Greetings 4x4ers
I am looking for info on setting up a cj or cj type jeep for serious snow removal. We currently plow an apartment complex in NH w/a 60hp 4x4 farm tractor. Parking and plow space is tight. the plow is mounted to the loader boom and works fine. rig is a standard and a little slow and clutching is tough on the knee!! Cab isn't heated but machine throws enough heat to keep one comfortable but windows can fog up. It's alittle loud and theres no tunes either!! a new machine with plow and blower on the back is 25 to 40k. Before dropping that kind of coin i want to look into setting up a jeep. I'm thinking v8 power, hd auto trans, hd suspesion (1 ton??) hd axles and the kicker some kind of 3 point hitch and pto (like a farm tractor) off the rear. this would be for a snowblower like you would put on the back of a farm tractor (5 or 6') some tall skinny tires like the one on the front of the farm tractor might be good if possible. (4 foot ag cleat type tire). rig does not have to be leagal over the road can put tractor or agriculture plate on it. Would only be used to remove snow at one location. all work would be done by a shop this would not be a home project. I know a few guys that could handle this sort of thing. Can you direct me to any forums or sites that would be helpful with this sort of thing. I'm thinking that getting a 3 point hitch and pto for the rear would be the hardest part.

Thanks
Hopefull in NH

No profile filled out?

Where are you located in NH, I have a bunch of jeeping friends there?

I know a guy up here that plows with a CJ-2A, complete with a remote mounted sand spreader off the back, run by a hydraulic plow pump (he has 2 of them mounted to the little F-head engine). He backs up to a stand, attaches the sander, and snaps on the hoses, like a plow, then drives around sanding and plowing. The sander offsets the weight of the plow on the front.

How large is the lot you have to plow? You may be better suited for a J-truck, which came in various sizes and are fairly cheap.

I little CJ type jeep is not going to take the abuse from a large lot, and from the sounds of it (snowblower?), you need something beefy. CJ's are 1/4 ton vehicles, and by the time you modify them to anything else, you've replaced every part, so you'd be better off starting with a larger platform to begin with.

Plowing takes a HEAVY toll on any vehicle, I know guys that have completely worn out new trucks in a year, but typically make $2,500 per snow event (65 driveways x $40 average), so they pay off the truck in a year, and write it off as well, then either sell it or run it into the ground.

Have you looked in Uncle Henry's? Sounds like a Scout II would be a good candidate. They're cheap, the 304 or 345 is a very common and strong motor and they always run, the D44's will hold up to a lot of abuse, and the TF727 is a great auto tranny, add a cooler and you're set. They're heavy (4,000 lbs), and the frames never rust out. The bodies, however, are usually shot to nothing, so it'd have to be registered as a farm tractor or something else. Hydraulic's are the way to go on any attachments, just use a huge reservoir and multiple valves.

I found these in Uncle Henry's.

<font color=blue> 1977 International Scout V8 4x4 auto W\8ft Fisher plow. Body rough, might not take a sticker, solid frame. Needs exhaust. Everything works and truck runs great. $900 Obro 207-777-7244 [email protected] Lewiston, ME

1947 Dodge WDX 4x4 utility power angle fisher restore or plow rough but tough, runs and will push anything in front of it. Also factory PTO winch $2,500. 207-875-2307 Greenwood, ME

1972 Ford F600 Dump truck. 391ci dumps good, runs god, w/10' plow al lrunning good brakes will take a sticker w/some body work. Not much, asking $1,500 obo. Jim. 207-549-4571 Jefferson, ME

1981 GMC Brigadier 3208 5-2 speed, new rubber runs good w/swenson hopper sander, frink plow an dwing new paint ready to plow $7,500 obo 207-625-3927 Cornish, ME

1978 GMC 4x4 1 ton Dump truck 3-4 yd. body 9' PA fisher plow running gear exc. body fair $1,800 obo 207-683-5053 Harmony, ME

1965 Jeep Wrecker w/ 9 foot plow for $800 4wd. 207-929-3439 Buxton, </font color=blue>This would be awesome, they had a 1 ton dually rear end and all the hydraulics, if it's factory.<font color=blue>

Homemade tractor/snowplow w/6' blade 4wheel drive, 4wheel steering, auto transmission, turn on a dime, oversz. tires, very short wheelbase, must be seen $2,495 firm, eves 207-465-9013 Oakland, ME

1980 Int. 3208 Cat 10' plow, 9' wing tailgate, sander. $5,500.'87 F350 Ford 4x4 10' plow 8' wing, 460 engine, $8,500. 207-549-5115 Whitefield, ME </font color=blue>

You get the idea.

JEEPN
Winter Harbor, Maine
'81 CJ-8 Scrambled, It's a Jeep, Chevy, IHC kinda thing!
'88.5 Zuki, 7" Lift, Locked, Swamped, Rolled, and just generally broken in right!

Thanks for the reply!! Knowing nothign about jeeps you may have answered the most important question with the 1/4 rating!! Thats way too light!! I'm in manchester btw. I was thinking cj because of the short wheel base would make it very manuverable. What i would really like is a cj sized uni mog!! But the only u mogs around here are old manual tranny types and they are too big!! Can you set up a cj w/hd axles 1 ton springs, leafs etc.etc. or is the frame to light also!! i.e. find another platform to work off of. (Scout) That homebuilt rig sounds interesting!! I'll definitely keep an eye on uncle henry's. Maines a good place to find stuff like that!!

I get to Manchester about every 6 weeks for a company meeting. Heading there this weekend as well to pick up the CJ-5 I bought off rkcrawl for $200 a month ago.

I'd look into the Chevy Blazer or Trucks, and the IH Scouts as they can be had cheap and they run forever. A Ford with the 300/6 engine is nice as well, lots of power there. I'd scrounge Henry's, but keep in mind the prices will start going up the closer to winter we get.

JEEPN
Winter Harbor, Maine
'81 CJ-8 Scrambled, It's a Jeep, Chevy, IHC kinda thing!
'88.5 Zuki, 7" Lift, Locked, Swamped, Rolled, and just generally broken in right!