Intro to LD: Tow Capacity

WHAT IS TOW CAPACITY?

The ability to control your power unit. When you put too much weight on the back of your truck, you loose weight off the front of your truck. The loss of steer axle weight will directly impact and reduce the brake-ability and the steer-ability of your power unit.

STEPS TO CALCULATE YOUR TRUCKS TOW CAPACITY

STEP 1

WEIGH THE FRONT STEERING AXLE OF YOUR TRUCK.
Don’t use the gross weight figure that is in your truck manual.

STEP 2

MEASURE YOUR WHEEL BASE.
Measure from the center of your steer axle to the center of your rear drive axle.

STEP 3

MEASURE YOUR OVERHANG.
Measure from the center of your drive axle to the actual lifting point of the casualty you are lifting.

NOTE: The point of lift depends on weather you are using your tow sling, receiver forks, or your wheel grid.

You want to calculate the maximum tow capacity if your overhang is retracted, half way extended, and fully extended.

STEP 4

DIVIDE THE WEIGHT OF YOUR FRONT AXLE BY 2.

STEP 5

MULTIPLY THE RESULT OF STEP 4 BY THE WHEELBASE.
(The measurement you calculated in Step 2.)

STEP 6

TAKE THE RESULT OF STEP 5 AND DIVIDE IT BY YOUR OVERHANG.
(The measurement from Step 3.)

STEP 7

CONFIRM THAT THE FRONT AXLE WEIGHT OF THE CASUALTY YOU WANT TO TOW, DOES NOT EXCEED THE CALCULATION YOU DID FROM STEP 6.