Front suspension sag with plow

[Frank R]

Crank the keys to raise the front end?

Any downside to this for my application?

 

[east302]

The higher you go, the CV axle angles get steeper (or whatever word I’m looking for) so there’s a longevity issue in there especially if you max it out. But for a farm truck that’ll hardly be driven, I probably wouldn’t sweat it.

 

[Frank R]

The higher you go, the CV axle angles get steeper (or whatever word I’m looking for) so there’s a longevity issue in there especially if you max it out. But for a farm truck that’ll hardly be driven, I probably wouldn’t sweat it.

That was pretty much my thoughts as well - I reckon this thing will rot out long before it wears out.

I'll have to take some "before" pics and measurements and give it a shot to see what it gets me. It probably won't be until this weekend, but I'll report back with results.

Thank you all for the help thus far!

 

[Foot0069]

This is certainly worth a look - thank you. I've never played around with air shocks, so this never crossed my mind. I see ones listed for the rear, but not the front - I'll have to get some measurements (unless anyone knows off-hand how long the fronts are).

That's why I said call customer service at Monroe. Explain what you're doing and they may help. It's not just the length in question, you'll need the proper mounting styles. I'd think it would save you a bunch of search time.

 

[Fless]

The higher you go, the CV axle angles get steeper (or whatever word I’m looking for) so there’s a longevity issue in there especially if you max it out. But for a farm truck that’ll hardly be driven, I probably wouldn’t sweat it.

It sounds like all you need to do is return it to stock height, compensating for the weight of the plow. That'll keep your CV axle angles the same as stock.

 

[Frank R]

I cranked the keys as much as I was comfortable with - the bolts have maybe a quarter inch before they bottom out, but they were getting pretty snug using a 18" breaker bar.

Overall I gained 1" when measured from the top of the tire to the wheel well and 1.5" measured at the point where the plow frame was dragging ground. It doesn't drag anymore, but I'd sure like another inch or 2.

 

[KCpm]

I just picked up a 1999 Yukon for the sole purpose of plowing the 1-mile dirt lane I live on. The Yukon came with a 7.5’ Western plow with poly blade. The previous owner purchased the Yukon with the plow, and removed the plow for the 3 years that he used the Yukon as a daily driver. I put the plow back onto the Yukon yesterday and it completely crushed the front suspension, to the point that the lower plow frame was dragging the ground along the high spots on my lane. My guess is that the coil springs wore out during the time it was used without the plow attached. The Yukon shows signs of having had at least 2 different plows mounted to it over the years, so it's probably been rode pretty hard.

I am looking for a solution that is the best combination of low cost and ease of install. I can get heavy duty coil springs for around $100, but not sure how big of a job that will be when you take into consideration rusted bolts and such. Another option I found is the Timbren Front Suspension Enhancement System, which replaces the front bump stops with a hollow rubber “spring” that would act sort of like a ride-rite airbag on a leaf spring setup. The Timbren setup is around $250, but the install looks to be super-simple.

Any thoughts on these 2 possibilities, or is there something else that may warrant my attention? Please keep in mind the following:

• This vehicle will never see road use again. It will be used only on my lane and will most likely never be in excess of 20mph – so things like ride quality and body roll mean nothing in this application.
• I am fairly mechanically inclined and have the tools to do most jobs, but free time is pretty difficult to come by.
• This Yukon is definitely nearing the end of its life – my hope is to run it a few years (maybe 15 miles per year max), then sell it for scrap. As such, my only concern is keeping the plow at an acceptable height.

Thank you for any input!

timbrens,,,, are a must ! no matter what else you do,,,,,,,

 

[whymeintrouble]

It doesn't drag anymore, but I'd sure like another inch or 2.

Said no guy ever? LOL

My suggestion is to call Monroe like others have said. See if they can help you out. Even though this is a"farm truck " you still want it to work properly. If that truck has had multiple years of plowing done with it, it's going to need a lot assuming the previous owner didn't keep up on maintenance. It would suck too get everything ready for your first snow and then lose a wheel on the first plow of the year. Just my .02, good luck and be safe

 

[Coveman]

I bought the timbrens for my 99 burb when I was fitting it for a plow, they helped. When you crank the keys make sure you jack up the front end to remove the load first.

I’m also a fan of blades with wheels to help support the weight of the plow and prevent porpoising over bumps, not sure if you could fabricate some for your rig

 

[Frank R]

I bought the timbrens for my 99 burb when I was fitting it for a plow, they helped. When you crank the keys make sure you jack up the front end to remove the load first.

I’m also a fan of blades with wheels to help support the weight of the plow and prevent porpoising over bumps, not sure if you could fabricate some for your rig

I did jack the front up to get the weight off before cranking the keys. My guess is that the front end is just flat wore out - but that's ok, I'm just going to beat it up worse anyway. I basically bought the plow and got the Yuk for free, so whatever use I get out of it is a bonus.

I'm going to look into finding air shocks that will fit. I don't see any listed anywhere to fit the front, so I'm going to pull one of the current front shocks off, get some measurements and see what I can find that will work. I will take the groups advice and reach out to Monroe, but I have never had much luck with customer service folk.

My plow does have wheels that pivot up out of the way when the plow is in use - if that's what you're talking about I can't imagine those holding up to the ruts and rocks along my lane.