2 Questions - Front axle GAWR, 2016 F150 Brochure on Payload
07-26-2016, 09:26 AM
#1
Bug
Thread Starter
2 Questions - Front axle GAWR, 2016 F150 Brochure on Payload
You towing gurus can answer these...
1. Front axle GAWR - as an occasional only tower who's downsized from a F250, I never really paid much attention to front axle GAWR. Did my sums before the tow, and rear axle GAWR was always what I had to pay attention to. My new F150 'only' has a front axle GAWR of 3300# (a little lower than I thought it would be) but I'm sure that should not be a problem with my infrequent tow max. expected loaded trailer weight (~8000#). My question is - has anybody ever been limited on their front GAWR before their rear GAWR became the limiting factor? I'm having a hard time seeing a tow situation where this could ever occur...
2. Brochure info on payload - this is more of a rant on my part. It's that darn Payload Notes footnote under max payload ratings table - the "...and a 150 lb driver..." bit. That just seems completely wrong and is at odds with the owners manual and RV Towing info on payload. I "get" that max. loaded trailer weight determination assumes both a 150# driver and a 150# passenger, but that is different than how payload is and should be defined. The load carrying part of the owners manual does NOT factor that hypothetical 150# driver into how load capacity should be calculated (the golfing buddies trip example in the OM is sort of funny with its excess load capacity of only 150#) What say you experts?
Brochure_2 pages.pdf
1. Front axle GAWR - as an occasional only tower who's downsized from a F250, I never really paid much attention to front axle GAWR. Did my sums before the tow, and rear axle GAWR was always what I had to pay attention to. My new F150 'only' has a front axle GAWR of 3300# (a little lower than I thought it would be) but I'm sure that should not be a problem with my infrequent tow max. expected loaded trailer weight (~8000#). My question is - has anybody ever been limited on their front GAWR before their rear GAWR became the limiting factor? I'm having a hard time seeing a tow situation where this could ever occur...
2. Brochure info on payload - this is more of a rant on my part. It's that darn Payload Notes footnote under max payload ratings table - the "...and a 150 lb driver..." bit. That just seems completely wrong and is at odds with the owners manual and RV Towing info on payload. I "get" that max. loaded trailer weight determination assumes both a 150# driver and a 150# passenger, but that is different than how payload is and should be defined. The load carrying part of the owners manual does NOT factor that hypothetical 150# driver into how load capacity should be calculated (the golfing buddies trip example in the OM is sort of funny with its excess load capacity of only 150#) What say you experts?
Brochure_2 pages.pdf
07-26-2016, 09:00 PM
#2
Senior Member
Usually the first limiting factors for towing seem to be in the following order:
1 Payload
2. Gross Combined Vehicle Weight
3. Rear Axle weight limit
4. Frontal area limit (few people even read this in the towing guide)
I would speculate that if the front axle is overloaded, most of the four items above are already surpassed or the weight distributing hitch is grossly misadjusted.
The brochure doesn't matter at all, as it reflects only an XL with no options with that mythical 150 pound teen driver. Who buys that truck and who weights only 150 pounds? The only thing that matters is the yellow sticker in your door frame minus the weight of yourself, passengers, cargo, bedrug, tonneau, floor mats, mud guards, etc. Ideally the build a truck option on the Ford build site would not only show you the expected price, but would give an estimated net payload capacity based upon the options selected.
1 Payload
2. Gross Combined Vehicle Weight
3. Rear Axle weight limit
4. Frontal area limit (few people even read this in the towing guide)
I would speculate that if the front axle is overloaded, most of the four items above are already surpassed or the weight distributing hitch is grossly misadjusted.
The brochure doesn't matter at all, as it reflects only an XL with no options with that mythical 150 pound teen driver. Who buys that truck and who weights only 150 pounds? The only thing that matters is the yellow sticker in your door frame minus the weight of yourself, passengers, cargo, bedrug, tonneau, floor mats, mud guards, etc. Ideally the build a truck option on the Ford build site would not only show you the expected price, but would give an estimated net payload capacity based upon the options selected.
07-26-2016, 09:13 PM
#3
Senior Member
Silver 2016 XLT Screw, 157" WB, 302a, Sport pkg, tow pkg, 3.55 electric locker, 36 gal. tank, 2031# payload
I don't understand the payload in your signature. With a 3.55 axle, I know you don't have the heavy duty payload package (3.73 gears come with it), and according to the chart you linked to, the maximum payload available for a 3.5 EcoBoost SCrew 157" wheelbase is 2260 for 2wd and 2060 with 4wd. That would be for an XL trim truck without the 36 gallon fuel tank. How did you get an XLT yellow door-sticker payload of 2031? Is it 2wd?
I don't understand the payload in your signature. With a 3.55 axle, I know you don't have the heavy duty payload package (3.73 gears come with it), and according to the chart you linked to, the maximum payload available for a 3.5 EcoBoost SCrew 157" wheelbase is 2260 for 2wd and 2060 with 4wd. That would be for an XL trim truck without the 36 gallon fuel tank. How did you get an XLT yellow door-sticker payload of 2031? Is it 2wd?
Last edited by Velosprout; 07-26-2016 at 09:16 PM.
07-26-2016, 09:25 PM
#4
Bug
Thread Starter
Silver 2016 XLT Screw, 157" WB, 302a, Sport pkg, tow pkg, 3.55 electric locker, 36 gal. tank, 2031# payload
I don't understand the payload in your signature. With a 3.55 axle, I know you don't have the heavy duty payload package (3.73 gears come with it), and according to the chart you linked to, the maximum payload available for a 3.5 EcoBoost SCrew 157" wheelbase is 2260 for 2wd and 2060 with 4wd. That would be for an XL trim truck without the 36 gallon fuel tank. How did you get an XLT yellow door-sticker payload of 2031? Is it 2wd?
I don't understand the payload in your signature. With a 3.55 axle, I know you don't have the heavy duty payload package (3.73 gears come with it), and according to the chart you linked to, the maximum payload available for a 3.5 EcoBoost SCrew 157" wheelbase is 2260 for 2wd and 2060 with 4wd. That would be for an XL trim truck without the 36 gallon fuel tank. How did you get an XLT yellow door-sticker payload of 2031? Is it 2wd?
07-27-2016, 10:48 AM
#5
Senior Member
Not likely that you will overload the front axle before being over rear axle and/or GVWR.
Ford's WDH instructions are to return the front height 1/4 of the way between unhitched and hitched without bars attached. When you drop the tongue on the ball, it removes a good amount of weight from the front and you're only supposed to return 1/4 of it (so if dropping that 1050# tongue weight on the ball removes 400# from the front, you're only putting 100# back, previous years it was half but that's still only 200# leaving you 200# lighter on the front than you started).
Ford's WDH instructions are to return the front height 1/4 of the way between unhitched and hitched without bars attached. When you drop the tongue on the ball, it removes a good amount of weight from the front and you're only supposed to return 1/4 of it (so if dropping that 1050# tongue weight on the ball removes 400# from the front, you're only putting 100# back, previous years it was half but that's still only 200# leaving you 200# lighter on the front than you started).