setting up a duramax for plowing

[farm boy00]

OK first thing first... I know this is probably the wrong category but you guys have lots of knowledge at what I need.

I got a 05 2500 duramax for plowing. I'm going into the business. I am right now with the truck and 2 plows for it. I'm looking at putting a headache rack on with lights and lights near the tailgate

This is what I need-
Best type of lights
How to turn the lights on
Flashing light


I am looking at putting $1200 into the truck but this budget is $500 max

Any ideas? ?

 

[RedNeckRacin]

On the lights, just get a cheap 12v cigarette lighter plug in light. No reason to get to fancy. Just make sure you have spare hoses, solenoids, fuses, trip springs, shoes, and maybe tire chains and extra hydraulic fluid as well as a tool kit. Also go over the ball joints, wheel bearings, tie rods as well as changing all fluids and filters. Also, Check the manufacturers website for recommended ballast behind the rear wheels. That should get your truck to ride better and push better. Have you looked into an auxiliary transmission cooler? Do you have excellent winter tires and not just summer slicks??

 

[farm boy00]

On the lights, just get a cheap 12v cigarette lighter plug in light. No reason to get to fancy. Just make sure you have spare hoses, solenoids, fuses, trip springs, shoes, and maybe tire chains and extra hydraulic fluid as well as a tool kit. Also go over the ball joints, wheel bearings, tie rods as well as changing all fluids and filters. Also, Check the manufacturers website for recommended ballast behind the rear wheels. That should get your truck to ride better and push better. Have you looked into an auxiliary transmission cooler? Do you have excellent winter tires and not just summer slicks??

Do you mean the flasher (it's called strobe now that I think of it) light? ?? I'm not going for one of those cheap one. Got a $6 one and the plug ripped out and you barely see it. I'm thinking of using the fog switch for aux.. lights. The truck has been used to plow a church and a house drive all its life so I'm not worried about the tans cooler.

I already know about the tires. Actually right now the tires are bald. I already I need good tires. The best around here are cooper's are the best and the mechanic sells them are 1 mile away

 

[Sprinklerman]

Been plowing 30 years , havent found a need for extra lights . Everything is white and the back up lights do great . Lots of time we just run the parking lights on a parking lot so we dont blind the other plow trucks

 

[farm boy00]

Been plowing 30 years , havent found a need for extra lights . Everything is white and the back up lights do great . Lots of time we just run the parking lights on a parking lot so we dont blind the other plow trucks

I started out with my 79 that had 4 lights on the rollbar for plowing my house. Then going to the duramax with none I can't stand it. I don't have the greatest vision so I like lots of lights

 

[franklin2]

Been plowing 30 years , havent found a need for extra lights . Everything is white and the back up lights do great . Lots of time we just run the parking lights on a parking lot so we dont blind the other plow trucks

I agree, I don't have extra lights and never really needed any.

The worst problem you are going to have is hitting stuff. If you have contracts and know the places you are going to plow(you may need to take pictures in the summer) then you should be ok. It's those last minute "how much will you charge" jobs that get you into trouble. Hitting curbs and all sorts of unknown stuff and accidentally digging up sod and gravel.

Sounds like the truck is ready to go with some new tires for it.

 

[LD1]

They are expensive, but if you want strobes, get the ones that are inside the tail-light and headlight assemblies. I dont know much about them, and dont have them, but have seen other trucks use them and they look nice.

Forget about more front lights. You wont need that.

I do find bakup lights lack sometimes. I mount some lights either under the bumper, or above where the licensplate cutout its, and tie it into the trailer wiring backup circuit since its right there. Then the lights only come on in reverse.

What kind of plows do you have?

 

[farm boy00]

They are expensive, but if you want strobes, get the ones that are inside the tail-light and headlight assemblies. I dont know much about them, and dont have them, but have seen other trucks use them and they look nice.

Forget about more front lights. You wont need that.

I do find bakup lights lack sometimes. I mount some lights either under the bumper, or above where the licensplate cutout its, and tie it into the trailer wiring backup circuit since its right there. Then the lights only come on in reverse.

What kind of plows do you have?

My plow mount is the older western unmount. Plows I have ran a little 7.5ft plow and just got a 10ft plow.


That could be an idea but I want lights on whenever I need them. Michigan winter nights get super dark so I'm planning on mounting 2 lights on the top of the headache rack pointing to the front and a good strobe light ($25-100 budget)

I do like the idea of getting the ones that go into the head light but I think that's out of my price range.

 

[franklin2]

If you run lights up high on the headache rack, you will have to keep them covered most of the year. The cops will probably let you go and run them uncovered during a snow storm, but of course you will have to keep them off driving down the road. During the rest of the year they need covers on them or they will pull you over for it. Official snow plow lights that mount on the snowplow mount are the only lights I have seen mounted higher than the headlights that they won't pull you over any time of the year.

So you might was well get some off road lights for up high. The 55w lights are the road legal ones, the 100w are not but of course give more light and like I said, they will need to be covered on the road so that will make them legal to use. A 100w light is going to draw approx 8 amps each, so that would be 16 for two. A simple way to power them would be with a 20 amp switch for each pair, but you have to run a heavy wire(12 gauge). If you power them directly from the battery(I would recommend this to keep the extra load off the factory harness) you need to put a circuit breaker or fuse right at the battery, 20amp should do it for each pair.

If you don't want to run the heavy wire into the cab and back out to the lights, you could sit a relay out near the battery, and use smaller wire to run into the cab to a smaller switch that would trigger the relay, all the heavier wiring would run from the fuse, to the relay, and then to the lights.

I am not sure where you are going to mount the rear lights. I would not recommend under or around the rear bumper. I am getting ready for my trailer plug bracket to break off one of these days, it keeps getting bent from backing against snow banks as I maneuver around plowing.

 

[farm boy00]

If you run lights up high on the headache rack, you will have to keep them covered most of the year. The cops will probably let you go and run them uncovered during a snow storm, but of course you will have to keep them off driving down the road. During the rest of the year they need covers on them or they will pull you over for it. Official snow plow lights that mount on the snowplow mount are the only lights I have seen mounted higher than the headlights that they won't pull you over any time of the year.

So you might was well get some off road lights for up high. The 55w lights are the road legal ones, the 100w are not but of course give more light and like I said, they will need to be covered on the road so that will make them legal to use. A 100w light is going to draw approx 8 amps each, so that would be 16 for two. A simple way to power them would be with a 20 amp switch for each pair, but you have to run a heavy wire(12 gauge). If you power them directly from the battery(I would recommend this to keep the extra load off the factory harness) you need to put a circuit breaker or fuse right at the battery, 20amp should do it for each pair.

If you don't want to run the heavy wire into the cab and back out to the lights, you could sit a relay out near the battery, and use smaller wire to run into the cab to a smaller switch that would trigger the relay, all the heavier wiring would run from the fuse, to the relay, and then to the lights.

I am not sure where you are going to mount the rear lights. I would not recommend under or around the rear bumper. I am getting ready for my trailer plug bracket to break off one of these days, it keeps getting bent from backing against snow banks as I maneuver around plowing.

I didn't know you have to run them covered during summer. Any specific brand or light that you suggest?? I want to use the fog light button to power them. Good idea or just plain stupid??

I am going to mount the back lights on the edge of the box near the ladder pockets. But not cover them