We live in the Shuswap part of BC, and finally got a dump of snow. I have a 08 500 Sportman with a 52 inch plow and have my driveway as well as another to plow. My driveway is ashphalt the other is gravel with a bit of a pitch. The snow we get here is kind a wet. The problem I have is there seems to be very little weight on the front, very little traction. I am either going to buy chains which is a pain because the other driveway I have load the quad in the back of my truck, I paid $500 to color match my box liner and I really dont want to wreck it with chains. I dont really want to chain up everytime I offload the quad (been there to many times on the rigs). Anybody else have any ideas, are my stock tires that bad? Its kind of embarrasing actually, the tires spin even on my flat driveway. Or should I just hang some sandbags on the front.

 

I have never had a front weight issue, but i wouldn't think chains would wreck a box liner, isn't that what a box liner is for???

I would say NO to sandbags because with the weight of the plow in the air you will have little clearance with the weight of both. and its hell on the front box hinges.

 

Put the sand bags on the back and then lower the air pressure in your tires to around 4 lbs.
Don't go too low with weight on the back but lowering pressure will help the tires get more bite! make sure your blade is angled and expierment with different tire pressure front and rear! But lower than you would normally run.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>isn't that what a box liner is for??? </end quote></div>

Exactly. You have a truck...use it. When you say color matched box liner...spray in or slide in? If it's a spray in, that's what they're for, you won't hurt it...if it's a slide in and you paid $500 to have it painted...well.

 

diff tires make a heck of a diffirence with snow. and sandbags on the front wont make any diffirence unless your actively putting down pressure on the plow. if your using a winch or hand operated plow then your relying on the plows weight to keep down pressure.

rancher55 is correct, sandbags on the back will help out with traction, but if your spinning the stock tires thats kinda pathetic

 

shuswap17, I'm on Vancouver Island and use a 60" blade on my 500 with no problems. I bought chains but have never used them and I have a circular driveway which is quite steep up to the road.

If you need chains, just put a piece of plywood in the back of your truck for the chained wheels to sit on.

 

I forgot to mention, my box liner is painted to match, actually its not paint, its blue instead of black, its mixed into the liner resin or whatever.

Anyway, I beat the hell out of my box and it is still as clean and smooth and tight as it was when it was new....

 

I have a 500 also and plowed a all time record total snowfall last year. I never had a weight problem or traction problem in front although I thought a little more weight in the back might help. There was ice under the snow all winter and that didn't even cause a problem. On thing that really helps, especially with wet snow is keeping the blade clean and waxed so the snow will roll off like it should.

 

Shuswap 17, did u make sure u had it in AWD? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img]

 

Ha Stupid me:

My quad was supposedley in 4 wheel drive but no engaging thus no front tire movement. No idiot light on the display, but switch was turned to 4 x 4. I never had this problem the last time I rode in November.
Is there a fuse for the 4 x 4 or something. Ive checked the wiring and it all seems tight? There is on 120 miles on it.

Thanks SS 17[img]i/expressions/beer.gif[/img]