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Posted by Clint Dixon on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 13:10:08 :
In Reply to: Re: 9-foot Good Roads Dodge Special posted by Jerry in Idaho on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 10:47:07 :
Actually, with this design, the truck is supporting none of the weight when the plow is lowered to the ground. The center of gravity of the plow assembly is directly above the castors.
This is an image of T-roy's plow from his site. If he were to disconnect the lift chain and pull the two pins connecting the plow A-frame to the truck, the plow would rotate about the castors and and the cutting edge would fall to the ground. If the castors were swung around forward (as if you were backing up) the A-frame would fall to the ground.
It is balanced well enough that I can wheel my plow all around the garage by jacking the castors down enough so the cutting edge and A-frame are just barely off the floor.
I think the company is still in business. Every now and then I find an almost new Good Roads plow for sale on ebay. These are usually for large modern county and township trucks.
I feel the greatest thing that the Good Roads Dodge Special had going for it was the hydraulics that raise the front of the truck as the plow is raised. This relieves the front suspension of all of the weight of the plow. Of course, with no suspension other than the give of the tires, you can no longer drive 50 mph with the plow raised.
Junior