Pay load question on 1997 GMC Sierra

[SteveSRT8]

I can't speak to Fords or Dodges, but in GM products you get a very different truck when you go to a 3500 series.

Not just thicker frame steel but almost everything is different from the half ton/three quarter models.

I repeat what I said earlier, if you ever have an accident you will have HUGE liability if your truck is overloaded beyond its GVWR. they won't care how many extra springs or shocks you bolted on.

 

[volvos_rock]

OK...What are the differences then? looking at an 89' 2500 (father in laws) in the driveway and a 98 1500 (my truck), both are the same body style design, differ a bit in cosmetics, other than that there is no difference that I can see. Spring hangers and frame appear identical. Shakels and other assorted hardware a bit different (the helwig product addresses this), axels are 8 lug compared to 6. What am I missing? GM produces different frames for the same trucks? (same with the exception of payload)

My comments here are based on info from Helwig, suspensionconnection, having a family with 7 of this era truck currently and Stengel Bros suspension locally

 

[Stewart Fan]

Originally Posted By: volvos_rock
I have a 98 K1500...Ive added Helwig spring helpers rated at 1 ton, themselves. New tires are max load range (I think "e"). Cost about $300 for the Helwig set up from suspensionconnection.com. I routinely hall 2500-3k pounds without issue and minimal sagging. If you plan to haul heavy, often, take a look at the helwig products.

Thats all well and fine until you snap an axle shaft going down the highway. As you head for the ditch,you'll see the tire and wheel go bouncing past you into oncoming traffic.

A tire and wheel going through a windshield at 60mph makes a mess of a person.

Half tons do a lot of things well,but hauling 3000lbs isn't one of them.

 

[Stewart Fan]

If you really want to know the payload,you'll need to run the truck across a set of scales. Subtract the actual truck weight from the GVWR (on the drivers door sticker) and you'll have the payload.

You also need to realize that the tires,wheels,axles,etc all have seperate ratings.

 

[JHZR2]

FIL carries four oil drums (full) in the back of an f150 and has helper springs but no issues...

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Stewart Fan
Originally Posted By: volvos_rock
I have a 98 K1500...Ive added Helwig spring helpers rated at 1 ton, themselves. New tires are max load range (I think "e"). Cost about $300 for the Helwig set up from suspensionconnection.com. I routinely hall 2500-3k pounds without issue and minimal sagging. If you plan to haul heavy, often, take a look at the helwig products.

Thats all well and fine until you snap an axle shaft going down the highway. As you head for the ditch,you'll see the tire and wheel go bouncing past you into oncoming traffic.

A tire and wheel going through a windshield at 60mph makes a mess of a person.

Half tons do a lot of things well,but hauling 3000lbs isn't one of them.


Interesting.... The new F-150 (and I'm assuming previous models back to '04) is rated for close to 4K in the back.

 

[Stewart Fan]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: Stewart Fan
Originally Posted By: volvos_rock
I have a 98 K1500...Ive added Helwig spring helpers rated at 1 ton, themselves. New tires are max load range (I think "e"). Cost about $300 for the Helwig set up from suspensionconnection.com. I routinely hall 2500-3k pounds without issue and minimal sagging. If you plan to haul heavy, often, take a look at the helwig products.

Thats all well and fine until you snap an axle shaft going down the highway. As you head for the ditch,you'll see the tire and wheel go bouncing past you into oncoming traffic.

A tire and wheel going through a windshield at 60mph makes a mess of a person.

Half tons do a lot of things well,but hauling 3000lbs isn't one of them.


Interesting.... The new F-150 (and I'm assuming previous models back to '04) is rated for close to 4K in the back.


Not even close to 4000lbs of payload from any of the current 1/2 ton trucks. The F150 (with the max towing package) maxes out at about 3000. One single Ford model built in 2011 is a far cry from a 13 year old Chevy 1/2 ton.

 

[hattaresguy]

Its really not hard if your going to carry heavy get a 1 ton. Ford sells base 1 tons for about $26k, not a whole lot more than a 1/2 ton.

On the 2011/12 trucks there are a lot of differences in what's underneath.

Quite frankly IMHO a 1 ton is still a light duty truck, with a dump body on it you can't carry much. Get an F450/550 and the frame gets a lot more beefy you can load a couple of tons. The difference between an F350 and F450 is pretty big.

Get the right tool for the job.

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
.

Get the right tool for the job.


Amen.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Stewart Fan
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: Stewart Fan
Originally Posted By: volvos_rock
I have a 98 K1500...Ive added Helwig spring helpers rated at 1 ton, themselves. New tires are max load range (I think "e"). Cost about $300 for the Helwig set up from suspensionconnection.com. I routinely hall 2500-3k pounds without issue and minimal sagging. If you plan to haul heavy, often, take a look at the helwig products.

Thats all well and fine until you snap an axle shaft going down the highway. As you head for the ditch,you'll see the tire and wheel go bouncing past you into oncoming traffic.

A tire and wheel going through a windshield at 60mph makes a mess of a person.

Half tons do a lot of things well,but hauling 3000lbs isn't one of them.


Interesting.... The new F-150 (and I'm assuming previous models back to '04) is rated for close to 4K in the back.


Not even close to 4000lbs of payload from any of the current 1/2 ton trucks. The F150 (with the max towing package) maxes out at about 3000. One single Ford model built in 2011 is a far cry from a 13 year old Chevy 1/2 ton.


I'm just going by the spec's on the site, which lists 4800lbs as the rear axle capacity... The site doesn't list payload that I could find.

However, I went back and took the curb weight from the GVWR and ended up with 3,405lbs. So based on that, a 150lb guy could get away with 3,255lbs in the bed right?

Anyways, I wasn't meaning to compare it to the GM truck in question, it was just a comment regarding your all-encompassing statement about half-ton trucks, which appeared to be very general and I had assumed was not isolated to the 1997 GMC Sierra.....

 

[volvos_rock]

I never stated that Chris B should take my word for it, he of course should perform due dilligance, as I have. I was mearly offering an option if he was interested.

So I'm wrong and the sky is falling....

The frames are no different in the two trucks I mentioned, as I stated previously some peripherals are. In PA if the truck is modified properly it can be re-classed, inspected, registered as such and the GVWR sticker could say 10 pounds and it would not matter as it is the registered weight. (it basically becomes a special construction, like a trailer).

Little disapointed that some are so quick to call false but offer no explanation...

 

[MNgopher]

A little digging seems to point to both sides being right. There were two versions of a 3/4 ton truck produced, a a light duty 3/4 ton and the regular 3/4 ton. Sometimes the LD is called a heavy half ton. The LD version used the same frame as the 1/2 ton, but had heavier axles and brakes. The regular 3/4 ton has a heavier frame and again heavier axles and brakes. Payload is several hundred pounds different between the two.

As I see it, yes, you probably can beef up the springs to get a similar payload as the LD 3/4 ton without damaging the frame. However, that still leaves the brakes and axles not upgraded and subject to damage via overloading. Still not the best route to go. Either buck up and get the heavier truck or invest in or rent a trailer rated for the payload that the truck can easily tow.