Does anyone else think that the yellow sticker payload rating is arrived at by a guy in room with a dart board?

In the seemingly never ending quest to predict my build truck Payload I have downloaded. printed out and done the calculation many times using the Ford fleet option weight 4 page sheet. I even took it to my dealer and his response was "yes those are the weights we are to use to calculate payload" without much conviction. We then went through the lists and when we got to tires he said if you get LT tires the payload goes Up, my reply was I know that make sense but the LTs are listed as weighing 36 pounds over stock. To prove it to me we went out and looked at two identical XLT trucks one with standard P tires and the other with LTs.
LT = 1840 payload, P tires =1720 payload

I thought he was on to something until I remembered that my daughter's XLT Screw with LT tires has a payload 1705!

MY predicted payload on my build is 1765 pounds, 500a Lariat Screw 3.5 EB 157 inch wheelbase, LT tires, Max Tow and Tailgate Step (if anyone wants to attempt the calculations)

Sorry for the rant but this is very frustrating.

 

Payload = GVWR - Curb weight

Period.

If a truck has a lower payload but the same curb weight then the gvwr MUST be different .

 

I guess his point was the LT tires increase the GVWR.
Also I'm pretty sure Ford does not weigh every truck, I think the sticker goes on before the truck is even completed.

 

Why couldn't they? A scale and printer at the end of the assembly line is all you need.

 

They may not weigh each but they know what cab/bed combo weight and what each option add/subtracts. Also, the springs on each vehicle will only hold a certain amount for regular payload and HDPP. So with very little effort this should be something that could be figured out pretty easily.

I have a feeling there was some difference in the two trucks you guys looked at besides the tires.

 

There is a thread on here somewhere were someone was in the factory and the stickers were going on just after the bodies were painted. A scale would have to calculate for fuel.

 

Manufacturers know within a lb or two what every truck should weigh based on options selected. This is what they use for all of the figures and stickers.

 

The LT tires can hold more weight (stronger tire) than a P rated tire. Would not think that the actual weight of the tire would have much of anything to do with payload since they are up-sprung weight

 

What is the correct way to calculate the payload using the fleet sheet?

1. Your trims max payload - weight of options?
or
2. Your GVWR - Your trims base curb weight - weight of options?

Not sure how Ford does their math..

Let's use my numbers from the fleet sheet
Lariat 4x4 SuperCrew 5.0l 157WB 7050# GVWR
Base Curb Weight 4912lbs
Max possible payload 2080lbs
My calculated options 417lbs

1. 2080 - 417 = 1663lbs payload
2. 7050 - 4912 - 417 = 1721lbs payload

My actual payload from my sticker 1502lbs
My dart guy must have been hung over..

 

Tire weight won't affect payload. Only things held up by the suspension will affect payload. As for the sticker, if you can find 2 identical trucks, you'll find that the payload stickers are the same. Adding or removing anything, even Nav or tow mirrors, will change the payload. The lists outline these parts by the pound.