TriBeard wrote:
I'm not too afraid of being a little over ratings (other than tire ratings, and I can go up to the 285/75/18 size on my rims or higher rated ones and get 4080lbs/tire) but I don't want to be at 8k on the rear axle either. Looking mostly at the 811 or the adventurer 89RBS, the artic fox is a little nicer and better looking inside IMO, but the adventurer seems to be lighter also.
Honestly, if you're running 4000lb tires, the only potential weak link is the OE rims. Published rated capacities are hard to find, but it's been generally accepted that they're typically rated 3500-3600lbs for most aluminum wheels (same for typical aftermarket wheels). I say potential, because one of the few primary things that have a very large factor of safety is wheels in my experience. I'm in an industry where we beat the snot our of 100s or 1000s of light duty trucks daily, as well as my own experiences hauling heavy on srw trucks for many miles and lots of less than ideal road conditions. I have a good deal of confidence in newer OE wheels close to or at 4000lbs/wheel.
The axle itself is rated for 10klbs, 7500-8k is not stressing it and the rest of the chassis is the same as a dually. Frame, brakes, spring hangers, etc.
That said, it WILL NOT handle as well as a dually, even with the proper upgrades. The narrower track width is the main factor here.
However I do not feel unsafe with it, just have to know the limitations, which is start paying attention to the suggested speeds around curves that you'd normally blow by in in unladen vehicle.
