Payload Capacity: C'mon, is it REALLY Important?

[Gros Ventre]

What about the rating of the axle with those springs? is the dampening rate of those new shocks correct for the load and springs? How about the tires and their rating? My point is simple: just because you increase a spring rating or a shock or a tire doesn't mean your truck is safe to overload. If you don't get into the design and tuning of the system, you don't know... As to the insurance issue: They wouldn't even think of that unless the claim were big enough. Suppose you were the cause of a pile up of several 18 wheelers with valuable loads? I guess you can lead a horse to water...

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[Samson16]

Yes its important....read up on SAEJ2807, and how the tests are performed...
If they fail ANY part of the test, they reduce some weight and run the test again...and rinse repeat until it passes...

So, if you have a low Payload and Tow rating, then that means your truck FAILED at a higher weight...

After reading the test. It’s Powertrain. Brakes. Brakes. Powertrain. Powertrain. Powertrain. Brakes. Brakes. Brakes. Suspension. Suspension.

Load affects all three interactively. I understand that, but squat is not measured for example. Doesn’t matter what it looks like. Can it beat the scores set.

 

[TremorDave]

That last picture wit the wheels out and at an angle tells the story...

I was just looking at that pic and thinking that I shouldn’t cheap out on wheels

 

[Blown F-150]

What about the rating of the axle with those springs? is the dampening rate of those new shocks correct for the load and springs? How about the tires and their rating? My point is simple: just because you increase a spring rating or a shock or a tire doesn't mean your truck is safe to overload. If you don't get into the design and tuning of the system, you don't know... As to the insurance issue: They wouldn't even think of that unless the claim were big enough. Suppose you were the cause of a pile up of several 18 wheelers with valuable loads? I guess you can lead a horse to water...

The Insurance item is a straw man argument, if it matters to you, great. Nobody is going to look at my truck and say it's grossly overloaded, it's just not gonna happen. when loaded up in the worst circumstance, I'm within the GVWR of a Powerboost and with better brakes and suspension.

I rebuild and tune my own shocks...It's been many years but I was formally trained how to do so. I understand the different types/designs of shocks and springs, how to tune for different applications along with the applicable fluid dynamic theories pretty well. My shocks are Elka's that were custom built and if I don't like a characteristic about them, they will be re-valved. I doubt that will happen though, as I'll put my focus on making the Raptor Suspension work as needed when it goes in. The stock F150 Coilovers and shocks are trash, plain and simple. They are built to a budget and swapping in something as basic as a set of 5100's get you a better experience. When I can finally ditch the rear airbags, I'll have custom Deaver's built to suit my needs.

So many folks look at the payload number and think that's what they can ADD to their truck in weight without considering anything like a box liner, emergency gear, crap in the console or even themselves. Heck, having a 9.75 rear may give you more strength and capability, but can pull from your payload number.

There is also knowledge to be had in how the Aussie's do GVM upgrades and seeing at what point the engineers see the need for each type of upgrade. Other than money, it takes very little to add 10% to the GVWR number on the door.

Again, I have knowledge and not concern.

 

[dochawk]

No idea what auto manufacturers use but in civil engineering, specifically geotechnical engineering, we generally used a design margin of safety of 1, meaning things were designed to be double what was needed.

It would be forty years ago that I took Fluid Mechanics; I'm now replied.

At the time, that professor was on the verge or retirement, and he relayed that when he was in college his own near-retirement engineering professors would not get on airplanes.

They were long accustomed to 300-400% margins, and planes were at about 15%

 

[Old Hat]

"Pushed by 20 tons of building stone." Fun song.

 

[Calson]

In the USA the GVWR determines whether one can use the Section 179 to write off the value of the truck in the first year or not. When I was shopping for a SIV the Toyota Highlander had a GVWR of exactly 6000 lbs and the tax code requires the GVWR to be greater than 6,000 lbs. One reason I bought a Chevy Traverse rated at 6,010 lbs instead of the Toyota.

 

[leadfoot2]

What I find interesting is that when I owned my 2012 F150 3.5 eco-boost crew cab lariat it had a gross vehicle weight rating of around 1600 pounds. Fast-forward to 2016+ when the truck’s weigh 700 pounds less because of aluminum bodies And they’re quoting gross weight ratings for similar trucks in the 1500 pound range.

and the newer trucks even have stronger frames and better brakes. So something doesn’t add up???

 

[Snakebitten]

Sandbagging to stay in the "official" 1/2 ton lane.

Lariat F150's with 2200# of Payload would upset the cart.

What's crazy is you COULD buy an HDPP Lariat with 2400#'s
Then they made XLT the highest trim. My brother has a 2018 XLT with 2700#

Then no XLT allowed.......

They just don't like building unicorns and cannabalizing the mighty 3/4 ton gravy train.

 

[leadfoot2]

I think you hit it on the head big time. The other thing that makes absolutely no sense is there’s no way you can rate a truck with a 10k, 11k, 12K, 13K trailer tow rating and then give it such a low payload rating as no trailers in those ranges will have a low enough tongue weight to work with the anemic payload rating. Doesn’t add up again.

 

[HammaMan]

How can a ~7% bump in mass yield a 50% bump in GVWR?

F150s run out of cooling before they run out of anything else. I ignore GVWR and just keep the axle around where its rated. Even towing across the country back and forth I'd just worry about keeping the rear axle at 4200 or below.

 

[Blown F-150]

Kept it within the confines of the sticker today, lol.

 

[Snakebitten]

Scales printout or it didn't happen. ?

 

[Blown F-150]

Scales printout or it didn't happen. ?

According to my notes (I just use a DOT scale close to my house) the last time this set up was weighed with a full tank of gas and the family in the truck.

Front axle 3325 lbs
Rear Axles 3656 lbs
Trailer axles 4894 lbs

GVW of 6981 lbs
GCVW of 11965 lbs

 

[sts90]

What everyone else said but with a side of:

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