Difference between 2500hd and 3500 SRW

wintersun wrote:

4x4ord wrote:
The 2013 Ford F350 has a heavier rear axle, an extra leaf spring and 3.5 inch spacer block that the 250 doesn't. I think it is almost criminal that the manufactures market the 3/4 ton diesels. They are almost identical to the 1 ton SRW yet they lack the ability to carry any payload. People end up buying a diesel with the idea that they have gotten themselves a tow vehicle only to find out later that it can't handle anymore payload than their old half ton could.

In terms of towing the capacity of the 3/4 and 1-ton trucks are the same with SRW. It is only by going to DRW that the towing capacity increases. There are GM 2500HD trucks with higher payload ratings than the 3500HD trucks for the same year. Just having a crew cab instead of a regular cab lowers the payload capacity from the manufacturer by more than 700 lbs. for otherwise identical trucks. Same thing happens with the GM trucks when they come from the factory with 20" rims and "offroad" tires with a 1745 load capacity.

With the current GM trucks the only difference between the 2500HD and the 3500HD is the extra set of leaf springs on the 1-ton and 4% larger rear disc rotors. Now with the 2013 Ram trucks the 1-ton trucks got a much stronger frame that is not used for the 3/4 ton trucks but unless someone is towing more than 15,000 lbs. it is not going to be important one way or the other.

The 3/4 ton diesels may be rated for towing a 17500 lb fiver but around here every 2500 hd diesel or F250 diesel on the road is a crew cab 4x4 and hasn't got enough payload built into gvwr to pull more than a 7500 lb trailer. My point is that people generally buy a hd diesel power train so they can haul something - why limit the truck to being adequate for towing no more than a tent trailer by neglecting to put a leaf spring under the rear axle?