Gauge Wheel Skid Idea For BB

SLOBuds · Oct 30, 2007

I have this idea for my box blade and want to get opinions.

The gauge wheels look like a great idea for cutting level areas. Everyone seems to be pretty happy with them.

But to me it looks like those wheels roll on essentially 2 points: one point for a left wheel, and another point for a right wheel. If either of those points happen to be a dip in the ground, then the box blade will 'fall' into that dip and scalp the dirt in that area.

My idea is to create a gauge skid that would be split in the middle so that one side can be raised higher than the other side.

The skid part would be a plate which with a slight radius to it. It would skid along the back of the box blade and have a somewhat compressing effect, but it would also tend to even out all of the small dips so that scalping into the dirt won't happen as much or as badly.

I believe that this very same effect is accomplished on some of the flai's out there. Some of the flails have a long roller on the back end which tend to even out the cutting path - making the overall cut appear even even when there are dips in the dirt here and there.

Do you think this skid concept is a good idea?

Huskerplowboy · Oct 30, 2007

Should work. The packing effect could be useful. The only concern would be loose material balling up in front of the skid... Not sure if that would be an issue or not.

A thought I just had was that if the two gage wheels were on a sideways tandem with a pivot in the middle, it would cut the effect of a hole under one wheel in half, might be enough improvement...

jwmorris · Nov 1, 2007

If your box blade has material in it, wouldn稚 it be deposited in said hole before the gage wheel reached it? I think the idea of gage wheels is to provide you a more regulated distribution of material than can be accomplished with the blade alone. Think if it as a mini version of the one pictured.

Huskerplowboy · Nov 1, 2007

Yeah, I thought about that today. The idea behind the box blade is to hold material in it and fill in holes as it goes... Guage wheels should always have a good footing...