Share Pics of People Hauling or Towing Something Wrong

[Too many Kubotas]

No matter what your CCC is, you can't legally exceed the GCWR for your vehicle.
GCW = truck curb weight + weight of all passengers in the truck + weight of all cargo in the truck (not just the bed, also anything under the seats etc.) + weight of trailer and its contents.
If this value is greater than GCWR then you are not legal (or safe).

Okay, then I'm not legal (or safe) towing what I do with my 3500.

But had I ordered 4.10s instead of 3.73s I would've been quite close to legal.

 

[LD48750]

Explain to me how changing the axle ratio makes a truck safe or unsafe.

 

[WinterDeere]

Explain to me how changing the axle ratio makes a truck safe or unsafe.

It really doesn't affect safety as much as motive capacity... pushing upstream components of the drivetrain past their design point. I suspect the transmission is the proverbial "weak link", and stepping to a lower-ratio rear can put more strain on the transmission.

 

[LD48750]

But Sklunk said....

I'm SURE it means you are going to endanger the lives of yourself & EVERYONE else on the roads and in parking lots.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Explain to me how changing the axle ratio makes a truck safe or unsafe.

Well, you tell me, please.

I only pointed out that the CGVWR changes quite a bit with gearing changes.

 

[KennyG]

Tow rating is about more than safety. When I had a Dodge Dakota 6 cylinder, the tow rating was much lower than the V8 version but the only difference was the power. I definitely exceeded the "official" rating from time to time, but I didn't feel unsafe.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I flat towed a very light Jeep with a V8 Dakota once. That trip ranks in the top three worst towing experiences I've had.

For the return trip I asked everybody in the group for anything I could add to the load in the bed, even offered to deliver those things once back home. That helped the short and light Dakota a lot.

On the positive side, it was fun going sideways through the many switchbacks on the dirt road on the way up.

 

[Dftodd]

You know that door sticker has nothing to do with how much you can tow, right?

You need to look up the GCWR for your truck's configuration. It won't be in the Owner's Manual (they are just generic); you'll have to contact Ford for the info.

No matter what your CCC is, you can't legally exceed the GCWR for your vehicle.
GCW = truck curb weight + weight of all passengers in the truck + weight of all cargo in the truck (not just the bed, also anything under the seats etc.) + weight of trailer and its contents.
If this value is greater than GCWR then you are not legal (or safe).

Many people just look up the tow rating of their truck and go with that, but you need to use whichever is less between the tow rating and GCWR.

You can figure it out based off the option codes for that specific vehicle.

The owners manual for my truck has a chart listing the available towing capacities for each option combination.

Google vehicle option codes, and compare to the codes for your vehicle. For GM, the option code sticker is in the glove box.

The chart in the book uses engine, cab, transmission, 4wd/2wd, and axle ratio.

I was surprised to find out my truck had the optional heavy duty axle, so I picked up an additional 1600lbs of towing capacity.

 

[BigBlue1]

Explain to me how changing the axle ratio makes a truck safe or unsafe.

That's the part that has never made sense to me. I get that frame strength, brake capacity, tire ratings and other factors like that are directly linked between load and safety. But axle ratio is just "how stressed is the driveline" under load. That isn't something that will have any notable risk to the vehicle besides leaving you on the side of the road unable to move in worst case failure. So, if one iteration of a truck can tow 16,000lb with a particular gear ratio then other iterations of the same frame, brakes, tires, hitch are also capable of that load safely, regardless of the 'rating'. And sure, I suppose you can get in some legal trouble if you get into an accident in that situation so don't bother with all the legal freak-out arguments. I'm talking about actual safety of the vehicle towing situation. The fact I have a 3.92 versus a 4.10 axle isn't 'risky' with xx,xxx load.

 

[WinterDeere]

That's the part that has never made sense to me… axle ratio is just "how stressed is the driveline" under load… leaving you on the side of the road unable to move in worst case failure.

You need to remember that these vehicles are being sold with 7 year driveline warranties. Of course they are not going to stamp the product with any rating likely to cause failure, costing them reputation or high warranty repair costs. Safety has nothing to do with that.