Front Axle Weight Restoration %

APT,

Thanks for the correction, you said what I meant today, unloaded front axle weight vs front axle hitched weight without WD. Thanks to those that posted.

...snip.."Is 80% or 3200 lbs safe?"

Unlikely that most folks would ever unload the front axle by 800 pounds. Not sure about Ram, but GM has restoration requirements ranging from 0% on many of its pickups to 100% on sedans. Ford is now saying 50% on its pickups. Best place to find out is in owner's manual, not what folks on the Internet think is best for you. My thinking (and I do not have to warranty any claims) is that most pickups, particularly diesel pickups, can stand to lose a little weight off the front end and gain some on the rear. The other consideration is to help a sagging rear suspension, many folks try to unload it as much as possible.

fla-gypsy wrote:
Depends on the manufacturer of the vehicle. They use different methods and even change methods from time to time. No 1 answer fits all for this.

Agree. Whatever feels best is another indicator that seems to work. Because our car has the ideal 50/50 balance front to rear we actually add a hundred lbs to each front axle with the WDH. Handles and drives great.

That is not how most people measure front axle load restoration.

Example:
4000 pounds front axle weight unhitched
3500 pounds front axle weight hitched, no WD

That's 500 pounds lost. The percentage of FALR is of 500 pounds, not 4000. So should one restore 250 pounds (50%), or 500 pounds (100%) netting measured weights of 3750 or 4000 pounds, respectively. Always best to consult your vehicle's owners manual. Mine says 100% weight restoration. 2009+ F-150 says only 50%.

Scaled weights are more accurate for examining FALR than height of the body/fender at the axle, especially for heavier duty TV vs. TT (like a SRW 1-ton towing 7000 pounds). But in my experience, fender height measurements as an estimate for FALR has been good enough.

Depends on the manufacturer of the vehicle. They use different methods and even change methods from time to time. No 1 answer fits all for this.