[Wingnut]

8 mm? Yup, I believe that's right, and I don't have the conversion figures right in front of me, but it's roughly the SAE equivalent of 3/8". Anyway, it's all good. I'm probably gonna try and figure-out an additional anchor point or two, and fabricate whatever is need to accomplish that, because I'd just feel better with some additional support(s). There are several un-used places on the frame, with pre-threaded anchor points to do just that.

Thanks again.

P.S. - Just checked the instruction sheet, and those two bolts are actually 10mm, not 8mm.

 

[JimP]

I'm glad that you brought this up. I decided to go check and the bolt is a 10mm, but when I looked at it I saw that one of the mounting nuts was missing and another one was loose. So off to the hardware store I went.

The bolt is a M10x1.25 so if you would like you can find a calculator to see just what the shear strength and or how much weight that they will hold. At least that is what is on my mounting.

 

[Wingnut]

I'm glad that you brought this up. I decided to go check and the bolt is a 10mm, but when I looked at it I saw that one of the mounting nuts was missing and another one was loose. So off to the hardware store I went.

The bolt is a M10x1.25 so if you would like you can find a calculator to see just what the shear strength and or how much weight that they will hold. At least that is what is on my mounting.

Yeah, given my fears about the thing having only two anchor points for support, I used some lock-tite on those two little hummers, just to be safe, but I just now discovered something else that is fantastic news! I've realized that I had foolishly overlooked something. The assembly does in-fact have more than two anchor points. Yah-hooooo! I just missed it! In addition to the two that attach the winch mount, it has two more that attach to brackets on the front bumper. Of course, I missed that little, but critical morsel of information, since the bumper had been completely removed per instructions and was set aside. I didn't bother putting it back in, because I figured I'd need it off when doing the wiring, etc. Stew-pid! I feel infinitely better now, knowing that there is more support than just those two 10mm bolts at the very top. The bumper has 4-6 anchor points of it's own, so that helps immeasurably to stabilize things, and Hallelujah for that! In retrospect, I would have been far better off if I had simply downloaded the instructions, instead of looking at the printed ones, because then I could have zoomed-in on the photos, and gotten a far better idea of things. Again, stupid!

 

[Wingnut]

Question: For those of you using a strap on your snow plow rather than a cable/rope with pulley, how are you attaching the strap to the winch spool? Or are you leaving it unattached, and just making several excess wraps to secure it? Thanks!

 

[RedRocket]

just making several excess wraps to secure it

You saw the pictures I posted to where I created the "tail", but I don't secure the tail, just make the wraps over it and it holds just fine.

 

[CanadianKodiak700]

A little piece of duct tape just to secure it to the drum so you don't have to hold it there, then when it's wrapped over itself, it will hold fine

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

 

[Wingnut]

O.K. Very good.
I actually spoke with a guy the other day (a local installer), who said he once encountered a guy who drilled and tapped a pair of holes into the spool, with holes punched through the strap, and I'm thinking to myself . . . "Um, metal shavings inside the drum? That just ain't right"!!!

Anyway, thanks guys.

 

[MarshMaster]

The kfi winch has a small metal plate that screws into the spool,has a channel that the line goes in. I just jammed the end of my synthetic line into the cable hole and tighten set screw. Once I take the strap off and put the cable back on im never going to change it again. Pain in the a$$. Im staying with the cable. I dont get to plow enough to warrant changing back and forth..

 

[Wingnut]

The kfi winch has a small metal plate that screws into the spool,has a channel that the line goes in. I just jammed the end of my synthetic line into the cable hole and tighten set screw. Once I take the strap off and put the cable back on im never going to change it again. Pain in the a$$. Im staying with the cable. I dont get to plow enough to warrant changing back and forth..

Yeah, I'm actually having second thoughts about the strap too. There's no doubt that it's far stronger and likely to last far longer, but like you, I'm just a home property plow user, not a commercial service or whatever, and I'm beginning to think that changing the strap and cable (or rope) twice per year, could slowly get to be a pain in the arse. I might just stick with the cable and pulley approach, but swap my current synthetic rope for true steel cable. I got the winch for free from my eldest, so whatever the cost of replacement cable, it really wouldn't be a heavy lift.

 

[Wingnut]

Can anybody here who uses their snow plow alot tell me the minimum height that the plow blade needs to be lifted in practical use?

I ask this because I'm running into some issues setting up a winch with a strap (as opposed to rope or cable) on my Kodiak. The only practical place on the Kodiak to mount a roller unit above the actual winch hub, is the left-to-right crossbar on the front grill/bumper, and that crossbar is only 4-5" higher than the winch itself, meaning that I wouldn't be able to raise the plow blade more than about 5" tops! Is that gonna be high enough?

 

[JimP]

Why not run the cable like I have?

From the winch to the back of the blade then up to a strap on the front rack?

Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk

 

[Wingnut]

Why not run the cable like I have?

From the winch to the back of the blade then up to a strap on the front rack?

Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk

Yup. It's a bit too early yet to tell, but that may end-up being the only way for me to do it. The controlling factor will be the height of that crossbar, which is far different on the Kodiak than your Griz. Not only is mine higher, but the tubing is thicker in diameter, making the standard keel roller (like the one used in those photos), un-workable (the u-Bolts would simply be too wide to fit the bracket). And thus, cable with pulleys may be my only option.

 

[JimP]

My mind isn't working too well tonight. I remembered that you said that you were thinking about going with the cable and then when I read your post my eyes read strap but my mind said cable.

It's RedRocket that has the strap and Grizzly

But looking at the bumper on the Kodiak it looks like you should be able to place the strap pulley on it and then run the strap up and down to the plow.

A picture of your Kodiak with the strap pulley mounted would help with me scratching my head.

 

[Wingnut]

Yeah, I can't blame you a bit for being confused. I'm downright neurotic when it comes to these sorts of things, and that often leads to vasillation and indecision. But let me try to clarify.

To be clear, in a perfect world, I would much prefer the strap versus cable with pulleys approach, and should it come to the latter arrangement (because of the Kodiak's geometry), that particular setup would be a no-brainier.

Now, that said, the strap approach is somewhat problematic for one key reason (and its a tad complex to explain), but the diameter of the tubular crossbar on the front grill of the Kodiak (which sits just above the winch), is a 'fat' 1-3/4". When you add the additional width needed for two 5/16" or 3/8" diameter U-Bolts to pass over that tubing and through the strap roller base plate on each side of that tubing, you find that no commercially made strap roller base plate is wide enough. It would need to be a bare minimum of 3" wide, and the one pictured by RedRocket is only about 2.5" (I know, cuz I bought one!).

You are perfectly correct in saying that if I can resolve the problematic mounting of the strap roller, then it's simply uphill to the roller from the winch hub, and down again to the push tube, no problemo. However, my earlier point was this . . . even then, I believe the total maximum lift height of the blade will be less than 8".

I hope this additional description helps to clarify.

P.S. - I'm guessing the crossbar on RedRocket's Grizzly is only 1" in diameter (1.5" tops!).

 

[RedRocket]

I haven't measured the cross bar on my Grizzly bumper that I have the keel roller mounted to. But easy solution for you, bolt a piece of flat stock to the keel roller base where the flat stock is wide enough for your application. I do not leave the keel roller on my Grizzly outside of plow season.

EDIT: Just measured my cross bar and it is 1 1/4" o.d.

 

[Wingnut]

I haven't measured the cross bar on my Grizzly bumper that I have the keel roller mounted to. But easy solution for you, bolt a piece of flat stock to the keel roller base where the flat stock is wide enough for your application. I do not leave the keel roller on my Grizzly outside of plow season.

EDIT: Just measured my cross bar and it is 1 1/4" o.d.

XLNT. Thanks for confirming that measurement for us RedRocket, and that's kinda what I figured. That added 1/2" in tubular width (1-1/4" vs. 1-3/4"), has definitely complicated my equation somewhat, but you're right, there are certainly work-arounds. Are they ideal? No. Do they look nice? Not really. Are they warranted vs. simply using a cable with pulley? Not really sure, but I guess I'll soon have to decide.

 

[JimP]

For plow season who cares what it looks like as far as it works?

You do have something like 8 months before you really need to start worrying.

 

[Wingnut]

You do have something like 8 months before you really need to start worrying.

Tru-dat! But at my pace, it'll prolly take me 8-months to finish it!

 

[Wingnut]

But here again, I was hoping to hear from others (as originally stated above), just how high does the plow blade need to be lifted during normal use?

And the reason I'm asking this is because maybe (just maybe?), I don't even NEED a strap roller? Maybe I can just go straight from the winch hub down to the push-tube assembly? I'm guessing that such a 'direct-to-plow' arrangement would yield at least 5-6" of lift before the strap hook hit the fairlead. Would that be high enough? Or will I need it to be much-much higher.

 

[MarshMaster]

Well, how high depends on where your at. Paved area where you know theres nothing around,just high enough to get around. Travelling is the only time really you have to have it all the way up. I only lift mine probably 5or6inches. We don't get a lot of snow here, plus if i lift it higher it seems to pull straight back. I have a mid mount..