3/4 ton vs 1 ton SRW GMC/Chevy

DScott

Member
I am planning on buying a new pickup later this year and am wondering if I should upgrade from a 3/4 to a 1 ton single rear wheel GMC/Chevy. I have always had a 3/4 ton but sometimes my loads have reached the upper limits of the GVWR but I don't want to get something that rides a lot rougher. The truck I have now rides great even empty and I don't want to get something I dread driving or rides like it has no suspension when empty or lightly loaded (My BIL had one of those years ago). So, I will test drive both to feel the difference myself but I thought some of you may have already been there done that and could share your experience.
 
I have a 2018 3500HD, Duramax single wheel, long bed, full size four door cab. It hauls great, and with the long wheelbase doesn't ride bad for a one ton. Does need lots of room to turn it around though.
 
When you start looking see if you could get the lighter 3/4 springs on the 1 ton and add airbags. This way
you dump air and ride on springs.and get softer ride. With the airbags air them up to the match load your hauling or towing.
 
We have a '95 f250 Diesel x-tended cab an a 2006 duramax 3500 srw 4 door, i have bagged both. chevy still rides smoother than the ford. The chevy is approx 20 inch longer wheel base it will still out turn the ford. Go 1 ton and bag it.
 
(quoted from post at 08:40:55 01/25/19) If your at the weight limits maybe you need a dually ?

When you check the numbers You find that you don't gain much net load capacity going to DRW. Sure your GVW goes up by 1300 but your tare goes up significantly too.
 
Last year when looking for larger truck I looked at 2018 Ford F350s. the truck was crew cab with same
engine and trans. The single rear wheel 3:55 rear end only, Max payload 4,440 lbs. and max tow 20,400lbs
and that was goose neck set up. The dual wheel rear end is 4:10 gears , Max payload 6,530 lbs, and max tow
31,300lbs.and also set up for gooseneck.
 
We have a truck spring shop in town. Welding and spring repair shop. He says the part number are the same on 3/4 and 1 ton trucks except the 2 inch spacer
 
My 2016 F250 is 10000 Gvw. Limited by tires. I have just 3 rear leaves, but it has air bags. 4 door 4x4 short bed. My neighbor has a Chevy 2500 4x4 short bed extended cab. His has a lot more rear springs. He says mine rides better than his. So wheelbase might be the deal. My son has a 97 F350 4x4 4 door long bed. With 6 inches of rear springs. It rode terrible. Then he jacked it up a lot with SOFT ride front springs and made it pull instead of push the front axle. Really helped it. But because it is heavier than my F250 won't haul any more. So if want to haul pull more get a dually.
 
Main differences between a 3/4 and 1 ton SRW (single rear wheel) is wider rims, bigger tires, and an extra leaf in the rear spring pack, and/or rear overload springs. Back in the days of 16" tires, it was a 245/75R16 on the 3/4 ton, and a 265/75R16 on the 1 ton SRW.

If you're looking at a brand new truck, try to get the 1 ton SRW outright. That way you're not having to throw a bunch of money at a brand new truck on the first day. It already comes with everything to haul the heavier payloads.

You could add air bags and upsize the tires on a 3/4 ton, but it's a BRAND NEW truck, so you're throwing a BRAND NEW set of tires and rims basically in the trash, because you'll never get near what they're worth selling them.

The HD pickups these days ride pretty well in general, not like the buckboards of the 1970's and 1980's.

...Not sure where people are getting that you don't get much more payload with a dually... Generally your SRW 1 tons top out at 4000-4500lbs payload, while a dually runs 6000-6500lbs. Two tires, two rims, and two fender flares don't add THAT much weight to the truck.
 


"Not sure where people are getting that you don't get much more payload with a dually."

Ford website for F-250. Now you can be sure.
 
From the 2019 Ford Super Duty brochure . . .
cvphoto11332.jpg
 
Not sure where some guys get their information! A 3/4 ton will need to be balanced carefully to tow
heavier weights. The rear drive axle will be the axle most likely over-loaded. Just not enough tires on
the ground. A one ton SRW only gains you a 1000 pounds towing capacity at most. Still not enough tires
on the ground. If you really want to use that last 10,000# capacity of your 20,000# gooseneck trailer
you have to get a 1-ton dually. twice as many tires on the ground.
 
Get out google

Search kelderman air ride

Regardless of the "larger than half ton"
you decide to buy, they will be able to
make it ride nice while empty.

For a little more $, the truck will kneel a
few inches for you.
 
I went to 6 wheels and won?t look back they sure
handle a heavy trailer nice 235/85/16 tires in the
rear haul 28xx each when used as duals and
265/75/16 in the front are about 3500 pounds
capacity each
cvphoto11559.jpg
 
I looked at tri axe before I bought my tandem axle. I was told by guys that owned them that they are hard on tires and hard to make turns off road loaded. They all said that the tri axle carried a load down the road with no problems. The ones I was looking at had 3 7,000 lbs. axles.
 
D beatty I really like this little tri axle seems to turn fine even off road you do have to be a little careful loading it and make sure you have enough tongue weight but that?s with any bumper pull trailer
 
I put ton springs on my 3/4 truck (2000 F250) when i bought it... as the 3/4 springs were shot.. rides great when
laoded... empty is rough you feel every litttle bump.. I also ride 285 tires on 16 rims too..

Dont know if that increases my load limit or not..
 
Traditional I will never go back to a truck with only 4 wheels ever again . I like this little triple axle it never gives any trouble and handles a load nice
 

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