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Truck questions

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Bill from Scotland

Member
I need some truck questions cleared up. I see all your 4x4 pickup going about, some have 150 some say 250 and others seem to go up as far as 450. Am I correct In saying this relates to their weight rating and nothing to do with power output. Now another question relates to power output and towing capacity. What would be classed as a really powerful pickup, hp and examples of towing capacity. Nearly all your pickups are much larger than what we have in Scotland. One final question relates to your larger semi trucks, wbat sort of top speed do they have? We were runnkng at 65 mph today and there was a truck went past like we were standing still, guess he was doing another 30 on top of our 65. Of course it was downhill.
Bill
 
Bill: just a short answer: 1500 or 150 = 1/2 ton
2500 or 250= 3/4 ton 3500 or 350 =1 ton and up it goes ....
 
Well, the 150, 250, 450 is all Ford talk, basiacally those are models of trucks:

F150 being a 1/2 ton capacity
F250 3/4
F350 1 ton
Etc

Chevy's and GMC's use thousands

1500 1/2 ton
2500 3/4 ton
3500 1 ton

Any of these trucks can be ordered with a variance of different engines, Chevys for example could have a 305, 350, 400, 454, Cubic Inch engines, along with a few diesels, like the 6.2 Liter, Turbo 6.5 Liter, and now the modern "Duramax" not sure of the size on those??


My family owns a 2000 (year) 2500 Chevy, with a 454 gas engine. It is a crew cab (4 doors) and a short bed. It is considered to be a medium/heavy duty truck in our area. Some people need to haul bigger things, and they have 1 or 1 1/2 tone trucks, with dualie's and massive diesel engines!

Hope this answers your question a little bit!

p.s. here is an add for my first truck, a teal, ext cab, Chevy 1500 4x4... Bryce
a168034.jpg
 
Semis have 350 to 600 hp in this country. Some are governed at 65, but not many anymore. Acording to Cummins engines it takes 600+ hp to pull a box trailer 90 mph. My truck is rated at a bit under 400 hp and does 65 well, 70 ok but on lots more fuel. It will go 75 but struggles. One time in west Tx. where the speed limit is 85 I tried it out to see what the top was and got it up over 80 a bit, but it wouldn't come close to holding that. Most run in the 65-70 mph range.
 
We call a 150 a half-ton, a 250 a three quarter-ton, etc, but that is not the actual load rating of the pickup. My 350, for example, is rated to haul 2 1/2 tons in the bed.
 
Bill, The others have pretty well told you the 1/2 Ton, 3/4 Ton, and 1 Ton delineations. HP varies to what engine is in it. 300 hp is pretty much the norm for base line HP the number go up from there. Depending if Factory setting, or "Chipped"
Big trucks, Semi s, Depends on where you are in the US as to Posted Speed limits 65 to 85 MPH here in Texas. Most truckers will run that! Truckers will and still do "Turn them UP" or "Chip" them on the newer electronic injections engines
In the West Texas and the Panhandles of Tx and Okla., High Plains, Western US, Truckers still run All Out. We had an old 79 KW with a 430 hp Detroit Dsl that would run 80 all day long, Up hill, Down hill, all around the town!
My Neighbor had a old Cab Over Peterbuilt with a 400 Cummings originally, after the first melt down then punched it out to 435 , but he would twist on the old mechanical pump so it would run like the wind, but it ran So hot it would melt down every 18 months or so. He Has! been Clocked and Stopped at 120 MPH with a full load of cattle coming out of Tenn headed to the Panhandle of Okla. many times!
Out here 90 mph is real common!
Later,
John A.
 
Depends on what truck it"s in. A long-nose, flat-top Pete, yes, it"ll take that. A more aerodynamic truck, with full fairings, and a condo, not going to take as much.

I could see a 1/2 MPG difference in fuel use (and 25 minutes shorter trip time) from Erie, PA, to Wytheville, VA, when I pulled a Thermoking reefer vs a dry-box. A Carrier unit was only slightly better than a drybox.

That was a mid-roof 9400 with a 435 C15 and 13 speed. What a dog that was. Roof fairings would have gone a long way but the guy I was driving for geared them like you would an old B model (way too deep for the C15) and they couldn"t see any difference in fuel mileage between roof fairings vs no fairings, so he quit buying them.

We could run 80 MPH all day on flat ground. But the gearing was so wrong, you hit a mountain, and everyone you passed in the last 20 minutes, went back by you.
 
The 6.2/6.5 GM and VE-pumped early Dodge diesels were real mizers. Wouldn't pass a whole lot in stock form, but if you behave yourself, 20MPG+ is real easy.

Ford's current diesel is a home-brew 6.7 liter V8, Dodge runs Cummins-sourced 6.7 liter inline 6, and GM uses the Isuzu-designed 6.6 liter V8. Dodge and Ford are running about 860 ft-lb of torque (apx 1170 newton-meter). The duramax is down to them by about 100 lb-ft.

No one is making a big-block anymore. Chevy was the last hold-out with the 8.1 liter, which stopped production a couple years ago.

Ford is turbocharging a v6 for fuel economy. Dodge and GM shut cylinders off, so under light load, you are running on 4 cylinders instead of 8.

Outside of the dual-wheeled trucks, the capabilities of the trucks from one brand to another are fairly close. GM has a lot of work to do to catch Ford and Dodge capacities in the dual-wheeled trucks.
 
You want enough weight on the truck so that the trailer does not whip it around.

A diesel will produce a lot of torque and HP at a lower RPM than a gas engine. My Ford produces 800 ft lbs of torque and 400 HP. I would want at least 300-350 HP, at reasonable RPM, pulling a good sized trailer. A diesel will consume nearly the same amount of fuel lightly loaded or heavy.

I do not know how the new direct injection gasoline engines stack up.
 
The truck model designation (e.g. F-150, F-250, C-1500, C-2500, etc.) more than anything else indicates the chassis components used. Heavier-rated trucks have heavier brakes, axles, springs frames, etc. And there is a great variety of components between the different weight ratings for any given model.

It used to be that 3/4 ton pickups used full-floating axles while the 1/2 ton trucks were semi-floating. These days, many 3/4 ton pickups have the cheaper semi-floating axles.
 
I will add that semis will run what ever speed you have money enough to make them run.
I have a friend that hauls a lot of livestock. Last time I drove one of his trucks, it would easily run 90, and I am guessing it would run well over 100MPH. It started out a 550 horse CAT, and he had messed with the ECM, 15 speed overdrive.
 
Yeah, but "1/2 ton" "3/4 ton" "1 ton" is just as meaningless these days as 150, 250, 350.

My "1/2 ton" truck has a payload capacity of 1640lbs. Sounds like roughly 3/4's of a ton to me.

My "1 ton" truck has a payload capacity of over 5000lbs. That's 2-1/2 tons by my reckoning.

Reality is, they're just MODEL DESIGNATIONS. They don't signify anything specific like horsepower or payload capacity.

Truck manufacturers have settled on these 15-, 25-, 35-, etc. designations over the years as a de-facto standard for marketing purposes. "Our 15- is better than the other guys' 15-'s."

Look at Toyota and Nissan. They don't use the 15- designations on their "1/2 ton" trucks. They're "Tundra" and "Titan."
 
I hear this a lot, you could maybe get 100 mph going down hill but it would take tremendous hp to pull it flat. I got this graph from Cummins, it is for a box truck and a cattle pot pulls a lot harder than that. If you look at the rate of increase it would take well over 800 hp to get 100 mph with a box truck and more than that with a cattle truck. If your ever by the Iowa 80 truck stop in the quad cities check out the truck museum, they have a truck in there that held the land speed record for trucks for a while. It is heavily modified with airodynamics, lowered and lightened and with 1300 hp and only got about 150 mph. If it hadn't had the mods and had pulled a trailer I doubt it would have made 120 mph.
a168046.jpg
 
True, I for got about those! We had a yellow 1973 K20 for YEARS, I learned to drive and plow snow in that truck! We sold that and bought a 1983 K10, and I didn't care for that truck, always wanted the 73 back... The neighbor has a 77 K20 with a 350, and a 4 speed, and I want it BAD... She is the original owner though, and she tells me she won't give it to me until the day before she dies.... :) Bryce
 
Bull haulers (most of them) are also crazy. Had one get behind me just a few days ago on hwy 59 about 50 mi. south of Miles City MT. He tailgated me at 70mph for a few miles. He got a chance to pass - and I was most grateful for that, I slowed and let him go. Just for curiosity, I tried to pace him for awhile, I pushed it to 80 for a short distance and he was still slowly pulling away from me ! Speed limit there is 70 & 65 for trucks. Hwy. patrol doesn't seem to care much.
 
I still have the old c and k series trucks all 1 tons, as well as a old 1971 f 350, I grew up with them in the 1960's and just stayed with them, I wound up working in a wrecking yard for a couple years when I was in my 20's and learned about all there is to know about them by taking them apart and building others up [ take 3 or 4 trucks and make 1 good one],for the semi
s both of my old kenworths could hit 100 mph but were hard pressed to do it, I didn't run them up there long one had a 400 cummins the other a 425 cat, but you also need to realize out here in my area which is the western united states, there are vast distances of hiway with no towns ect where these big trucks can crank up that fast and cover some distance, even though its highly illegal to do so, and if caught the driver will face expensive fines, at least cops are few and far between , I got nailed in the 90's over in texas one nite I was making up some time on a secondary hiway around 1 or 2 am, thinking nobody was out there, the cop was, got me for 94 mph cost me over 4 thousand dollars back then to get that done with
 
I run a 05 Peterbilt 387, it's real aerodynamic, with a 550 hp Caterpillar diesel. I drag a 53' dry van. Lightly loaded it will hold 75 mph on cruise in all terrain but the mountains.

Speedometer goes to 85 and I've gone well past that out on the open plains. That's loaded light. All bets are off when I'm grossing 80k.

Fuel mileage drops down around 4-5 mpg when pushing her hard. 1400rpm and about 65 mph gets me in the 6-7 mph. That's where I stay 99% of the time.

Tickets and fuel are too expensive to get caught speeding.
 
(quoted from post at 22:38:50 09/04/14) Bill, The others have pretty well told you the 1/2 Ton, 3/4 Ton, and 1 Ton delineations. HP varies to what engine is in it. 300 hp is pretty much the norm for base line HP the number go up from there. Depending if Factory setting, or "Chipped"
Big trucks, Semi s, Depends on where you are in the US as to Posted Speed limits 65 to 85 MPH here in Texas. Most truckers will run that! Truckers will and still do "Turn them UP" or "Chip" them on the newer electronic injections engines
In the West Texas and the Panhandles of Tx and Okla., High Plains, Western US, Truckers still run All Out. We had an old 79 KW with a 430 hp Detroit Dsl that would run 80 all day long, Up hill, Down hill, all around the town!
My Neighbor had a old Cab Over Peterbuilt with a 400 Cummings originally, after the first melt down then punched it out to 435 , but he would twist on the old mechanical pump so it would run like the wind, but it ran So hot it would melt down every 18 months or so. He Has! been Clocked and Stopped at 120 MPH with a full load of cattle coming out of Tenn headed to the Panhandle of Okla. many times!
Out here 90 mph is real common!
Later,
John A.
Click to expand...

All good 'til you said clocked/stoped at a buck20.Nope-ain't buying that! maybe it was KPH instead of MPH.Only way that thing could hit 120 MPH is at full throttle and a hard right at the top of the Throgs neck bridge.
 
GVSII, I don't make it a habit Of Calling someone a Liar! So I would watch what comes out of Your mouth!
That Comment of your is evident You haven't run with High Plains Bull Wagon Hands Back in the 80s!
National Carriers out of abundant, Ks had and old Yellow Pete that would out run it.
Hoffaber out of Guymon Ok, had a Brand New one, of the Anteater nose Freightliners in 88 it was know as the Red Rocket would out run my neighbors truck! Both truck pulled Bull Wagons!
Belive what You want to, This Ol B!tch of a truck Was that Strong. But it came at a Cost, He would melt it down every 18 months or so, Lord only knows what the Pyrometer would have read, he would take a pair of Pliers and Cut the Pyrometer Lead after each rebuild! An Original 400 Cummins with a 10 speed. After the first melt down and rebuild, He turned the 10 speed around and it would Fly!!, it could hit 35 to 40 in Reverse.
Saw one of the Tickets!
Later,
John A
 
You can still roughly say a 150/1500 truck will take a payload of 1500 lb / 350/3500 about 3500 lb etc but its not consistent. Wide range of ratings for each series.

Same with tow ratings, some 150/1500 are quite low maybe 3500 lbs or so, some up to 13,500 lb.

Unfortunately here tow rating of light trucks has a lot to do with HP here and not the braking capacity.
 
I have to add to the horse power wars,Cummins rates HP at the flywheel, a 300hp Cummins will put out 240 rear wheel hp. Some other engine builders rate at the rear wheels. Now before you all tell me I am wrong, that is what the mechanic at Indy Cummings told me.
 

used to be....

in the 60s it was a f100 and carried 1000 lbs in the bed so it matched up pretty well as a half ton truck. In the 1970s a 5/8 ton became a selling point initially as a camper special by chevrolet iirc.. and finnally all f100s were drop and became f150s. So now the basic truck is a f150 c15 as it were. the 250's could be option basic or hd in the 70s especially with the introduction of diesels so a f250 could be option from 3/4 of ton payload to1.75 tons of payload. As the diesel wars played out, 250s and 350s each year carried more and more to win the selling wars to the point that they no longer represent the half, threequarter and one ton anymore.

In 1985 a f250 diesel had the same springs and frame as a gas model f350. Due to the heavier engine and torque increase you got the 350 payload by simply ordering a 250 diesel.

Are you confused yet?
 
Don't know what make, HP, or size truck, but the Federal DOT set up "Weigh-in-motion" scales on I40 for awhile. At 3:00 a.m., it recorded a semi weighing 100,000 pounds went over the scale at 100 mph on a flat stretch of road westbound. The theory was that the driver wanted to get across the state before the scales at the western border opened at 8:00 a.m. Imagine the hills west of Flagstaff slowed the truck down a bit.
 

What is classed as a "really powerful pickup" was anything that had the diesel engine option when new, since that is what people spec'd new to tow heavy trailers with.

You see anything with "PowerStroke" "Cummins" or "Duramax" you are looking at the "top truck" for each brand, regardless of the 250/350/450 on the fender.

Of course, that now varies, since the HP race in the last ten years, towing capacity and power has practically DOUBLED from a diesel pickup from 15 years ago.

15000 lb used to be a "heavy trailer" for a pickup, now they are advertising 30,000 lb towing capacity....
 
Jon, I know you are a Super Trucker, and HAVE to be the smartest one out there, but if you don't believe me, get out and run with some bull haulers.
 
My 1986 Chevy D-30 [ M-1031 ] pick-up with 6.2 liter engine is government rated at 131 screamin' horsepower.... There , take that....
 
(quoted from post at 10:56:42 09/05/14) GVSII, I don't make it a habit Of Calling someone a Liar! So I would watch what comes out of Your mouth!
That Comment of your is evident You haven't run with High Plains Bull Wagon Hands Back in the 80s!
National Carriers out of abundant, Ks had and old Yellow Pete that would out run it.
Hoffaber out of Guymon Ok, had a Brand New one, of the Anteater nose Freightliners in 88 it was know as the Red Rocket would out run my neighbors truck! Both truck pulled Bull Wagons!
Belive what You want to, This Ol B!tch of a truck Was that Strong. But it came at a Cost, He would melt it down every 18 months or so, Lord only knows what the Pyrometer would have read, he would take a pair of Pliers and Cut the Pyrometer Lead after each rebuild! An Original 400 Cummins with a 10 speed. After the first melt down and rebuild, He turned the 10 speed around and it would Fly!!, it could hit 35 to 40 in Reverse.
Saw one of the Tickets!
Later,
John A
Click to expand...
1) I'm not calling anyone a lier.I said I'm not buying it.I didn't buy it 20 years ago,today, and unless somthing big comes along in the engine bay,I won't be buying it tommorow either.
 
15000 lb used to be a "heavy trailer" for a pickup, now they are advertising 30,000 lb towing capacity....
Click to expand...

How can these pickups safely tow that much weight?
Their comparatively small brakes, light frames, small axles, and light transmissions seem to be not up to the job.
Why is there a need for semi tractors anymore then? A person could simply buy a dodge pickup and go to work hauling bulldozers around.
I see guys pulling log skidders all the time with these dually pickups, and I wonder where the troopers are, and what would happen if they pulled them over.
Surely this kind of thing cannot be legal.
Does anyone know what the regulations actually are?
 
(quoted from post at 12:51:51 09/06/14)
15000 lb used to be a "heavy trailer" for a pickup, now they are advertising 30,000 lb towing capacity....
Click to expand...

How can these pickups safely tow that much weight?
Their comparatively small brakes, light frames, small axles, and light transmissions seem to be not up to the job.
Why is there a need for semi tractors anymore then? A person could simply buy a dodge pickup and go to work hauling bulldozers around.
I see guys pulling log skidders all the time with these dually pickups, and I wonder where the troopers are, and what would happen if they pulled them over.
Surely this kind of thing cannot be legal.
Does anyone know what the regulations actually are?
Click to expand...


Better hope trailer brakes work (nothing like trusting a couple little wires to stop 30,000lb)

My old 7.3 F250 is rated to tow 12,800lb.

2014 3500 Ram 6.7 cummins, 29930lb.

http://www.trailerlife.com/trailer-towing-guides/

Best part is, most normal driver's licenses don't let you tow a trailer over 10,000 lbs or GCWR over 27,500 or something like that.
 
(quoted from post at 04:37:29 09/07/14)
(quoted from post at 12:51:51 09/06/14)
15000 lb used to be a "heavy trailer" for a pickup, now they are advertising 30,000 lb towing capacity....
Click to expand...

How can these pickups safely tow that much weight?
Their comparatively small brakes, light frames, small axles, and light transmissions seem to be not up to the job.
Why is there a need for semi tractors anymore then? A person could simply buy a dodge pickup and go to work hauling bulldozers around.
I see guys pulling log skidders all the time with these dually pickups, and I wonder where the troopers are, and what would happen if they pulled them over.
Surely this kind of thing cannot be legal.
Does anyone know what the regulations actually are?
Click to expand...


Better hope trailer brakes work (nothing like trusting a couple little wires to stop 30,000lb)

My old 7.3 F250 is rated to tow 12,800lb.

2014 3500 Ram 6.7 cummins, 29930lb.

http://www.trailerlife.com/trailer-towing-guides/

Best part is, most normal driver's licenses don't let you tow a trailer over 10,000 lbs or GCWR over 27,500 or something like that.
Click to expand...
http://www.newsday.com/classifieds/cars/ram-pickup-towing-capacity-may-be-too-ambitious-1.4495189
I guess they would put air brakes on the pickups, but that would add too much cost to both the truck and trailer.
It seems like the added safety would be worth the cost though.
 
(quoted from post at 06:13:33 09/07/14)
http://www.newsday.com/classifieds/cars/ram-pickup-towing-capacity-may-be-too-ambitious-1.4495189
I guess they would put air brakes on the pickups, but that would add too much cost to both the truck and trailer.
It seems like the added safety would be worth the cost though.
Click to expand...

Or you could just buy a real truck with air brakes instead of a hopped up pickup.

I am most concerned with the big 5th wheel RV's that are 15-16 k behind a pickup that the driver needs a handicap permit since they aren't able to walk across a parking lot. Should be licensing tests for these things....
 
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