Just put on a western 8'-6" ultra mount plow, ramsey 8.5k winch and a old warn winch bumber. What do you guys think.

 

might where out your front end a little faster but it will handle it

 

These trucks have a 4,000 pound (rated) front axle on them.
Figure that the Cummins by itself weighs @ 1200 pounds in itself and your plow set-up probaly weighs close to another 500 pounds.
Depending on the truck's length, 1/3 of the total weight of the truck is also at the front axle.
It's not hard to see why these trucks have sagged out or collapsed springs.

My 1978 Dodge Carhauler has all of the stock 1992 Cummins 2WD 1 ton front suspension and weighs in at a TOTAL of 9,000 pounds EMPTY.
Worse, I weighed it the other day, and it has a total of 4100 pounds over the front axle.

I've driven it for over a year and never knew that (didn't ever check), but that would explain the broken driver's side spring this past March.

Mark.

 

Glad to know that these old girls don't mind the weight, I have 2 extra leafs in the rear an a extra one packed in the front, makes for tough ride. I had the plow on my 98 chev 3/4 ton with the bigblock bottomed out a few times even with the bars turned a few times, with similar set up.

 

Jimmy, don't mis-understand me, I'm not saying it's tough, or more capable, just that as it stands my 'Hauler is already at the rated capacity of the front axle, with no load.
I had to deal with the USDOT in the past, when I hauled Commercially, and as a smaller rig, if you aren't aware of your capacities and adjust loading, you can get put out of service for being overweight on components.

Now, there are certain allowances for modified rigs that are considered "Tow Trucks" (which the carhauler is), but I have not pursued how modified vehicles can help or hurt a person with the DOT.

I've found that overall I can shed about 2,000 pounds from the truck as a whole.
It can be done by removing the center of the rampdeck (@ 25 Sq.ft of 1/4" diamond plate) and eliminating the sidefacings (@ 20 sq.ft. of 3/16" plate), but I'm not sure how it will affect the front axle loading, as MOST of it is behind the mid-point on the truck.

I'm sure none of this makes a bit of sense to you, and as a person just pushing snow, it probably has no real affect on you.

Mark.

 

DOT has no sense of humor, but when it comes to safety it is a serious buisness, I'm more or less just getting some opinions on what I put on the front from people that owned one of these things longer than I have, just don't wanna end up broke on the side of the road due to stupidity by adding to much