GVWR Poorly Engineered?

[Kevin_D]

Until the frame crumples.

I'd be more concerned with wheel bearings than frame issues.

Kevin

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[OldButStillJeeping]

I'm sorry to hear about your situation with GVWR.
Nonetheless, It sounds like your diesel JT is a real nice rig!

I think that there's a misconception or some miscommunication regarding the Gladiator. It's generally accepted as a truck, but it's actually a niche vehicle in my opinion.
It's a Jeep with a short truck bed on it. It's convertible like a Jeep. Has solid axles and the articulation like a Jeep. Has the history in Jeep. But, frankly, it's not much of a truck compared to other trucks available at a far less price.
If you look at Jeeps most recent 'trucks', you'll find the LJ, and Scrambler. Those are pretty collectable these days, but they weren't trucks.

I personally have a 3/4 ton pickup for doing truck things. And my JT is a cool and fun Jeep with a long wheelbase and a silly-small but cool bed on the back.

One pits a couple of dirt bikes in the bed, with two riders and a cooler of beer... and you've reached max weight. Or as seen so often... 35s or 37s, bold bumpers with winches hanging off, a rack on back with a overhead tent and a couple Rotpax... Their weight is way way over the top. (But they look Awesome!).

But, people bolt and pile stuff on, there's probably more 4 wheelers overweight than not. Usually no one cares.

 

[Josh00333]

Ref frame and wheel bearing issues.

Keep in mind the manual base gladiator has the highest pay load rating. And it DOSE NOT weigh much less (41 pounds per Jeep). Jeep made it's gvwr high as a marketing point. Point being that jeep and it's eng and lawyers think the frame and wheel bearings are with a higher gvwr; think you are ok to do the same thing.

The awr is fairly high for the platform, from 6850 to 6950.

There is no DOT that chases private passenger vehicles around, nor is there an insurance issue. Just like speeding, your ins covers you even if your a horrible criminal and go 1 mph over the speed limit.

 

[CerOf]

Ref frame and wheel bearing issues.

Keep in mind the manual base gladiator has the highest pay load rating. And it DOSE NOT weigh much less (41 pounds per Jeep). Jeep made it's gvwr high as a marketing point. Point being that jeep and it's eng and lawyers think the frame and wheel bearings are with a higher gvwr; think you are ok to do the same thing.

The awr is fairly high for the platform, from 6850 to 6950.

There is no DOT that chases private passenger vehicles around, nor is there an insurance issue. Just like speeding, your ins covers you even if your a horrible criminal and go 1 mph over the speed limit.

There is no exclusion for stupidity! Lol
I’m in the business and we always joke how this is so true.

 

[DankjeeP]

Wheels and tires ... how does unsprung weight factor in? ... I know in braking, but rotational mass is something altogether different.

If we are talking about un-sprung weight, include the axles and brakes also.

 

[tstugel]

The wheels and tires don't really add an additional 100#'s each over the stock ones do they??

The stock ones weigh something....

Curb weight for your JT is 5,050.
Wheels and tires are roughly 100#s each x 4. (unsprung weight at that)
Your cap with no options is 175#s.
Worst case scenario on front bumper and winch is 200#s.
Half a tank (actually more than half) is 63#s +.

So that's 800#s. The advertised curb weight and max GVWR are everywhere so you shouldn't be surprised.

Every last farkle you add on takes off weight you can tow or haul.


Don't blame an engineer for added extras taking away from your haul/tow capacity.

If you need a truck for hauling or towing, but a 3/4 or 1 ton truck.

If you want an off road capable truck that you can toss some things in the bed, buy a JT.

 

[Glad1]

while I don't necessarily agree that 450# is 2 people, certainly whatever number you come up with for 5 people would be pretty darn close to eating up the entire payload.

Something I hadn't considered but I do wonder where the GVWR comes from to begin with. Everything I can find with a brief online search describes what it is but nobody says how a manufacturer determines what the value should be.

I think It is usually determined by the least capable components in the system as a whole. I think that is often tires. I have an old dodge Dakota and that is essentially what the manual says .

 

[DiscoSlug]

I feel like the problem is mostly the aftermarket doesn't care about the weight of their products. They'd prefer to make it heavy / stout to avoid potential failures or the need to engineer it properly to get strength and lightness.

 

[CrazyCooter]

Pretty crazy for me to start out on the opposite end of the spectrum towing with a Peterbilt 385 and a 19K 5th wheel essentially not being even close to GVWR's of either vehicle, but downsizing to a JTRD and 16' RV and being overloaded by numbers!

At least the cops wont give me a second look for being overloaded and borderline unsafe like they busted my balls on a few occasions in the bigger truck!

Last weekend my wife and I observed an early Superduty short bed with a 4 seat RZR on top while towing a 30'+ tag toyhauler...... She asked me how that guy gets away with that combo when the cops stopped us for looking commercial and not having a CDL?

 

[JoeJeep]

I'd be more concerned with wheel bearings than frame issues.

Kevin

Wheel herrings, frames and DOT won’t be an issue if you stay within the trucks specs for towing and hauling. On my RAM 1500, towing a 1/2 Tom towable 5th Wheel RV, I use AirLift Air Bags, no sagging whatsoever. Stay legal!

 

[CrazyCooter]

Not the least bit concerned about the axles or bearings since I don't go off roading with a bigger loa and not exceeding the axles' ratings.

I run higher grade synthetic lubes and dont travel in the higher temps, so not concerned about heat either.

Added air bags, larger shocks with CD adjusters, and air bumps to control the loads.

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