[cclaffey]

Originally Posted by Inbred

higher capacity airbags, which don't exist as far as I know, do not affect tow ratings. Read the chart. with 20" rims and a 3.55 gear ratio, your tow rating can be just over 6000 pounds. That puts you a ton over the combined rating. Same truck with 17" rim sized tires and 3.92 gears will get you 2000 more pounds, but you will still be pushing the limits.

Inbred - Please consider this an opportunity to educate me, and note my questions are far from sarcastic.

It's my understanding the air bags will only help with the potential squatting issue when dealing with a heavy tongue weight, but not help increase the actual weight the truck can tow or the combined weight the is rated for. I think we agree on this, but if I am wrong please interject. As far as the chart goes, I am not 100% certain on the definitions of each heading. Would airbags rated for 1000lbs. such as the ones we were talking earlier actually add to the trucks payload then or maybe the GAWR (axle weight I assume)? I guess the question is how do the airbags impact the trucks ratings, if at all?

I am looking at the 3:92:1 rear end with 20" wheels which is rated at 6,800lbs. GVWR. It shows a GCWR (combined weight I assume) of 13,000lbs. and a max trailer of 7,200lbs. So if we look at these ratings and consider the boat and trailer I will be towing, I am coming up with the following:

- 6,500# boat/trailer - Is less than max trailer of 7,200#'s, so this works.
- 6,500# + 6,800# truck = 13,300# - Exceeds than the GCWR of 13,000#'s which now pushes me beyond legal limits. As stated before the airbags don't help add to the GCWR, correct? So to get me there, assuming airbags don't help the GCWR, I need the 17" wheels and the 3:92:1 to give me the 14,000# GCWR. This will keep me below rating limits considering managing my luggage, # of people in the truck, fuel in the boat etc...

Can I conclude then that the truck is capable and fully competent of towing the boat without issue if putting on the 17" wheels and the 3:92:1 limited slip rear end? I assume the ratings are limits set with significant cushion built-in to the numbers, so even on 20" wheels it would handle it fine, but it's not recommended?!

Any other opinions are of course welcome.

Thanks all for your insight.

cclaffey