Gravel Road Grading

NoTrespassing · Apr 13, 2015

Edit: The driveway is actually mostly crushed limestone with a little bit of gravel.

I'm looking for advice on grading my gravel driveway. The driveway was in the worst shape it's ever been this spring in the 15 years I've lived on the property. The frost did a real number on it and a power company boom truck really tore it up right when it was thawing.

I've spend about 15 hours grading it with my box scraper, putting a crown back on the drive and creating ditches on each side. I've got it to drain which was a huge help.

My problem now is that it has dips in it every 20-30 ft. or so and I'm having a hard time getting it to level out. The box scraper just exaggerates the dips.

The only tools I have are the box scraper, a blade, and a roller. I also have a harrow but there's no place to turn around if I try to drag it.

Does anyone have any advice using the tools I have available?

Thanks,

Kevin

LD1 · Apr 13, 2015

I find using the blade on an angle helps not to exaggerate the dips. Also helps get the crown back in. Angle toward the middle. After you go up and down he drive doing that, go in reverse with the blade angled to push back to the edges. but leave the blade turned around so it dont bite in, just level and feather out. Then drive over to pack. Repeat if needed.

If this is an ongoing issue though, you may need to invest in a landplane

Baby Grand · Apr 13, 2015

Like LD1 says: try a blade set at an angle after you do a pass with the box blade with just the scarifiers working the stone.
If you can add one or two gage wheel(s) to the back of the rear blade - the more aft you can, the better - that will allow you to float the blade and may help to eliminate some of the "porpoising" that is causing those dips, too.

haroldy · Apr 13, 2015

I have a similar problem on my lane
I am going to try the box blade with a chain for a top-link so it drags and doesn't exaggerate the dips or bumps when the tractor goes over a bump

Silvic · Apr 13, 2015

Would agree that a land plane is the best option but very careful use of the back blade with continual manual adjustment of the height with your three point (if you do not have a gauge wheels) can overcome some of your issues. Unfortunately without the right tool you will have to work harder and slower to get the result you want.

MtnViewRanch · Apr 13, 2015

haroldy said:
I have a similar problem on my lane
I am going to try the box blade with a chain for a toplink so it drags and doesn't exaggerate the dips or bumps

This will not work, the box blade will simply roll forward when the cutting edge digs in.

I understand that you guys don't want to purchase any new implement to help you with your drives, but is this not an ongoing concern? If you were to get a LPGS (land plane) I doubt that you would regret it for very long.

Just my :2cents:

DennisArrow · Apr 13, 2015

For me, I have had to do this every time I dump a new load of gravel and spread it out.................Yes, angle the blade so that what you scrape goes toward the middle. Have the right edge of the blade perhaps 1/2 inch lower than the right, so that you are scraping down into the surface and passing it along to the middle............Now, it is tedious, back drag your bucket pulling some or all of the loose stuff into the low places. That is the problem, you need to fill in those low spots and cut down the high parts. Do this until you get a level surface and can use the box blade pretty level to scrape and fill the little dips and humps..............FINALLY, when you have it level, NOW with your blade at an angle again, and yes the right side lower start on the far side of one side of the road and JUST barely bite into the surface moving material to the middle for your crown...............Go to the end of the road, turn around and do it again with the SAME HEIGHT of the blade............Now keep doing that but move to the toward the center on each pass perhaps half a blade width until you are overlapping coming and going down the middle...........At this point you should have a "stripe" of gravel/material 12" or so wide and perhaps 4" to 6" high.......................Turn your blade around and straighten it up without any angle and the same height across................Backblade the center now with the blade raised perhaps 1/2"...............There ya go.........God bless........Dennis

GregbkH · Apr 14, 2015

I messed up my 1/2 mile easement with my rear blade and made it real wavey. Then I bought a Landpride 2584 Grading scraper. All is well now and my easement is flat (has a crown) and pothole free. I also touch it up with my landscape rake once in a while. Works good.

If you're going to continully maintain a gravel drive...... get a grading scraper.

RobS · Apr 14, 2015

I've finally given up on the box blade for this chore. It's great for moving material around but not so great for leveling. This year, I used my rear blade for moving material back onto the drive from snow plowing, and generally creating a crown. Then I used my landscape rake to finish. First few passes with the rake "normal", then a few finishing passes with the rake reversed. My drive is also crushed concrete. It's now smooth (even) but the larger rocks poking up still make it quite bumpy. Everytime we drive on it, it gets better...