I have a 2008 Dodge 1500 Quad Cab Short Bed 4x4 Hemi auto 3.92 20's Lonestar with chrome nerf bars, plastic bed liner and a Frontier brush guard. I recently weighed the truck at a CAT scale with a full tank of fuel.

Here are the factory door sticker weights.

Front axle = 3,900 lbs max
Rear axle = 3,900 lbs max
GVWR = 6,700 lbs.
Payload = 1,280 lbs (brochure)

Actual weights per a certified CAT scale.

Steer axle = 3,740 lbs.
Rear axle = 2,420 lbs.
Gross weight = 6,160 lbs.

So, per the GVWR rating I only have 540 lbs left for hitch. But, per the rear axle rating, I have 1,480 lbs left for the hitch.

Today I loaded the truck full of 8"x8"x16" cinder blocks (34 lbs each) and took measurements of the truck's stance.

1) Truck empty: Front fender= 37.0", Rear fender= 40.0", draw bar= 19.2"


2) Truck with 16 blocks (544 lbs): FF= 37.0", RF= 38.5", DB= 17.1"




3) Truck with 30 blocks (1,020 lbs): FF= 37.0", RF= 37.25", DB= 15.4"



4) Truck with 36 blocks (1,224 lbs. almost brochure weight): FF= 37.0", RF= 36.9", DB= 14.75"



5) Truck with 44 blocks (1,496 lbs. max axle cap): FF= 37.0", RF= 36.25", DB= 14.0"

 

That's an awesome little write up. Great job.

 

Pretty much proves the argument of one of the older posts (that they can handle way more than 1000lbs)... 1/2 ton my arsh! There's some space left there! Now you got me curious as to what I could dump into my 2500!

Um, but I'd never put more than 3/4 ton

 

fantastic post, answers a number of questions. good work. the gvwr is just something for paper/classification, the axle limits are what's important.

shnool, we all knew itll handle more than 1/2 ton, we were wondering if it'll handle more than 1 ton. it seems cdhd's research shows that the paylaod is dead on, and the truck rides level with ful advertised load. the 2500 can handle something like 2500 or 3000 lbs. loading it with 1500 lbs won't do much to a 2500.

 

Thats good to know. Since I have a 3 inch block in the rear could I have more? I swear I had near a ton of mulch in my bed of truck. I put three scoops from a high loader in the bed of my truck up level with the cab of the truck. I was ridding nose high.

 

Problem is that we don't know the "actual" rear axle capacity, just the manufacturer's door sticker axle capacity, which is the number the DOT goes by at weigh stations. Our 1500's have a semi floating rear axle that is more prone to failure than the full floating rear axles found in the 2500/3500 trucks (design issue). However, the tire ratings are significantly higher than the rear axle (2 x 2,535 lbs = 5,070 lbs or 2 x 2,601 = 5,202 lbs).

 

I was joking xfeejayx... From a previous posting they were going on about weight ratings... figured the 1500s were good for at least 1500lbs, and the 2500s more like 2600-2800lbs.

IT DOES give a good idea of what these will handle.