAD, I checked the door sticker and it was rated for 5200 lbs. It was a real early build though. Maybe they were just using up extras...

 

I have a 2001.5, with the snow plow pkg. I also have the CAD. It also has the towing pkg...which may or may not matter.

 

i have a boss snowplow on my truck, been on there since truck was new and now has 130,000 miles, plow is 900 pounds,works great, these trucks are awesome...