spoon059 wrote:
I think you are misunderstanding the numbers...?
What is the available payload for your truck and what is the weight pin weight of your 5er?
To answer your question though, there is nothing you can do to change your GVWR. Air bags will upgrade the suspension portion, but you still have to worry about braking, axle weights, tire weights, etc etc.
Wrong. You cannot change the CGWR for a vehicle as that number reflects the capabilities of the engine, drivetrain, suspension, frame, brakes, wheels, etc.
But the rear axle weight rating is based on the leaf springs and rims and tires that were put on by the factory. One can add leaf springs and go with higher rated tires, like 19.5's for example, and change the safe load capacity of the rear axle.
The factory does this in part by taking the same axle and wheel bearings and adding two more wheels and increasing the rear payload amount by 50%. No other changes to a 3500HD truck than one being SRW and the other DRW and the load values change. Go to a dealer lot and look at the trucks with the fancy chrome tires and see what it did to the payload rating. Same with low profile tires.
My 2500HD truck has an axle rated 200 lbs. higher than the same truck as a 3500HD and all that is different is the leaf springs installed at the factory.
Lots of ways to increase or decrease (lift the truck, put on oversize tires, etc.) payload capacity and at the same time affect handling and safety for the better or the worse.
