Adding an axle and a couple of tires to your snow blade to push vehicles with.

[roygage]

Looking for another use for our home-built and snow blade we hung an old axle, after we shortened it two feet, to aid in pushing cars and trucks into our auto repair shop. With 15 lbs. pressure it is a pretty soft touch, no vehicle damage to date. Very quick to get on and off.

 

[RjCorazza]

That's a cool setup!
I had to push my wife's car 100 yards up a snow covered hill several years back to get her home. Unfortunately I just had the bucket to push with and it left a small crease in her van.
I should really have some other method, because there seems to be previous few places to hook chains to on modern cars.

 

[Big Barn]

Really great idea!!

 

[LouNY]

Looks nice;
I have used dismounted tires several times as a cushion for pushing hang them down flat between the pushing and pushed vehicle,
also have used them as a cushion when towing with a chain from the towed vehicle to the tire and then a second chain from the tire to the towing vehicle.

 

[LittleBill21]

Sorry anything plastic is going to get damage doing that. i use a set of axle straps and pull, no damage, except snow on my clothes

https://www.amazon.com/Trekassy-Str...00da660395615&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

 

[NormL]

How about stuffing one or two innertubes in an old duffle bag and then inflate just enough to use as a pillow between pusher and pushee? Less likely to damage plastic bumpers I'm guessing.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Sorry, I like your setup, but concur. It takes very little to damage the plastic (especially when cold) on modern vehicles. You hardly dare push them by hand for fear of something getting pushed in.

 

[davedj1]

Old days we just used an old tire, no rim.

 

[Tinhack]

Yeah, if those tires can turn, they'll burn holes in plastic bumpers. Not too good for chrome bumpers either if they can pick up dirt/grit.

If you plan on doing this often, I'd carry a strap to PULL vehicles as mentioned above. And use the tow hooks provided on most cars. Today's cars have thin plastic over styrofoam for bumper covers--Not made for pushing.

 

[npalen]

What happened to the good old days when we just pushed bumper to bumper?

 

[roygage]

Yeah, if those tires can turn, they'll burn holes in plastic bumpers. Not too good for chrome bumpers either if they can pick up dirt/grit.

If you plan on doing this often, I'd carry a strap to PULL vehicles as mentioned above. And use the tow hooks provided on most cars. Today's cars have thin plastic over styrofoam for bumper covers--Not made for pushing.

In defense of pushing cars in. The points made regarding how tender the bumpers are on today's cars are valid. As far as pulling cars into the shop I have ran an auto and light truck shop for 35 years.We pull cars into one door as it is facing the street and the drive goes up into the shop. Anytime you are going up or down in elevation you run into trouble with the push bumper grating on the car as one or the other goes up or down. Also, when we pull into our street door we have room to get the pulling vehicle back out.

Now our other door comes off our parking lot into a blind bay. You can not pull a car into it. Also the ground leading into this door is flat, no elevation changes until the car enters the shop at which point the car drops down ten inches. Into this door we always are careful to have enough speed to back off the gas and let the car come in under its own steam.

I belong to a group of professional auto repair shops, the subject often comes up. Many use garden tractors with a push bumper, some dedicated tug vehicles, many now use push bumpers with carpet or tire treads on their four wheelers. Being gentle is the key.

One thing I like about our rig is the spacing between the tires. It allows you to push on the areas between the corners and the license plate. Often the area around the plate protrudes, the area between the plate and the outside corners is generally flat and the best spot to push. We can also turn the blade to maintain even contact during turns.

As for tow points, your dreaming, many cars have no tow point

 

[MossRoad]

What happened to the good old days when we just pushed bumper to bumper?

And then one or the other car would hit a dip and one bumper would slip over the other and they'd lock together. Then you'd see 5-6 people jumping up and down on them trying to get them apart. :laughing:

Those were fun times. :thumbsup:

 

[MossRoad]

...As for tow points, your dreaming, many cars have no tow point

That's what tie rods are for! :laughing:

 

[Rustyiron]

What is your pushing vehicle pictured? Looks very interesting.

 

[CobyRupert]

Yeah, if those tires can turn, they'll burn holes in plastic bumpers. Not too good for chrome bumpers either if they can pick up dirt/grit. ...

Did you mean if they CAN’T turn, they’ll rub instead of turning when a sudden elevation difference occurs and leave marks?
I’m thinking maybe brace the axle off the plow so tires can turn. ....but if it works as is...

 

[jaydee325]

If I ever observe someone pushing my vehicles by the rear bumper, it would get ugly real fast. That is just not done in a professional shop IMHO!

 

[roygage]

If I ever observe someone pushing my vehicles by the rear bumper, it would get ugly real fast. That is just not done in a professional shop IMHO!

You have the right to pick your shop based not only how they handle the repairs but how they handle your car. That sir is the way the world goes around. Here at my shop if your car is towed in and dropped off with a bad fuel pump and it's 15 below with ice on the ground it is going to be pushed in as we see fit.

 

[LouNY]

You have the right to pick your shop based not only how they handle the repairs but how they handle your car. That sir is the way the world goes around. Here at my shop if your car is towed in and dropped off with a bad fuel pump and it's 15 below with ice on the ground it is going to be pushed in as we see fit.

You mean your not going to get 15-20 men and padded slings and dainty gloves to pick up that vehicle and handle it with kid gloves.
You surely don't mean that you are going to move it as efficiently and with the least amount if any damage so as to get the job done and the vehicle back to it's owner.

 

[roygage]

What is your pushing vehicle pictured? Looks very interesting.

Here is a link to my grandsons facebook page for some information on the tractor in question Rusty Iron. Just breaking the new plow I today with the home built articulated tractor(1) - YouTube

 

[Tinhack]

As for tow points, your dreaming, many cars have no tow point

Hogwash! (Appropriate for TBN ) Every car has tow points. Some have loops some don't and you have to use a loop that slips into the reinforcement slot. Every wrecker I know of carries several. :confused3:

Those tires, as designed and used, can't help but tear up bumpers. Why use them at all? Might as well use your blade alone. Or lift the blade out of the way and push with your tractor tires.

But I guess if all you work on is junkers, it doesn't matter. :thumbdown:


Addendum: I had a car in my shop years ago that if you had done that with, you'd be out of pocket about $150,000. It was a hand fabricated all aluminum body. About $18,000 in paint work alone. Good luck.