There should be no reason to be worried. Just take it easy. I just had about 3000-3500 pounds in mine (2001 ½ ton) last night. Although I only had to go about 1 mile. Any further and I would not have done it.

 

I regularly put way too much in my truck. Its a 96 model w/ 214,000 miles, peeling paint, sagging headliner and good tires. I have a 318 w/ a 5-speed. Anyway, a couple of weekends ago I had a full pallet of cinderblocks and three 94 lb bags of portland cement. So that would be 24 lbs/block x 90 blocks per pallet + 3 x 94. So I had 2,442 pounds in the bed of the truck. Without a doubt its sitting on its spring bumpers but I putted home which is about 15 miles away never getting over 45 mph.

I have on occasion loaded it heaver than that with sand. Im not sure how much the sand weighed, but I can say it was more than the blocks just by the way the truck handled and complete lack of any suspension. One time half way home, I was thinking, boy I screwed up this time. I am going to really twist something off and be stranded on the side of the road.

The problem in putting that much weight is that if a dog runs out in the road, just run over the dog b/c any sudden jerks (no matter how small) of the steering wheel and your going to put it in the ditch. The tires just can't handle the stress of the sudden shifting weight.

Each time after I unload it, it sits back up and seems no worse for the strain. My opinion is, if I break it, there are plenty of parts at the local U-Pull it.

But I would guess I have had well over a ton loaded in it probably 50 times.