I noticed today after two days of heavy snowplowing that one of my plow mount bolts was missing, After visiting the local AC dealer we finally came up with the proper replacement bolt.
However, as I tried to install it I realized the weld nut is either stripped or broken.
Has anyone else experieced this. I really like the plow... but the setup puts ther entire force of the blade on those two bolts! (two on each side floor board mount)
I wonder if I should bring it in to the dealer or just try someting else such as welding the damn plow mounts in place?
Any ideas?
Thanks.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img]

 

Brucebabe,
I also had one of the nuts strip when I first installed the mounts for the plow. I ended up just going to the auto parts store and picking up a 10mm 1.25 tap and re tapped the hole. I guessed there must have been some Bung'd threads, the tap cleaned them up and they haven't come out yet. I have plowed heavy snow all winter and pushed sand last fall with it. I wouldn't recomend welding them, If you ever need to remove them or get in to the belt housing on the 375 you will have a hell of a time getting to the bolts out with the floorboards welded on.

-O2AC375 (Mike)

 

Do you guys have Arctic Cat plows on your rigs? I am searching for a 60" plow for my '02 500i Auto, leaning towards the Moose plow & mount (I have a Warn 2500# winch to pick it up with)...I got a reply from a guy that reccommended a Warn plow & mount due to the design of the mount, which he described as having a better mount setup that allowed higher lift of the plow...I really havent spent too much time looking at the Warn setups, I mainly looked at the AC, Moose & Cycle Country...If you have any reccommendations, I would love to hear them..Thanks in advance!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Thanks! That is a great idea! I will try to tap it. I was not aware of the problems I might encounter if I welded them.
I appreciate the feedback so soon!
By the way if anyone else ever has this problem, the replacement bolt is a AC#8409-030, M10 X 1.25 X 30.
The people at Tri-County Implement (new AC dealer closest to me in Turtle Lake, WI) spent half an hour with me on trying to get the proper bolt! The mechanic finnaly took a wrench and removed one from a machine on the showroom floor to get the correct pitch! That's some service for a $1.25 bolt!!

 

Delta, I just got my 375 last fall with the Warn 2500 winch promo added.
I ordered the AC 60" plow for about $400.00 extra. This set up is so sweat! You can adjust the plow height with a touch of the winch button to almost a CH!! (If you know what I mean!)
I had no idea how much snow this thing could move! We just got about 14 inches the other day and some of the drifts I busted were Knee deep. It seems so easy. I might suggest you take it a little slower than I did as you may damage yourself or the machine!

P.S. last winter I relied on my neighbor's plow truck to clear me out. This winter I am asking if I can do his driveway!

 

Bruce, 'I know what you mean'...Heh heh..Is your 375 an auto or manual? I knew that the 60" plow would be sweet, that was my first choice...It seems that the power issue is not an issue at all...I too got the Warn winch for the 'deal' ($500 in accessories included with purchase) and what a nice deal it was...I'm just getting used to my 500i and it will be a while b4 I am doing any plowing...Thanks for the reply!

 

I also have the Arctic Cat plow, it works great! Once I got the the hang of it i was able to make piles over 6 feet high. I have no complaints, it is easy to put on and remove and is built solid. You'll find yourself looking for snow to plow.

 

I have a 2002 400 4x4 5 spd with the 60" AC plow. I am very impressed with how well it pushes snow. I live along the shores of Lake Erie. Snow is measured in feet not inches. During installation I found the instructions from AC sucked. They should have done a step by step instead of just a picture. I did have a problem aligning the bolts with the threads. They should have suggested only removing one bolt at a time. My only problem with the plow has been the bump stop bolts broke. I replaced these with grade 8 shoulder bolts with 3/4" flat washers and never had any more problems. I spray slicone on the blade before plowing to help roll the snow away.

 

Well, I was at my AC dealer yesterday, and I bought a Moose 60" plow setup for $350. It's built very well and I managed to get it hooked up this morning...Just in time, we're getting 6" of fresh white stuff today - cant wait to get out there and move it! I finally got a look at what you guys were talking about (the floorboard mounting bolts) and I can say that the Moose setup uses all 4 floorboard mounting bolts - the kit comes with 4 new HD 10mm bolts...The bolts were a #%^@* to get lined up by myself (if I could just grow that third arm!) but I finally managed...The entire setup is VERY solid and I am (so far) quite impressed..The pushtube mounting plate is HD steel that allows the plow and tube assembly to be removed with just 2 snap pins..But I plan on removing that plate for trailriding this summer...Thanks to all that gave me input on this issue, to those that need help, dont hesitate to inquire here-plenty of knowledgable help to be found on this forum!![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

A little trick to linning up those d**m bolts. Put a bottle jack under the floorboard to bring the holes into alignment.

Bob