Here I am

Straight scoop, What are the differences in a 3/4 and a 1 ton chassis/ suspension?

Attention: TDR Forum Junkies
To the point: Click this link and check out the Front Page News story(ies) where we are tracking the introduction of the 2025 Ram HD trucks.

Thanks, TDR Staff

Buying from Canada

Auto transport info/ quotes?

The reason I use the Ranger is that I actually saw a Ranger towing a 26' or so 5th wheel westbound on I-10 between Houston and San Antonio. We were eastbound towing our 5th wheel, and I looked over to see him with the rear of the truck on the bump stops, the nose pointing at the sky and blue smoke pouring from beneath the engine compartment, doing about 40 MPH or so. I don't know how far he made it, but with my luck I wouldn't have made it 10 feet!! It was so absurd that my wife noticed it first and said, "Look at THAT!!"

Nick, if the Ranger in my example isn't legal, why not? Because it's so far in excess of its door sticker manufacturer's GAWRs? If not that, then why is it illegal - what would the license and weight boys cite it for? After all, it's within its tire/wheel load ratings.

Rusty

Did it look anywhere as absurd as this?

image1.jpg

image2.jpg

image3.jpg


image1.jpg


image2.jpg


image3.jpg
 
That's a nice rig!

I'd bet that the owner would justify it if someone criticized it as being overloaded. He probably knows someone that pulled one like that with his pos Blazer S10 for years.
 
Braking is more the key between the different years vrs same axles. The third gen braking is leaps and bounds over the first 2nd gen's. GAames, you might not want to do that in Comifornia, I've seen a more than one car hauler sitting at the scales, if you have a gooseneck with a regular bed, CHP don't want you in the scales, but without the bed your considered to be a tractor.



That isn't my truck in the picture, it was just an example that shows the GAWR and GVWR mean nothing to DOT. That guy pulls that rig all over the US, so apparantly it is not illegal. I see Dodge 3500s loaded like that all the time, sometimes heavier.



You might want to re-read the magazine about brakes. It isn't the fancy discs that stop you, it is the tires.
 
snip

You might want to re-read the magazine about brakes. It isn't the fancy discs that stop you, it is the tires. [/QUOTE]

Gary,

Are you experiencing health problems that require you to take powerful drugs? You've been posting some real strange off the wall comments recently.

Perhaps you've never driven a truck with four wheel disc brakes?
 
snip



You might want to re-read the magazine about brakes. It isn't the fancy discs that stop you, it is the tires. [/QUOTE]



Gary,



Are you experiencing health problems that require you to take powerful drugs? You've been posting some real strange off the wall comments recently.



Perhaps you've never driven a truck with four wheel disc brakes?



Well yes Harvey, I have driven a couple of Dodge trucks with four wheel disc brakes. They didn't stop any different than mine does. Now, I've never raced either my truck or one of the others, that is where four wheel disc brakes would be an advantage. But day to day driving, no difference.



I refer you to issue #80, page 9.
 
I did a very mild build on one and swapped it into a Mazda pu It would peg the speedo even with it's 4. 10 gears and no overdrive. I wish I had a pic of it pulling a trailer with 4 3 wheelers and 2 dirt bikes



Weren't those engines in the Rangers built by Mazda or am I thinking of another engine?
 
GAmes, brakes are part of the equation, you can believe it's the tires that stop an 18K GVWR rated trailer if you want to.
 
Weren't those engines in the Rangers built by Mazda or am I thinking of another engine?



The Mazda/Ranger clone pickups were Ford Rangers with different grilles. The Mazda B2300 used the 2. 3L Ford inline 4, while the Mazda B4000 used the old 4. 0L pushrod Ford V-6 that was also used in some Aerostars (remember those?)



By the way, the braking with a heavy load in tow or in the bed was MUCH better in my 2002 3500 with 4 wheel discs than in my 1996 3500 with disc/drums. Much better fade resistance, etc. with the discs.



Rusty
 
Last edited:
The Mazda/Ranger clone pickups were Ford Rangers with different grilles. The Mazda B2300 used the 2. 3L Ford inline 4, while the Mazda B4000 used the old 4. 0L pushrod Ford V-6 that was also used in some Aerostars (remember those?)

By the way, the braking with a heavy load in tow or in the bed was MUCH better in my 2002 3500 with 4 wheel discs than in my 1996 3500 with disc/drums. Much better fade resistance, etc. with the discs.

Rusty
Wasn't that the Mazda B2000 with the 2. 0, the Ford Currier had 2300cc.
 
The English Ford 2. 6 V6 they used in the Pinto with solid lifters is a keeper if you can find one. They are a strong engine, mine was in a Capri.
 
Yeah, the 4. 0L V-6 was a bored and stroked, raised deck 2. 6L/2. 8L V-6. The redline on the 4. 0L was only 4500 RPM, IIRC (I had one in an AWD Aerostar). It was a good engine, though; torquey and never gave any trouble even towing a 3500 lb popup.



Rusty
 
Last edited:
The Mazda I brought up was a bit older. It was built with a 1600. The engine that went in was an in between year 2. 3 not early but not later dual plug
 
Back
Top