Parts of a Snow Plow – Moldboard, A-Frame, Trip Springs

All 12 parts on the diagram

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From the side 10

Moldboard It is the curved blade. It can be set straight across or angled to the right or left.
Cutting edge A replaceable strip bolted along the bottom of the moldboard.
Plow shoes They ride on the ground behind the blade. They set how high the cutting edge sits.
Trip springs They let the moldboard tip forward and ride over an obstruction.
Blade guides One stands at each end of the moldboard. Some carry a small flag.
Stand Lowered to hold the plow up when it is off the truck.
Lift cylinder It raises the plow off the ground.
Lift chain The plow is lifted by it. Slack in the chain lets the blade follow the ground.
Hydraulic unit It powers the cylinders that raise, lower and angle the plow.
Plow lights Headlamps carried on the plow itself, high up above the blade.

From above 2

A-frame The triangular frame that joins the blade to the truck.
Angle cylinders They swing the moldboard right or left, or hold it straight.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30 and kept only where at least two makers use it. (1) A plow maker's owner's manual with a numbered parts page, archived copy https://web.archive.org/web/20231030205848/https://www.meyerproducts.com/MeyerProducts/media/MeyerMediaLibrary/EZ-Mount-Xpress-Owners-Manual-4-545_2.pdf : moldboard, cutting edge, runners, trip springs, power angling cylinders, lift frame, lift arm, lift chain, lift cylinder, snow plow lights, hydraulic power unit, plow stand. (2) A second maker's installation instructions and owner's manual, full text at https://archive.org/details/manualslib-id-563 : moldboard, cutting edge, trip springs, plow shoes, blade guides, A-frame, angle cylinder, lift cylinder, hydraulic unit, plow headlights, kickstand. (3) A third maker's owner's manual and mechanic's guide, full text at https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-6026639 : cutting edge, trip springs, shoes, blade guides with flags, A-frame, lift cylinder, lift chain, hydraulic unit, plow headlamps. (4) A loader snow plow operator's manual, full text at https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-6027357 : moldboard, cutting edge, trip springs, skid shoes. Wikipedia's Snowplow article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowplow) was read and names none of these parts. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's drawing, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

A straight-blade truck snow plow, off the truck and resting on its stand. The first drawing shows it from the side with the blade to the left. The second shows it from above, where the A-frame and the two angle cylinders are clear.

Read the full guide

The blade

The moldboard is the curved blade, and the cutting edge is the replaceable strip bolted along its bottom. Plow shoes behind the blade set the height of the cutting edge. Trip springs let the moldboard tip forward and ride over an obstruction. A blade guide stands at each end.

The frame and the lift

The A-frame joins the blade to the truck. Two angle cylinders swing the moldboard right or left. The lift cylinder raises the plow by the lift chain, and the hydraulic unit powers all the cylinders. Plow lights sit high above the blade. The stand holds the plow up once it is off the truck.

Plow shoes are also called skid shoes or runners, depending on the maker.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a snow plow called?

The moldboard with its cutting edge, the plow shoes, the trip springs and the blade guides; then the A-frame, the two angle cylinders, the lift cylinder and lift chain, the hydraulic unit, the plow lights and the stand.

What is the blade of a snow plow called?

The moldboard. The replaceable strip bolted along its bottom is the cutting edge.

What do trip springs do on a snow plow?

They let the moldboard tip forward and ride over an obstruction. One maker's manual says this protects the snowplow, the vehicle and the operator.

What is the A-frame on a snow plow?

The triangular frame behind the blade. Its point is at the blade and its two legs run back to the truck, so it is the part that joins the plow to the vehicle.