I was set on a 2500, but now considering a 3500

[CRApex]

17 hours ago, MTU Alum said:

3500 has no torque limiting while the 2500 has some mild limiting due to 11.5" vs 12" ring gear difference.  Both trucks start in second gear when not in tow haul.

 

For ride, the front suspensions are identical between 2500 and 3500.  Tire pressure (70 to 80), rear shock with more rebound force, and leaf spring pack.  Unloaded, the first stage spring rate is equal between the two but the second stage engages quicker.

 

Both trucks ride pretty good.  The rear is a little firmer on 3500 but some guys like the 3500 better.  3500s are a little worse for freeway hop due to the increased shock forces.

 

#iworkforGM 

The 2500 and 3500 SRW's both lock up in 1st gear.  The 3500 HD that gets the 12' ring gear is the dually.  So the difference on the SRW's comes down to the rear leafs.

 

Beefier Axles
Having the gearing, torque, and cooling to handle the demands of trailering heavy loads is one thing, but those are of no relevance if the rest of the drivetrain can't handle the forces needed to get the power to the ground.

GM's engineers beefed up the size of the '20 HD's drivelines by 30 percent. While the single-rear-wheel 2500/3500HDs retain the same American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM) 11.5-inch ring gear in the rear axlehousings and 14.1x1.3-inch disc brakes as '19, the 3500 dual-rear-wheel (DRW) models now run AAM's massive rear differential with a 12-inch ring gear, tree trunk-sized 4.25-inch axletubes, and 14x1.6-inch brake rotors front and rear.

 

Per article with Chief Engineer for HD trucks:

With all of the upgrades, McQuaid says 2020 Chevy HD trucks will deliver all 910 lb.ft. of torque to the pavement in the first gear. The transmission is also capable of first gear lockup with all 910 lb. ft.

 

[jjackkrash]

Good finds CRApex.  GM's materials on this are not exactly a model of clarity.  

[MTU Alum]

All 3500 diesels have 12 inch rear axle regardless if they are srw or drw.  

 

910 ftlbs in first gear only with 3500s and when the truck is in tow haul.  If the truck is not in tow haul, they start in second gear.  

 

#iworkforGM 

[FirstAscent]

Great find indeed[mention=129545]CRApex[/mention] ! The differences between the 2500 and 3500 seem to be less and less, for SRW, which is surprising.

 

Although I can see the logic of beefing up the DRW acmes only since there isn’t that much more of a difference in payload/towing capacity between the SRW. The DRW is where we see the huge jump

 

 

[edit] just read MTU Alum’s post too. Thanks for this info, so much contradicting info out there! Haha

[jjackkrash]

Regardless, I don't see any compelling reason to get a 2500 if for nothing else an increase in the stated payload capacity and conventional-hitch towing capacity provided by an SRW 3500.

[migrabill]

2500 test drove much more smooth that the 3500 for me. Both were great, but there was a noticeable difference.

[dieselfan1]

2500=

3500=

[Sask Farmboy]

13 minutes ago, dieselfan1 said:

2500=

3500=

DRW =

[dieselfan1]

DRW =[emoji123][emoji123][emoji123][emoji3581]

[emoji106]

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[FirstAscent]

2 hours ago, migrabill said:

2500 test drove much more smooth that the 3500 for me. Both were great, but there was a noticeable difference.

Thanks for your feedback. I didn't notice quite the difference but I'm pretty sure that also had a lot to do with the fact that I drove them a day apart. I'd need to drive them back to back on the same road to really tell. 

[CRApex]

22 hours ago, MTU Alum said:

All 3500 diesels have 12 inch rear axle regardless if they are srw or drw.  

 

910 ftlbs in first gear only with 3500s and when the truck is in tow haul.  If the truck is not in tow haul, they start in second gear.  

 

#iworkforGM 

Should there be a visible difference when looking at a 3500 SRW diesel rear end vs the 2500 SRW diesel rear end?

 

 

[mkeddie]

Should there be a visible difference when looking at a 3500 SRW diesel rear end vs the 2500 SRW diesel rear end?  

 

 

They should be more beefed up

 

 

 

 

[CRApex]

I stopped at the dealer down the street from my work.  A 2500 was parked right next to a 3500, both diesels.  They looked identical.

[mkeddie]

Those pictures aren't the 2020 but I would assume there is more support still if ur able to carry more weight

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[FirstAscent]

I stopped at the dealer down the street from my work.  A 2500 was parked right next to a 3500, both diesels.  They looked identical.

I’m down in Cali for work right now but I was going to do the same thing when I got back home this weekend haha