Can a 2500 be certified to 3500 status?

[glhs]

Would like to increase the GVWR of a 2003 SRW from 9000 lbs to the 3500 srw rating of 9900 lbs or more if possible.



Have any of you tried this?



Are the rims the limiting factor for the srw 3500 rating of 9900?



I see the 3500's have a welded overload perch unlike my 1st gens bolt on perches.



Any help to get pointed in the right direction is appreciated.

 

[MMeier]

Ummm, buy a dually and get a 12,000 GVWR ? My . 02

 

[glhs]

If you can point me to a resonably priced one, I would.

I would pull the bed and duals off and install a flatbed with singles.

 

[Wertles]

There's been A LOT of debate as to whether or not this can be done legally. Just search. BUT... I don't believe that the axle is your limiting factor for weight on a SRW, the rims and tires are. Go with 19. 5 rims and tires. The Rickson steel wheels are rated for 5000# a piece, the Visions are 4500# a piece and the tires can be 5000# a piece too depending on size and brand. Get air bags to help your springs out in the back. Less than 300 shipped to your door for the basic kit and less than 2 hours for the install yourself. You can also look into adding leaf springs or a different set altogether but with the air bags, you might not need them. For under 4000 you can have a vastly improved vehicle. Lastly, what ever you are towing or placing on your bed, just be careful.

 

[Hoefler]

The question of certifying it to be rated as a 1 ton, you can add and change all you want to get the get the load capacity to what ever you want, but you can't get it certified or change the door sticker.



Like said above, buy the truck you need. It will be designed and certified for the intended load, and cheaper.

 

[MChrist]

I brought up the question about recertifying a 2500 to a 3500 if the overload springs were added. That was several months ago and there was a lot of debate about it. I was pretty sure it could be done, however that view changed. I spent an entire day online and on the phone with police departments, DOT officials, and even a few troopers. Nobody had any clue.
Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. Professionally and legally, I can't say to go ahead and be overweight even if you have upgraded your 2500 to 3500 specs. Keep in mind that I have a 98. 5 C&C rated at 10,500 that weighs 13,000 empty and usually carries around 2,000 lbs of material and has done so since '99 and for 260,000 miles. That truck got pulled over for speeding once (not me) and weighed. Truck weighed 13,400 at the time and the trooper told us we needed a heavier plate, since it only had a "D" plate. That was why I think that if you modify your existing truck to safely handle more weight, you SHOULDN'T have a problem. Shouldn't... ... .

 

[RustyJC]

I love these discussions. So, if I could put 5000 lb rated Ricksons all around on a 4 cylinder automatic Ford Ranger, I'd be legal? Hey, that's great to know. If only I had known it sooner, I could have saved a LOT of money on this new truck!! :-laf



Rusty

 

[glhs]

I think I will call Bayer Auto in MN and ask them. I see they stretch pickups and class 8 trucks with added axles; they should know.



From my bit of research it seems a 2500's gvwr is 9000; gawr front=5200, rear= 6000.



On 3500 srw's the gvwr is 9900 with a gawr front of 5200 and rear 6150. An increase of 150 lbs for the rear yet the entire truck is rated for 900 lbs more?



Since the factory 265/70/17 tires are rated at 3200 lbs which equates to 6400 lbs total, I would say it's possible the rims and tires are equally the limit. I know it still does not add the way I think it should.



I also looked at some Centerline 17" rims and they are all rated for 3200 lbs. Coincidence?



Oddly, the factory 2001 and 2002 aluminum wheels had 265/75/16 tires rated for 3415 lbs. Will the factory 2nd gen wheels slip over the 3rd gen calipers? Probably not.

 

[AH64ID]

Curious what you find out, but I am pretty sure there is no way to do it.



With that said, I am not sure there is a really a need to do it. From what research I have done GAWR and tires are what the DOT is looking for, in addition to what your registered for.



The tires limit the RAWR, but not the GVWR.



The frame, brakes, and axles are all the same from a 2500 to a 3500 SRW to a 3500 DRW. The front suspensions have different springs but all have the same FAWR, so not really a big deal. The rear suspension main leafs are the same on the 2500 and 3500 SRW, where the 3500 SRW has overloads but they don't do any good until your at the RAWR. The DRW has a 7% stiffer main leaf pack and the same overloads, nothing airbags can't compete with.



So IMHO if you obey the FAWR and RAWR you are fine, which puts you into the 11,500 GVWR arena. The only grey part is if you want to upgrade tires/wheels and go over the 6,000 RAWR you could have a hard time legally with that one, even thou the same axle in the DRW is rated for 9350 lbs by Dodge and 10,491 by AAM.

 

[MChrist]

3rd gens require 17" wheels, so 16" wheels won't fit a 3rd gen due to caliper size.

 

[Cosmo]

If you want to be legal, your only option is trading it in for a 3500.

 

[AH64ID]

If you want to be legal, your only option is trading it in for a 3500.

Compleatly depends on where you live. . GVWR isn't considered by many states.

 

[MMeier]

Compleatly depends on where you live. . GVWR isn't considered by many states.

Till somebody messes up, then it will matter... big time !!

 

[NIsaacs]

I would licence it for 9900lbs and not look back.



Nick

 

[AH64ID]

I would licence it for 9900lbs and not look back.



Nick

Does AZ have you licence for GVWR? Here in Idaho we licence for GCWR only.

 

[HHhuntitall]

It depends on where you live and how you register your truck. In Texas, Commercially used trucks can't be registered for a heavier weight rating than on the title. The title can be reapplied for in some cases, indicating a heavier GVWR, depending on the application. There are some papers that need to be filed, and the title has to be resubmitted, but it can be done, here. The person who would know in your area would probably be the county tax assessor/collector. They are the ones who actually deal with titles and registration, and should know/have the proper paperwork, and know if it's even possible in your state. I believe some states require you to be a licensed auto rebuilder or fabricator to get it done, such as a custom shop. In Texas, it requires a signed affidavit of fact and the accompanying $severalhundred. 00 in registration fees and title transfer fees.

 

[HBarlow]

For the OP:

The manufacturer, Dodge, certified it for the GVWR on the VIN tag on your door frame. Dodge could recertify it if they wished to do so. Good luck on that.

You can improve the carrying capacity with wheels, tires, and rear suspension aids as suggested above. That is what many have done.

If you install wheels and tires with greater carrying capacity and register it in your home state for that weight you should be okay as far as your homestate DOT enforcement officers are concerned.

If you exceed the manufacturer's weights it is possible althought not likely you could have a problem somewhere from someone who wishes to place liability on you for some unforeseen problem.

 

[Mikey-KE7LBB]

I once got a ticket for being "overweight" and "operating a commercial motor vehicle without CDL class A" in CO.



I was pulling a 3 axle boat trailer rated at 18k with a 93 D-250 rated at 8510, and I was registered for 26k and 'by the door sticker+trailer GVWR' I was overweight!!! Even though I was 12500 gross on the scale!



I (and the district attorney) thought that this was "splitting hairs" since most of the trucks registered at 80k (GVWR 55000+) and trailer (34000-75000 GVWR) would be MUCH higher than the 117k allowed by law.



The DA flipped through the book a couple times (never landing on the same page) and told me that "there is no law stating that I need a CDL to pull a boat trailer with a 3/4 ton Dodge" and dismissed the case before the judge even seen it! :-laf



The ONLY thing that the even DOT cares about is that the ratings of the tires are not exceeded!



BTW... My mother-in-law works at the POE in Echo, UT (I-80) and EVERYONE knows when shes working because the lot is always full!! :-laf

 

[HBarlow]

If you owned the boat and trailer and were towing it yourself with your own Dodge Ram you were not commercial so not required to have a CDL.

If you were hauling for hire or the trailer was used for a commercial purpose and you did not have a CDL Class A the trooper was correct. That method the trooper used in your case, adding GVWR of tow and towed vehicles, is the standard enforcement method used for commercial enforcement in all states and it sticks in courts everywhere if the judge or justice of the peace hearing the case is familiar with commercial motor vehicle laws and enforcement.

 

[NIsaacs]

Does AZ have you licence for GVWR? Here in Idaho we licence for GCWR only.

Yes, GVW only, truck and trailer. It is kinda weird tho, if you licence the truck for 10,000 and the trailer for 10,000 you can gross 20,000. However if you want a trailer with more than 10,000 you licence it for 10,001 flat rate and add whatever it is that you want, to the truck. Example, the trailer is licenced for 10,001 and you want to haul 20,000 on it and if you still want the truck at 10,000, you need to licence the truck for 30,000 GVW. That gives you 10,00 truck and 20,000 trailer or 30,000 GCW.



That system allows you to adjust your weights, 12,000 on the truck and 18,000 on the trailer is still okay because you did not go over the 30,000 GVW of the combo.



If you don't tow, how do you licence just the truck in Idaho?



Nick