SAE Tow Ratings

[Chef Pa]

Looking forward to progression of the SAE tow implementation. First link is a more current general article, second is older, but gives more details on the rating system. I like the idea of having to rate with a fixed grade and minimum temperature of 100 degrees with the A/C on high. Had also heard some manufacturers may do this for the 2012 model year. Should be interesting.


Mark Phelan: Truck makers agree to toe the line on new towing standards | Detroit Free Press | freep.com


Tow Ratings Finally Pass the Sniff Test - The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) - Automobile Magazine

 

[ModMech]

It is WAY overdue and I applaud the SAE for their efforts.

I would have prefered that they had broken the standards into Five sub-classes that corispond with the tradtional hitch class system and to standardize the towing limits in writing for each class.

In that way every buyer could be assured that if the manufacturer states something like "Vehicle is equipped with tow package that complies with SAE J2807 - Class III requirements."

For the really big trailers, you could say "....Class V+ requirements and is suitable for Gooseneck and 5th Wheel hitch applications."

I would additionally have prefered that SAE REQUIRE an integrated trailer brake control system for all vehicles certified for trailers 3500# and greater.

But any standard is better than the wild west we have now.

This will also give the manufacturers another way to deny warranty coverage for vehicles used not as intended. If you do not have a trailer package on a vehicle that suffers a driveline failure that is likely to be related to towing (overheating, trans failure etc) the manufacturer will surely know this and pay a lot more attention to you.

Thanks for posting this useful information!!!!!

 

[Dmace]

It will be fun to watch Ford's over-inflated tow ratings drop like rock.

 

[Diamondpilot]

It will be fun to watch Ford's over-inflated tow ratings drop like rock.

Not. The new trucks, 2011's are supposed to make the numbers but that is not a fact, just rumor.

Toyota is the only manufacture that has meet all the requirements for 2011 and they lost only 200# or so across the board with no modifications. The biggest issue will be tranny cooling and brakes, especially the parking brake.

All manufactures, FORD, DODGE, TOYOTA, GM, and NISSAN can overcome this easily if wanted with bigger coolers/sumps, and larger brakes.

It will not be a issue for anyone willing to make the truck better and thats where Ford leads the pack.

Chris

 

[Chef Pa]

Pretty sure all the majors have engineers on the SAE committee. Regardless of past performance it should help put them all on the same page.

Same dealer I bought my last truck from has an '11 F350 with the new diesel/6spd on display at the local fair starting today. I was drooling over it last night, wondering if they've decided to start dealing on the 11 models. Maybe even some pressure to make sales at the fair? Anyway I plan to talk to them. No plans on trading unless it's a fantastic deal, because new model years make me nervous. Anyway, will ask what they know about Ford's SAE plan and see what they have to say.

 

[Chef Pa]

Fyi local Ford dealer has no idea on when SAE ratings will be published by Ford. Says they aren't really in the know and get most info last minute, and it will probably be on the website/vehicle stickers before they know. For what that's worth.

Also, no dealing on the '11 250+ yet, at least in my opinion. You can get x plan etc but not much more than that.

 

[dstig1]

Dealers don't know chit, as a rule. If it isn't in their lot or coming next week, they have not heard of it. Car dealers and their staff are an odd lot, IMHO. There doesn't seem to be a business group that cares less about really knowing their product than these folks. There are exceptions, but they are rare. If you find one, latch on!

 

[not2old]

Dealers don't know chit, as a rule. If it isn't in their lot or coming next week, they have not heard of it. Car dealers and their staff are an odd lot, IMHO. There doesn't seem to be a business group that cares less about really knowing their product than these folks. There are exceptions, but they are rare. If you find one, latch on!

I found a good one by looking in the fleet and lease department.

 

[Chef Pa]

Looks like the standard is still being completed, scheduled for final release sometime this fall. Should have caught this one earlier...

Approval of Unified Tow Testing Standards Expected This Fall - PickupTrucks.com News

 

[davygp38]

Dealers don't know chit, as a rule. If it isn't in their lot or coming next week, they have not heard of it. Car dealers and their staff are an odd lot, IMHO. There doesn't seem to be a business group that cares less about really knowing their product than these folks. There are exceptions, but they are rare. If you find one, latch on!

I could not agree more.

 

[Turbys_1700]

It will be fun to watch Ford's over-inflated tow ratings drop like rock.

My 2003 F350 dually 4x4 crew cab with 7.3 diesel is rated to tow 12,500# with a 20,000# GCWR...

It has a Dana 80 on the rear and a Dana 60 on the front...

Don't think Ford inflated that rating...:thumbsup:

 

[High Compression]

It will be fun to watch Ford's over-inflated tow ratings drop like rock.

On the contrary, I believe that they will go up.

 

[High Compression]

My 2003 F350 dually 4x4 crew cab with 7.3 diesel is rated to tow 12,500# with a 20,000# GCWR...

It has a Dana 80 on the rear and a Dana 60 on the front...

Don't think Ford inflated that rating...:thumbsup:

I agree. I have legally scaled 29,300 gcvw with my 02' F-350 7.3l and one of my goosenecks. It would run 80 mph down the highway and stop as quick as I needed it to.:thumbsup:

 

[schmism]

My 2003 F350 dually 4x4 crew cab with 7.3 diesel is rated to tow 12,500# with a 20,000# GCWR...

It has a Dana 80 on the rear and a Dana 60 on the front...

Don't think Ford inflated that rating...:thumbsup:

Perhaps not on the DRW F350

but how does that compare to a SRW (2011) F150 with a (properly equipped) trailer rating of 10,000 # and 15,000# GCWR

you mean to tell me that (on paper) a DRW one ton truck can only tow 2500 lbs more? with a GCWR of only 5000lbs more?

Ill let you draw your own conclusions as to what numbers might possibly be inflated.

NOTE: the point isnt to single out ford... as so much a good comparison against the already quoted figures. You could do the same comparison with any manufacture of "full line" trucks

 

[slowzuki]

Yes, because:
a) A lot of the tow rating has to do with adequate acceleration up a grade and cooling components handling it.
b) The F150 is lighter, has lower axle ratings for weight but not hp. Keep in mind the 7700 package F150 has a 10.25" rear axle just like the old F350's. Its a semi float so it can't take the pin weight like an SD.

My F350 Superduty SRW is only rated to tow something like 5000 lbs. The exact same truck, same everything except the 5.4 replaced with a 6.8 V10 ups the tow rating to something like 13,000 lbs. The only component of the rating that affects is acceleration and gradability.

So as you can imagine, I completely ignore the factory tow rating, just like everyone who had pre SD trucks as the tow ratings were very low.

Toyota Tacoma is rated to tow more than my 1 ton, who is over inflating their tow ratings there? Sure he's got more power than I do, but I can safely control the load easier. My rear payload is as much as that entire Toyota weighs. Actually my tow rating is barely more than the payload rating.

Perhaps not on the DRW F350

but how does that compare to a SRW (2011) F150 with a (properly equipped) trailer rating of 10,000 # and 15,000# GCWR

you mean to tell me that (on paper) a DRW one ton truck can only tow 2500 lbs more? with a GCWR of only 5000lbs more?

Ill let you draw your own conclusions as to what numbers might possibly be inflated.

NOTE: the point isnt to single out ford... as so much a good comparison against the already quoted figures. You could do the same comparison with any manufacture of "full line" trucks

 

[Dmace]

My 2003 F350 dually 4x4 crew cab with 7.3 diesel is rated to tow 12,500# with a 20,000# GCWR...

It has a Dana 80 on the rear and a Dana 60 on the front...

Don't think Ford inflated that rating...:thumbsup:

You ever tried pulling 12,500lbs with that truck up a 5% grade for 11 miles then coming back down?
My comment was aimed more towards newer trucks and mostly the 1/2-ton trucks. Out of all our fleet vehicles and my personal trucks, the Ford's always felt overloaded at max tow capacity where the GM and Dodge trucks felt like they could handle way more and did on a few occasions.

I like how Toyota advertises that they meet these new requirements for their new trucks even though the requirements are even fully set yet. Typical marketing hype straight out of Ford's book. :laughing:

 

[Turbys_1700]

You ever tried pulling 12,500lbs with that truck up a 5% grade for 11 miles then coming back down?
My comment was aimed more towards newer trucks and mostly the 1/2-ton trucks. Out of all our fleet vehicles and my personal trucks, the Ford's always felt overloaded at max tow capacity where the GM and Dodge trucks felt like they could handle way more and did on a few occasions.

I like how Toyota advertises that they meet these new requirements for their new trucks even though the requirements are even fully set yet. Typical marketing hype straight out of Ford's book. :laughing:

No...
I pull a 10K# fifth wheel trailer...
The grade is up I-40 up to Ridgecrest is 4 miles @ 6%...
Real easy pull at 55 mph...
No issues coming down either...
Actually 221 up to Linville is more severe...
Can't run over 35 due to curves...
Never an issue either place...
I don't know what the truck would do with a 12,500# load...

 

[ModMech]

Back in the day, I had a V-6 (2.9L) Ford Ranger 5spd, it was rated to tow 1500# with the 3.73:1 LSD. The EXACT same spec'd truck except for having an AT was rated to tow 5,500#.

Why the difference? People can't drive a stick w/o slipping the clutch EMPTY so Ford wanted towing people to get an auto.

I said no thanks, I'll keep the M/T!

 

[slowzuki]

2 questions for you, what kind of maintenance on the fleet and what do you normally drive? I've towed with lots of generations of Ford 1/2 ton right up to the current models, all towed great even when far beyond rated. The one that towed worst was a 98, but it rode very soft, I think some leaves where pulled from the springs.

The chev's never liked being over loaded as the nice soft springs led to wallowing and riding low. Dodges all seemed alright but they sure like to eat auto transmissions when overloaded.

The F350 both pre and post superduty seem to be one of the most overloaded and abused trucks around. The pre supers it was common to see a tandem dually gooseneck with big tractors or a combine or whatever chugging along, even more common now but usually an escavtor or full size backhoe on board. I'm not sure why but the chev's and dodge's don't seem to get abused like that around here.

the Ford's always felt overloaded at max tow capacity where the GM and Dodge trucks felt like they could handle way more and did on a few occasions.

 

[Dmace]

2 questions for you, what kind of maintenance on the fleet and what do you normally drive?

As far as maintenance, oil changes are every 5k and tranny/coolant changes as well as grease and check-ups are every 50k. For work vehicles, I typically take a 2010 Chevy 2500HD ext cab 6.0l 4x4 since I don't move equipment much. When I'm doing test borings, I take the RAM 3500 diesel with utility body. We have GM and Ford 1-tons as well but the RAM just pulls easier, is more comfortable loaded and the exhaust brake actually works unlike the Ford.

With 12-16k behind the Ford's, the steering feels light and the rear squats way too much for my liking. Maybe they ordered a lower GVWR but highly doubtful. When driving, it feels like your watching the stars. I will say the front end is very stout when we throw plows on in the winter but the rear needs to be stronger.