Plow counterweight ideas?

[CreepinDeth]

Put a Western Unimount on the TJ
Also have new airbags up front.
This is an all new 2.5”suspension too

Tried it out for the first use yesterday, and discovered that I need a counterweight. New doubled driveway has a new section that is higher then the ground and my plow went off the edge and I nearly got stuck. That tells me my ass end is unloaded a bit, and traction isnt as solid.

Have some A/T chunky Coopers on it too, but I had a few “sit n spin” moments which made me realize if I went off the edge completely I wasnt gonna recover it even in 4wd

Anyone have counterweight ideas / experience??

The pallet was just there after initial install, got the chain readjusted and now its level with ground unloaded in float and aired up the bags

 

[macleanflood]

Got a rear hitch? Get a basket and stack whatever you have lying around...rocks, scrap metal, old tires, small children...

-Mac

 

[ColoJeep]

Maybe this is why Jeep says don't put a snowplow on a TJ.... That said , most 3/4 -1 pickups should have 800 lbs. counterweight at the rear of the truck .
You could get multiple 3/8" steel plates made to fit in the rear of the Jeep and stack them as needed to achieve your goal . You will likely need to beef the rear suspension quite a lot .

 

[Apparition]

 

[jjvw]

Shovel some snow in the back.

 

[Steel City 06]

Salt spreader. Fill it up and you have a counterweight that does something else
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/saltdogg-44-cu-ft-tailgate-spreader-5520453

 

[CreepinDeth]

Yeah I dont wanna put salt on my driveway, but I could probably mount some kind of fabricated box and fill it with rocks

looks like Im gonna have to buy rear airbags also after all
First year I will get all the bugs worked out

 

[CreepinDeth]

Maybe this is why Jeep says don't put a snowplow on a TJ....

I didnt get that memo
Most people are quitters

What class of hitch is this on the Jeeps??
Im tryin to figure out the tongue weight it can handle

 

[macleanflood]

The advantage to hitch mounted weight is leverage... farther away from the axle you get theoretically the less weight you need.

-Mac

 

[CreepinDeth]

True

Its a guessing game of tongue weight leverage increasing too tho, which is the wild card of unknown I would imagine

 

[Steel City 06]

I didnt get that memo
Most people are quitters

What class of hitch is this on the Jeeps??
Im tryin to figure out the tongue weight it can handle

The LJ was rated for 3500 lbs towing and 350 lbs tongue weight. The same receiver and attachment method is used for both the TJ and the LJ. So as long as your lever arm isn't too long, 350 lbs should be feasible.

 

[Steel City 06]

Alternatively, do the rock crawler method and fill your tires with water (and probably antifreeze) for extra weight...

 

[CreepinDeth]

Thanks, now I need to find a flat metal tray to loadup.
I have a few big ass boulders I can probably use

If anyone has a better idea then this, let me know
https://www.amazon.com/MaxxHaul-70107-Hitch-Compact-Carrier/dp/B008CE0LD2/?tag=wranglerorg-20

It kinda extends pretty far, so I am wondering if the tongue weight will kill it

 

[macleanflood]

You might consider a hitch mounted crane. It'll lift the rock, provide your counterbalance and you can use it for lots of other shit.

-Mac

 

[Apparition]

Thanks, now I need to find a flat metal tray to loadup.
I have a few big ass boulders I can probably use

If anyone has a better idea then this, let me know
https://www.amazon.com/MaxxHaul-70107-Hitch-Compact-Carrier/dp/B008CE0LD2/?tag=wranglerorg-20

It kinda extends pretty far, so I am wondering if the tongue weight will kill it

We had rock boxes on some of our tractors. If you could find a used one cheap enough and weld a hitch to it would be an option.

 

[jjvw]

You might consider a hitch mounted crane. It'll lift the rock, provide your counterbalance and you can use it for lots of other shit.

-Mac

This is the perfect solution. Use a hitch mounted crane to load boulders into the back of the Jeep to act as counter balance for the snowplow.

 

[bucky]

Sand bags in the back. They’re cheap, don’t tend to slide around, easy to adjust weight plus the sand comes in handy spreading for traction.

 

[macleanflood]

This is the perfect solution. Use a hitch mounted crane to load boulders into the back of the Jeep to act as counter balance for the snowplow.

I wasn't going to load it the back...just leave it hanging and tie up a little so it's not swinging around like a wrecking ball.

-Mac

 

[ColoJeep]

True

Its a guessing game of tongue weight leverage increasing too tho, which is the wild card of unknown I would imagine

Look how far ahead of the front axle centerline your plow extends , and what it weighs. You would need to equal it off the trailer receiver , that will be a Long extension and a lot of weight dangling off the rear of the TJ.

You Jeep is going to get real long and real heavy , and way above the GVWR of a TJ.

 

[CreepinDeth]

Not too concerned about that ^
The TJ is exclusively in winter driveway plow mode

The new driveway was too big to snow throw so I literally just got the plow to do my driveway. We have plenty of DDs and other spare vehicles for actual roadway usage. Once winter is over, the plow will come off, and we will throw the TJ back in for a summer toy

If I blow the new shocks doin just that, whatever I will buy new ones. im def not doin a crane off the rear, first thing I thought of was swingin. I like the sandbags idea too