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2020 2500HD vs 3500HD ride quality?

MrChips
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Another JR Senior Enthusiast

Another JR

Posted
Posted

I ordered my 2021 3500 gas with the camper package with 5600 lb front bars. I changed it to the base 5200 lb bars after about a year. The change was definitely noticeable in the ride and suspension dynamics. 

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Chuck FB Enthusiast

Chuck FB

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, Another JR said:

I ordered my 2021 3500 gas with the camper package with 5600 lb front bars. I changed it to the base 5200 lb bars after about a year. The change was definitely noticeable in the ride and suspension dynamics. 

Jon, I had read your experience with that before I had ordered my truck ( may have said that before ) and that helped me decide not to even order the camper torsion bars but stick with the stock ones, never mind the plow package bars and had seen from other sources as to how lovely that was for hoping to have a somewhat reasonable ride out of the front suspension of an HD gas truck.

 

So when you think about your experience with only a reduction of rating of 400 pounds, just think of the massive change the heavy front end duramax with the short box crew cab and the standard 5600 bars, then swapping in the cognito bars which in the other thread was talked about as looking to be smaller than the 4800 bars ..... guessing they could be 4400 if not even less relatively speaking. No wonder when I have seen a couple of videos of guys that had the duramax and swapped in those bars, they said it rode so much softer and comments like "almost as good as a half ton". From what I could gather the factory keys had to be turned up more which of course makes sense but don't know how much to get the suspension to a factory ride height. Certainly would not be the best idea to use such light bars if hauling a taller hard side top heavy slide in camper for truck stability.

Dren Show Enthusiast

Dren Show

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, Chuck FB said:

Is it pretty much the same spec truck otherwise, cab size, box length, engine type as per gas or diesel in both cases, I see its the same trim level although the new one has the refresh interior, and if they were the same as per having or not having the fifth wheel prep package, and if the same tire size, I am assuming all Denali's come with the same shocks but perhaps not if the X31 is chosen.

 

With a gas 2022 vs a gas 2025 there is one item that is certainly different and that is the transmission, I believe its over 100 pounds heavier than what the 6 speed is.

 

I have not sought out the opportunity to try a truck that had the snow plow prep but from reading comments of those that had the gas truck with the 6000 lb rated front bars and then swapping in the standard 4800 pound units ( 4800 standard if it was a crew cab short box gas truck ), that making quite a noticeable difference. A diesel truck in that truck configuration already comes standard with 5600 bars so I doubt it would be nearly as noticeable.

 

I don't know if there was a change in the rear springs between years but I noticed lately in looking at 2025 trucks on the lot between the 2500 and 3500, the bottom overload leaf is shorter in the 3500. If unloaded its not engaged anyway unless the bump was enough to do so but it almost looks like that bottom tapered overload leaf may engage sooner on the 3500.

 

Air pressure ( and of course tire size/side wall height ) that certainly makes a difference and I just got my 3500 very recently but had already planned on lowering the factory set TPMS placard pressure settings so that it wouldn't scream at me when I ran lower pressures. I have very little seat time in the truck yet but can say my lowering the pressure well down from the factory 60/80 even with the 20" wheels on stock tires, helps lessen the feeling of hitting a crack in the pavement that a soft riding vehicle doesn't even know is there.

 

A couple of questions about the info on your stickers on the door pillar, what does it say the front axle weight rating is ?, and does the tire pressure sticker state 60 pounds front/80 pounds rear ? ( of course that is maximum inflation only required to carry the trucks maximum weight rating )

Both trucks are crew cab, standard bed, diesel, 4x4, fifth wheel prep, 20" rims.  The 2500 had the snow prep and the 3500 did not.

 

On the 3500, front axle is rated at 5600 lb and tire pressure is specified at 60/80 psi.  I thought the front axle on the 2500 was rated at or over 6000.

 

 

Chuck FB Enthusiast

Chuck FB

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, Dren Show said:

Both trucks are crew cab, standard bed, diesel, 4x4, fifth wheel prep, 20" rims.  The 2500 had the snow prep and the 3500 did not.

 

On the 3500, front axle is rated at 5600 lb and tire pressure is specified at 60/80 psi.  I thought the front axle on the 2500 was rated at or over 6000.

 

 

Interesting, so being the diesel and both years had the same transmission, the only differences that I can think of that stand out other than the torsion bars ( and what tire pressure is being used at that moment ) is the refresh interior and the added weight of the upper overload pack, and the rear axle would be somewhat physically heavier as your 2500 would have had the 11.5 ring gear and your 3500 the 12.0 ring gear. Having said that about the rear axle, since its unsprung weight as well as the leaf pack, that doesn't add weight to the physical truck that the springs are carrying but the tires are carrying that extra weight. Were the tires the same goodyear tires that the new models come out with or was there a difference in the brand and model of the tires ?

 

So the two items that stand out more than anything is the front torsion bar rating/stiffness difference and the lower pressure you happen to be carrying at the moment in your rear tires.

 

Yes, that configuration of truck in either the 2500 or 3500 and be it the gas or diesel engine, they all came with the maximum rated front torsion bar of 6000 lb when the snow plow prep was optioned. Interestingly with a crew cab dually diesel, then its the same 6000 rated bars as standard and that doesn't change with the snow plow package as its already maxed out.

 

If you drive around empty for extended periods of time as per not hauling heavy items in the box or pulling a trailer, certainly sorting out tire pressures that are sufficient for the trucks axle weights to gain a bit better ride is always an option, not really a practical option if always hooking and unhooking a trailer though. Typically the front axle of a truck doesn't have its weight change that much ( cab full of people or just the driver is often the largest change ) but the rear axle is where it changes dramatically, load vs no load. You would need access to a weigh scale to come up with axle weights and the use of a tire inflation chart to sort that out though to make sure one is never under inflated.

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