can I increase my tow vehicle's tow rating

burningman wrote:
Snip...
According to the geniuses here, I didn’t increase its rating.
And because an engineer didn’t tell me how to do it (as if he’d even know!!!) I obviously don’t know what I was doing.

I think if you’ve never built a car or truck, you have little business giving advice on subjects like this.
You don’t know what the parts are and what’s different and what’s the same.
All you know is brochure propaganda.

On big trucks, you increase the rating when you add drop axles or a heavier front end and super singles. When guy upgrade the right things on a smaller truck, same thing.

Moderator hat off
Before you start flaming members for their well intended advice, you should realize (and I'm sure you do but don't post like you do :R) that there is a big difference between a trucks "rating" which is set by the manufacturer and its' "capabilities" which can be modified by the owner to accomplish things beyond the "rating". When you built your truck, you didn't increase its rating at all, you DID increase its capabilities.

The members here have been around the block many times and know what they are talking about. They offer their advice given the many years of experience they have had towing many different types of trailers with many different types of vehicles. They have as much right to be giving advice on towing and weights as you do and quite possibly more. By your comments, it sounds like you are kind of stuck on yourself and your "experience". Believe me, we have many members who have up to 50-60 years experience dealing with the towing subjects and weights involved just as I have. You have NO right to tell them that they "have little business giving advice on subjects like this.
You don’t know what the parts are and what’s different and what’s the same.
All you know is brochure propaganda."

Balogna!:M
Barney