- Ever since I was a little kid,
there's always been this stigma
that they say that bigger is always better.
I mean, that's the American way, right?
Why get a small soda at the good old golden arches?
When you get a large soda for literally the same price,
it was a dollar. I think it's like a dollar 50 now.
Thanks for everything that is going on
and pricing increases everywhere.
It sucks.
I bet you thought I was going to make a joke to a...
Nevermind.
Anyways, while everything else seems
to be getting bigger and better.
There's always been a debate in the truck world regarding
what you really need.
Now, sure. Right?
Most diesel trucks come in both three quarter
and one ton variants, but what really is the difference?
Do you actually need a one ton or will a three quarter ton
do everything you need to and more?
Does one ride better than the other? What about lift kits?
How do they fit? What about track bars?
Good news here is I'm Dustin with Custom Offsets.
You guys can follow me on Instagram
and my Duramax Build @dusty.co.
And today we're going to be diving headfirst into
the three quarter ton versus one ton debate
to truly find out is bigger, actually better?
Let's get it.
Now, regardless if you have a half ton, a one ton
or even one of those wicked cool F-450
like DMAXRYNO has.
If you're looking for wheels and tires, we got you.
I was in the warehouse the other day, actually
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We've got them and the best part is that
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Plus if you pair them with a set of tires,
because, let's be real, you're going to need tires.
William Mountain will balance them
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As long as you're in the lower 48 states.
You guys can check that link in the description to learn
more and to see all the wheels and tires we have in stock.
Now, when we look at the major differences between
the three quarter and a one ton truck,
we should probably start with the obvious,
payload capacity and gross vehicle weight ratings.
Now payload capacity,
or the amount of weight that you can put
in the bed of your truck is going to change
from truck to truck.
But as a general rule,
you can bank on the fact that a two 50 or a 2,500 is going
to have a lower payload capacity.
Then it's three 50 or 3,500 counterparts.
So this way it works bigger numbers more better.
Now you may be wondering why Ford or GM
or even RAM may want to do this.
And it's actually quite simple.
Simply put, the three quarter ton variants of these trucks
have less leaves in the rear leaf pack,
typically have slightly lighter duty axles.
And overall just a little less stiff
when it comes to suspension,
which, hence why you have a lower payload.
And while this means less payload rating,
it does mean that typically these three quarter tons
are going to ride better than their one ton brothers,
for example, right?
You go out to the old RAM website
and you look at brand new 2022 RAM 2,500.
It's going to have a payload rating
of just over 4,000 pounds.
It's also going to have a towing capacity
of about 20,000 pounds, depending on how you option it
somewhere between 16, 20,000.
If you step up to the 3,500 trucks.
This goes into the somewhere in the low 30,000 pound range.
Right, which is pretty impressive enough
because 30,000 pounds is a lot.
And then if you're looking to really lay it out on the table
and you want a Dually that has the tow capacity,
it's going to jump to a massive 37 fricking thousand pounds.
For reference,
there are semi-trailers that weigh less than that
on the interstates today, meaning that in theory,
you could hook a RAM Dually to a semi-trailer and just towed
it around without, you know,
breaking that manufacturers rated spec.
It's pretty impressive, honestly.
Move over Toyota, it looks like there's
going to be someone else
moving space shuttles around Los Angeles.
Now, it's going to be a commence.
Now, they're just driving around with this Dually,
towing stuff around. It's gonna be great time.
Now, not only is this important
for towing and handling the gross vehicle weight ratings,
also are important if you're planning on lifting your truck.
Here's why.
Some states have legal lift height laws,
which is pretty lame, honestly.
With that being said, though, it's pretty tough
for law enforcement to know exactly
what each truck is since so many of them look so similar.
So to help circumvent this they've typically base
those lift laws around your gross vehicle weight rating,
which can typically be found on a decal
on the inside of the driver's door jam.
Right, it's a little sticker
and you open the door sits right there.
It says GVWR and then the numbers, right?
Here's why all this is important though. In most cases,
these lift laws only apply to three quarter ton trucks.
As the one ton trucks are rated for a higher GVWR
than the law states.
So, if you're looking to lift your truck to the moon,
a one ton may be for you.
Speaking of lift kits.
By the way, if you're looking to lift a Dualley,
there's a few things that you should know
before you get into it.
Now, typically Dualley trucks are
a bit more difficult to lift for a few reasons,
but perhaps the biggest one is because the rear axle U-bolts
and the blocks are specific to that truck.
For this reason, you're going to find
a lot of manufacturers stating that their lift kits
are only for single rear wheel trucks
and that they won't fit a Dually model.
In our experience, though,
with a little bit of creativity, maybe some legwork,
if you've got a buddy that does a little fab work
on the side or something, and you can maybe source
some universal parts or build some custom blocks,
and then you can make a lift kit on a Dually work just fine.
There are also lift kits,
specifically engineered for Dualley's out there as well.
Of course, this is a case by case basis.
And while we can't promise that it'll work for everyone,
this is just what we found to be true.
While, we're on the topic of aftermarket part fitment.
It's also important to note that
between the three quarter and one ton trucks,
there are some small differences in things like rear axles.
Typically when you look at the two of the axles
in the one ton are going to be bigger beefier
and just built heavier for that added capacity
that we talked about earlier.
Now, while this doesn't seem like a huge deal
in the grand scheme of things, right?
It can be a bit of a challenge. If you're looking to,
you know, install things like traction bars, for example,
which may need a different bracket or different hardware
longer U-bolts, et cetera,
to mount to the rear axle on the truck.
This can also create a challenge
if you're looking to add rear lift bags, for example,
like I did on the LBZ, right?
Because again, that fitments going
to be a little bit different.
Side note, by the way.
Listen, if you tow anything,
those airbags are a literal lifesaver.
There's nothing quite like loading a trailer up,
seeing the truck squat, and then, you know,
just push a little air into the bags
and boom, you're riding smooth as silk down the interstate
with Jared's Dually broken on the trailer behind you.
Jared, I'm sorry, really but the jokes just write them...
At the end of the day though,
which one is really right for you? Is it three quarter ton?
Is it one ton? Is it a Dually?
Is it single rear wheel?
The answer to that question like so many others and videos
that we talk about here, is it really depends.
If you're looking for a daily driver
that you're going to tow every now and again,
then a three quarter ton may be the best option for you.
If you're looking for a heavy hauler
or you're towing more frequently,
then a one ton may be the best truck
for your particular situation.
And of course,
if you want to get in to hot shot trucking or something.
There's no better way to do it than with a Dualley.
On top of that much like everything else in today's market,
it really just comes down to what you can actually
get your hands on.
For example, when I bought my LBZ,
I looked high and low and had determined that I would buy
either a three quarter or one ton,
depending on what I came across.
And it just so happened that I found
my one and only 2,500 HD that I fell in love with
and the rest is history.
But that's enough out of me.
What do you guys think?
Do you own a three-quarter or one ton?
What's your favorite
or least favorite part about owning one?
Do you wish you had bought one over the other?
Let us know down in the comments section below and as always
be sure to subscribe to the channel.
If you haven't already.
With that, I'm Dustin with custom offsets.
We'll see you guys on the next one.
Peace.
(uplifting music)