2500 vs 3500 Payload

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SouthTexan

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Can Ram/Ford just slap a new sticker on their non-fleet truck doors with stated higher GVWR or will they have to totally redesign their rear suspension to handle the extra rating.? Can RAM's coil rear handle another 1100# or Fords?

I have no doubts that if Ram wanted to, they could raise the diesel 2500's GVWR to 11,500 lbs without needing to even touch the truck. I am not as confident about the Ford.


They've tuned the suspension for the 10K GVWR even though the axle ratings are large enough to handle additional loads.

The suspension is not tuned for a certain GVWR. If that were the case, then the 2500 diesel GAWR's would be a lot lower. The GAWR is the lowest rated of the axle system which is the axle, brakes, wheels and suspension. My 2014 2500 has a front GAWR of 6,000 lbs and a rear GAWR of 6,500 lbs with a GVWR of 10,000 lbs. The 3500 of the same year has a front GAWR of 6,000 lbs and a rear GAWR of 7,000 lbs with a total GVWR of 11,700 lbs. They both have exact same fron axle. The 11.5' AAM axles in the rear of both trucks is rated at 10,000 lbs, but the suspension of the 2500 has a lower capacity of 500 lbs even though the difference in total GVWR is 1,700 lbs. This is due to the max GVWR allowable for a class 2B truck.


I think for non-fleet customers this is a good thing; instead of having to jump up into the 3500 segment if you have a 5th wheel and a diesel...going from 1700# payload up to 3000# is a significant jump. RAM dealers around the intermountain west seem to have a good selection between 2500/3500, but go to a FORD dealer and F250 diesel selection is a 1/4 to 1/3 of what the F350 selection is because the F250 suspension is setup so soft for the ride. Good for GM to stir things up in the non-fleet market.


What GM did is moved this 2500 truck from Class 2B which has a max GVWR of 10k to a Class 3 which has a GVWR between 10,001-14,000 GVWR. This is good for non-fleet customers as you say, but not for many commercial fleet customers. There is nothing set in stone saying that manufacturer has to put a 2500 in class 2B. In fact all SRW 3500 trucks were in class 2B just like the 2500's up until 2006.
 

wyo2track

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What GM did is moved this 2500 truck from Class 2B which has a max GVWR of 10k to a Class 3 which has a GVWR between 10,001-14,000 GVWR. This is good for non-fleet customers as you say, but not for many commercial fleet customers. There is nothing set in stone saying that manufacturer has to put a 2500 in class 2B. In fact all SRW 3500 trucks were in class 2B just like the 2500's up until 2006.


I suppose we'll see in a couple months what the door stickers say on the 2020 models for RAM & Ford. Like you said in a previous post, GM will have to derate their 2500 down to 10K GVWR for its fleet customers, that'll be easy. But for the non-fleet masses, it's a hell of a salespitch to customers..."look we have 1300# more payload in our 3/4 ton diesel trucks than the competition". If Ram can do the door sticker change on the fly well then that's great. One would think Ford, knowing their going to be coming with all this torque in their new diesel, would have more payload capability listed on their F250 trucks than what a F150 already does...
 

Tdecoursey

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If RAM did change the door sticker on the fly I suspect those vehicles with air suspension would have to be more robust. I am not sure when protection mode kicks in on the 2500 compressors but I would assume if you increase the payload sticker you would have to either electronically change that limit or change the airbags.
Thoughts?
 

Ribtipram

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My 1500 in IL has b plates(under 8000lbs) my 2500 has c plates(8000 to 10000 lbs with no inspection needed)any more then that an inspection is needed d plates. Everyone saying it has nothing to do with the truck is exactly right. Its all laws and road plate fees. In IL anyway.
 

olyelr

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If RAM did change the door sticker on the fly I suspect those vehicles with air suspension would have to be more robust. I am not sure when protection mode kicks in on the 2500 compressors but I would assume if you increase the payload sticker you would have to either electronically change that limit or change the airbags.
Thoughts?

Unless they designed the current bag setup to be maxed right out (highly doubtful), it should be just fine.
 

SouthTexan

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I don't think the air bag truck have a compressor. If I am not mistaken, it just has a nitrogen tank. All it does is move nitrogen to the air bags when needed and go back to the tank when not needed.
 

KSH

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I don't think the air bag truck have a compressor. If I am not mistaken, it just has a nitrogen tank. All it does is move nitrogen to the air bags when needed and go back to the tank when not needed.
That's the 1500. 2500 is air
 

spoon059

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It would never happen because there is no law in the US concerning being over payload. Not one person has EVER been able to quote or post an ordinance about this.
Well... federal bridge limits and over your registered weights are the only 2 that I know of.

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Jimmy07

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Well... federal bridge limits and over your registered weights are the only 2 that I know of.

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I don’t think anybody with a ram has to worry about going over 80,000 GVWR, or 20,000 per axle.

Yes, your responsibility for your registered weight, but you’re not bound to only registering it at or below the GVWR.
 

SouthTexan

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I don’t think anybody with a ram has to worry about going over 80,000 GVWR, or 20,000 per axle.

Yes, your responsibility for your registered weight, but you’re not bound to only registering it at or below the GVWR.


You can register it above the factory GVWR in Texas. In fact the fine for being caught with a load heavier then your registered GVWR is to pay the difference in registration of the GVWR you got caught with for all the years you owned the truck and from that point on you have to register it at that GVWR.
 

Tdecoursey

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Figured out fairly close to what the airbags on a 2500 can handle. I am going to guess 3000lbs. Today I filled a 250 gallon square chemical tank to the rim and put it on a scale at the metal salvage yard.
Airbags leveled out nicely with no issues. My friend and I are 400 lbs, total weigh came in at 2910. No error code, compressor leveled and on we went.
Oh if anyone’s interested, payload on my mega cab is 1570. I was 1300lbs over that. So clearly the axle rating in my opinion is the best source for what your truck can handle.
 

spoon059

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Figured out fairly close to what the airbags on a 2500 can handle. I am going to guess 3000lbs. Today I filled a 250 gallon square chemical tank to the rim and put it on a scale at the metal salvage yard.
Airbags leveled out nicely with no issues. My friend and I are 400 lbs, total weigh came in at 2910. No error code, compressor leveled and on we went.
Oh if anyone’s interested, payload on my mega cab is 1570. I was 1300lbs over that. So clearly the axle rating in my opinion is the best source for what your truck can handle.

Doubtful it's that low. My buddy had a 2500 crew cab that had 3100 lbs payload, airbags didn't break a sweat. Im sure there is a pretty decent safety net above that.

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