# How do plows do that?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-plows-do-that/153462>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 7, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-plows-do-that/153462 "2003-02-07T14:38:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-plows-do-that/153462/1 "2003-02-07T14:38:27Z")

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I hope there is someone out there that can tell me how a plow doesn’t get stuck on curbs, frost heaves, divits in the road, yet still manage to shave the snow off the road so smoothly? Is inertia involved?

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**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-plows-do-that/153462/2 "2003-02-07T14:50:29Z")

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Most snow plows used on highways have a rubber or polyurethane “cutting edge” fastened to the bottom of the plow blade. They are also rigged with springs to allow the blade to “trip” and fold forward when striking something solid. This allows the blade to ride up and over the object struck.

I looked for supporting information on “how stuff works”, but theve reworked the site and it doesn’t seem to work as it did before.

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**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-plows-do-that/153462/3 "2003-02-07T15:17:48Z")

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I found a picture here:

[http://www.rustrepair.com/app2/onlinecat.htm?pagenm=sn-western-ws.redge](http://www.rustrepair.com/app2/onlinecat.htm?pagenm=sn-western-ws.redge)

of a rubber edge. They say it’s good for parking lots and such, but I’ve seen similar in use on the hiway.

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-plows-do-that/153462/4 "2003-02-07T15:17:49Z")

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As well as being able to bend foward like GaryM said they also have plates on the bottom that ride on the street. This keeps the blade just a very little bit off the road. Very little, just enough to keep it from plowing up the asphalt too.

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-plows-do-that/153462/5 "2003-02-07T15:20:34Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by GaryM \*  
> \*\*I looked for supporting information on “how stuff works”, but theve reworked the site and it doesn’t seem to work as it did before. \*\*

[hijack] I don’t like the new site [/hijack]

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**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-plows-do-that/153462/6 "2003-02-07T16:17:56Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Joey P \*  
> \*\*[hijack] I don’t like the new site [/hijack] \*\*

It sure is sucky now! Might rate a trip to the pit?