Box grader fiasco

[jmwade36]

Well, I figured out the 3pth and was able to put the box grader on. Then I started grading the driveway. Well, I have a strip of grass going down the middle and the strip is higher than the rest of the drive. Needless to say, I was ripping up sod, filling the box and making a huge mess! Help! How can I grade this drive and fix what 15 years of neglect have left? Thanks for any input!

Jon

 

[sr160009]

Might want to try the attachment section of the form, do you have any pic's it would help determend the best fix.

 

[JerryG]

Was you able to get it all tore out? All I have is flint rocks and clay and the road has to be a bit damp or you can't rip it at all. I usually wait for a rain, then a day later go at it.

 

[jmwade36]

I stopped after I made a mud pit out of wet stuff. I am reevaluating whether I should use my fel or rear blade to tear out the sod and then grade it or not?

Jon

 

[Jimbrown]

Well it is not he reccommended way but I would have bought a good load of gravel and spread it with my loader right on top of the old driveway.

 

[JerryG]

Have to wait until it drys a little bit, but before it gets to hard and try it again. Depending on the type of soil that you have, you might be just as well off using the loaders.

 

[ray66v]

What are you looking for it be like when you are finished? if you want the grass to stay, you are going to have to set the grader box high enough that it can run just along the grass. and I would tighten the top link so that the rear scraper bar does not have a lot of bite. this would angle the box slightly lower in the front. The box will then float more and it will be easier to spread the gravel rather than dig up the grass. You also have an adjustment on one side link to tilt the box from side to side. This gives you the ability to pitch the drive to the sides.

If you want the grass to go, and you are looking at of course ripping it all out, then you want to tilt the box slightly backward with the top link, so the scraper blade can bite, but just enough that your machine can still pull it without the tires slipping. Then make as many passes as necessary.

If you really want a good drive, one that will be almost maintenance free, get a backhoe rip it all out down about 6-8 inches, put down polypropylene geotex fabric, (this will stop the mud from ever coming up and the gravel from going down), The fabric is about $2/linear foot in a 10 foot width but, well worth the money. Then put down either #304 or #411 limestone in 2-3 inch layers moistening and compacting it, the cap it with 1-2 inches of #57 limestone.
Good luck!

 

[the6shooter]

Well, I have done 2 drive's that had your situation, I got my tiller on, tilled the high crown, leveled the drive, with angle blade, sprayed the drive with vegitation killer, got gravel, spread it smooth, and with all the rain we have gotten here in oklahoma, 8" in one week, the grass is 24" high here, but nothing to be found under the drive. and yes I went back and dug out some gravel, looking for root, trying to come up. nothing as of yet.
good luck
david

 

[BTDT]

My drive is like that, grass center and dirt where tires go. I usually disc it up then smooth out with a drag, box scraper or blade. Kind of a yearly project.

 

[knute_m]

Over the years I've reworked a number of driveways that sound like yours.

I always rip out the grass with either a rear blade or box scraper. The box scraper usually works the best (you don't need the rippers down -- bet if they are turned upside down). For the first few weeks, it will look awful. With a little regular maintenance it will begin to look pretty good, and it will stay in good shape.

I'm not too far from you, and we are getting a nice gentle rain today. In the next couple of days before it dries out, get the box scraper level -- left to right.

Run it down the middle of your driveway to pull out much of the grass. Keep the scraper raised just enough so that the dirt falls away under the left and right sides of the box.

Then adjust it so that the left side is about 2 inches higher than the right side (ditch side). Make a few passes on each side of the driveway to move the outside dirt back into the middle. This will begin to build a crown.

Go over the middle one more time, with the scraper level -- left to right. Now drive on it until the next rain, and repeat. Do this a few times over the summer, and your driveway will look great.

The grass you dig up now will disintegrate. The rocks will form with the mud and dust to give a good hard surface.

Good luck,
Knute