kohldad wrote:
While both the 10.5 and 11.5 may have the same GAWR, if you check deeper I'm sure you will find this is due to the tires limiting the GAWR. However, if you check the manufacturer's rating for the axle, you will see the 11.5 has a higher capacity. Axles are also have a torque rating though that info is usually very hard to find.
On my Dodge, the 11.5 GAWR is 6,190# due to tires yet the axle itself is rated for 10,300#.
AKSuperDuty, sure do wish they still used Dana axles but haven't for a few years. The quality of the Dana was worth the little extra money, but when you are selling thousands of trucks, the dollars add up quick.
Dead on. AAM rates its axles and wheel bearings for the 11.5 axles used in 2001 and later GM trucks and 2003 and later Dodge trucks at 10,900 lbs.
As Ford states "Gross Axle Weight Rating is determined by the minimum component of the axle system (axles, computer-selected springs, wheels, tires) of a specific vehicle. Front and rear GAWR's wiill, in all cases, sum to a number equal to or greater than the GVWR for the particular vehicle. Maximum loaded vehicle (including passengers, equipment and payload) cannot exceed the GVW rating or GAWR (front or rear)."
With trucks it is the tires and that is why the easiest way to increase the load capacity is to add two more tires so that four tires are supporting the load.
