what defines a 3/4 ton?

valhalla360 wrote:

ShinerBock wrote:

Manufacturers use the terms externally with customers because most are ignorant to the vehicle class system and would not know what the term class 2B means, and even if you told them what it means they will likely still use the term 3/4 ton because most are resistant to change. They would rather keep doing what they always do even though it is incorrect instead of changing to what is correct.

If you are talking about the engineers doing the design work...they talk about actual payloads and parts specs.

The whole 15XX/25XX/35XX is for the customer to differentiate. As a few people have pointed out, even using the series, trucks have moved into different govt. weight classifications over the years depending on how you spec the truck when you order it...so by your logic, those are also outdated.

Yes, the truck class system is outdated as well. I have said that multiple times in this forum through various threads. However, once a government regulation is in place regardless if it is valid or is actually doing any good, it is hard to reverse it or change it especially if that regulation involves multiple state regulation. This is my biggest contention with EPA emissions and CAFE numbers. They were made up by a bureaucrat with no real data behind them and yet many will blindly follow them as canon. The truck classes should be updated along with DOT commercial vehicle regulations.

The reason why these terms and even the class system become outdated is because technology and even metallurgy improve over time as processes become less expensive. People tend to forget this and apply what was valid twenty years ago to today just like this discussion of full or semi float axles. The metal and bearing technology they use today is not the same they used twenty years ago so it may be that semi-float axles can easily handle 1,500 lbs, but some may not agree because they are basing their opinions on technology from twenty years ago. That is like comparing making opinion on today's engines using engine tech from the 90's.

Although I do find it ironic that some of the same people saying that a 150/1500 can not handle 1,500 or even 2,000 lbs due to its semi-float axles, even though those are the manufacturers ratings, are the very same people that say that you should abide by the manufacturers ratings on the 250/2500 trucks. So in their view we should not trust manufacturers numbers and in another case we should. :h