carringb wrote:
The E350 is capable of up to 12,300 GVWR. Ford actually had a bulletin allowing final stage upfitters to uprate the GVWR, and many did.
Are you sure that applied to '96, '97 E 350s ?
My 1997 E 350 also has a 10,500# GVWR, which was pretty much the norm for the dually E 350 back then.
Something else that I just thought of, that Load Range D tires were pretty much the norm back then. Taking the 225 75 16 LRD tire of 2,335# per tire at 65 psi gave you 4,670# carrying capacity on the steer axle. On the drive axle 2,150# per tire gave you a 8,600# carrying capacity.
The newer norm is the Load range E tire. The same size at max. pressure (80#) looks like 2,680# per tire or 5,360# drive axle and 2,470# or a total of 9,880# on the drive axle.
http://www.goodyeartrucktires.com/pdf/resources/service-manual/Retread_S14_V.pdf
