air bag suspension weight increase
My wife and I have a 2015 GMC Sierra 3500 crew cab extended bed diesel with single rear wheel. We had decided on a 5th wheel that was within my tow limits (16900 for 5th wheel), however we are explor...
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You have some misconceptions about DRW vs SRW. While the vast majority of the components are the same, the one thing that isn't is the tires. Each tire can only support so much weight. Your OEM tires on your SRW can probably support 3525 lbs for a total of 7050 lbs (which happens to be exactly what GM rates your rear axle at). If your truck were a DRW, your OEM tires would only be rated for 3085 lbs at 80 psi, but you have 4 of them for a total of 12340 lbs. GM rates a DRW axle for 9375 lbs, so at that point the tires aren't the limiting factor (plus DRW tires are usually inflated to less than their SRW counterparts).
So, the point is that the max you can put on your SRW truck's rear axle is 7050 lbs or you will overload your tires, even inflated to 80 psi cold. Airbags will not increase your tire load carrying capacity. So while your axles, brakes, etc might be able to handle the extra load, your SRW tires are your weakest component. I would highly recommend that you do not overload them.
So, the point is that the max you can put on your SRW truck's rear axle is 7050 lbs or you will overload your tires, even inflated to 80 psi cold. Airbags will not increase your tire load carrying capacity. So while your axles, brakes, etc might be able to handle the extra load, your SRW tires are your weakest component. I would highly recommend that you do not overload them.
