What a pain in the butt!

I had a hell of a time trying to get the mounting kit installed. 4 bolts is all, you'd think it would be easy, but heck no. First, you have to remove the 2 bolts that hold the floor boards to the frame, then add this bracket to them with new bolts. Trying to get the bolts with 2 steel plates lined up was darn near impossible. I had a hard time getting the bolts started and on one side, I was soo upset, that I tried to force them on and stripped out the hole. Now I've got to retap it somehow (I think helicoil or something?).

After that, the rest of the install was easy.

 

I can understand your frustrations in doing something that looks so easy.

During the 1st 3 months of our 2002 AC 500i, a wire connector came apart. This could happen to any brand of quad. But on my unit, the wire connector was going down the steering column. Couldn't reach it from the top and couldn't reach it from the bottom. It's beyond me why any engineer would design the wiring in such a location. 6" longer and lower and it would have been a simple "reach in and re-plug". Anyway, to get at this disconnected plug, I had to disassemble the entire front end. From its front running boards to its front bumper. Everything from racks to front hood. A few times, my wrench slipped and I skinned my knuckles. GGGGRRRR!!! All because of a plug being in the wrong spot. Little plastic glue (for the plastic connector) and 3 hours later, it was all done. While its front end was off, I kept thinking... Why couldn't they build a tilt front end on this thing? Undo 4 bolts at the bottom of the rack and "tilt everything forwards?". Just like they do on snowmobiles. Now that would be really cool. With a tilt forward front hood, it would save dealer machanics hours in labour time and make it much easier for backyard machanics like myself. Perhaps one day, all Utility Quads will have tilt front ends.

Just wondering, did you install a straight plow or did you install the kind that turns to a 45 degree angle.? Just wondering which type of plow is better in 6" PLUS of snow.

thanks.

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Ya it's a pain, they could have added 4 seprate weldnuts just for it. One of the nuts that's welded in the frame tube broke loose on me last spring, had a hell of a time getting the bolt out. I hate not having a smooth bottom too. That's why I'm going to make a hitch mount setup, before the snow comes.

 

Those two mounts are a pain when you take the bolts out the running boards move and the holes dont line up. I had the brackets on my 650 and took them off and put them on my wife's 500.I had to loosen up the two bolts on the front brace of the running board's. Then I could get the holes to line up. After I got the bolts tight then I tightened the brace bolts back up. Oh yeh I have the 60 inche straight plow with the deflector kit. Did you get your shifting linkage figured out?

 

ROTFLMAO

 

I am laughing listening to your story! I wasn't laughing when I had to put my plow brackets on my TRV though, at least not the first time. I learned that if you take just one bolt out and hold the bracket up and put the bracket bolt in part way that when you take the other bolt out the threads will stay lined up. This way takes me a whole 5 minutes to do instead of an hour fighting to line up both bolts at one time!

 

TRV, I tried what you suggested when I did the other side but that didnt work, at least for me. It worked great for the first bolt, That one went in no problem. Since I couldnt tighten it tight, gotta swing the bracket up to the second bolt, the moment I removed the second bolt, the whole assebly slid down. That was the one I ended up stripping.

I bought a key locking threaded insert for the stripped out hole and now It's as good, and actually better than new. I believe the old threads were aluminum, the insert is now steel and it's much easier to start the bolt.

 

I did one bolt at at time like TRV said.....5 min job for the brackets. Inpressed with the construction on this plow, but well see how it works.