Gross

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch) 07/22/2014 at 12:25 • Filed to: mini rant

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Am I the only one who takes the GVWR and GAWR limits seriously? Look, I get the idea that sometimes you can go over and that the limits are conservative with a certain amount of flexibility, but every time I bring it up I get some version of "Pfffft GVRW? You mamby pampy, that's just a guide not a limit." Um, okay.

The latest installment involved someone on the FP commenting about how the fiat (ram) prototype would be downright dangerous loaded up on a wet road...a consequence of its FWD. When ask "why?" the response was that the front wheels would have no weight on them and steering and braking would be compromised. I thought to myself...wait a minute, why would a manufacture create a vehicle to carry so much weight as to create a dangerously nose high attitude? Answer; they wouldn't...that's the point of a max weight. Bottom line, up to the GVRW, its just as safe as anything on the road.

"LOL GVWR is max number for big rigs, the rest of us go higher, and make it home.......... :)"

Okay, so you overload your vehicles like its no thang, and then wonder why its scary to drive them?

Look, I get that there is a large safety factory built into a lot of things. Shackles, for example, are rated at 5:1 safety factor generally (safe working load: sheer load) but here is the long and short of it; if you overloaded a shackle at work...even a little...and it popped you are held legally responsible for whatever carnage ensues...why is it different on the road? Why are people so blase about this safe working limit?

Anyone else? or just me?

lone_liberal > HammerheadFistpunch 07/22/2014 at 12:31

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Because they've gotten away with it once so they assume they can always get away with it. I see it all of the time with people cutting firewood. They think that because they have enough space for the wood, using racks, they can carry that much and they end up with their headlights pointed skyward and the ass end dragging.

crowmolly > HammerheadFistpunch 07/22/2014 at 12:32

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I do. Same with adjusting tire pressures and sometimes shock valving. Tongue weight when towing is another one. Account for passenger weight as well as cargo/load. It is always amazing to see people load bags of gravel/stone at Home Depot and end up bumper dragging.

As an aside,

HEY I HEARD YOU LIKE GVWR AND GAWR SO IMMA PUT GWAR IN YOUR GVWR/GAWR SO YOU CAN TALK ABOUT GWAR WHEN TALKING ABOUT GVWR

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > HammerheadFistpunch 07/22/2014 at 12:35

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GVWR *is* srs bsns anymore. In the olden days, with a lot more TLAR engineering, you had wide safety margins with (paradoxically) more unsafe cars the rest of the time. Loading up a little over wasn't going to make things *much* worse. However, with a modern car, it's engineered much closer to the margin, so it'll be more safe *until* the limit and become much less so very fast.

You remember the Jeep moose test fiasco? Final reports, all in - it *was* overloaded, and was not unsafe when at appropriate GVWR. However, the make-or-break margin for jumping the moose test safety cliff was something like 150lb over GVWR (location dependent) on a vehicle with a very slim load capacity. That's insane.

HammerheadFistpunch > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 07/22/2014 at 12:38

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Thanks for the input, Its obvious that the safety margins aren't 2:1 or even 1.5:1 but I don't think people realize how close to the margins they really are. With trucks going ballistic in the Payload and Towing capacity I imagine the margins are basically nill. I know when I load up my cruiser (with heavier springs and shocks and E rated tires) at or slightly above GVRW its a lot more of a handful to drive safely, and thats me taking into account fuel and the additional weight of the armor, tires and passenger (something most people wouldn't do)

Diesel > HammerheadFistpunch 07/22/2014 at 12:40

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That could just be styrofoam though.

jariten1781 > HammerheadFistpunch 07/22/2014 at 12:46

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Yeah, most folks take it seriously...It's just that most people don't comment in the affirmative to common sense because it's just assumed to be common.

As to dangerous due to FWD...huh? Neither drivetrain is going to be lifting the front if you're not loading all the weight aft of the rear axle. RWD will still lose steering capability if you have crappy loading or way too much tongue weight just like FWD. I suppose if you way overloaded RWD would have more starting traction so you could get up to speed to more easily overcome your steering limits. I have no idea what he was going for there.

HammerheadFistpunch > jariten1781 07/22/2014 at 12:49

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its was clear from the word go that he wasn't talking sense. I thought I would give him a chance to dig himself out of a hole...but he didn't dig up.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > HammerheadFistpunch 07/22/2014 at 12:55

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I'm sort of hit or miss on this one. Basically it boils down to using your head. Have I overloaded my FJ80 before, yes many times. I am confident that the GVWR on that vehicle is limited by the brakes - so give yourself lots of room to stop. On the other hand, I once overloaded my girl friends subaru Outback with concrete bricks - I wouldn't attempt that again.

HammerheadFistpunch > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 07/22/2014 at 13:08

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yes, overloading is dangerous, but knowing the weak link is key to doing it occasionally with relative safety.

Pixel > lone_liberal 07/22/2014 at 13:36

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Firewood is surprisingly heavy too. I didn't even fill my pickup to the top of the bed and it was dragging way more than I was really comfortable with.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch 07/22/2014 at 14:35

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I put 1120 lbs of concrete mix in the back of my CX-9 this past weekend. Was that wrong?

HammerheadFistpunch > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 07/22/2014 at 14:47

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Given that your payload is 1508, so long as you, your fuel and your passengers weren't heavier than 388 lbs...you're good to go. Though Im pretty sure you were at your rear GAWR unless you loaded them really distributed.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch 07/22/2014 at 14:58

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Thankfully I only weigh 380.

I took it very easy on my way home...

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > HammerheadFistpunch 07/22/2014 at 16:29

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I put so much weight in one of these last week that it was almost riding on the rims. I'm not sure if the tires are underinflated, but it was definitely overloaded. For being made out of Chinese sheet metal it is pretty resilient.

ZiptieMcBumper > HammerheadFistpunch 07/22/2014 at 21:33

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Gotta get them soiled bedspreads to the homeless shelter, brah!