Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Riddle me this: 2500 vs 3500

So, if I’m pondering a diesel 3500 SRW 4wd in the future, what does it give me over the 2500? After scoping specs, (all 3, but leaning Dodge), I don’t see spits dif in towing, just bigger payload in the 3500, which isn’t a huge thing for my use or need that I can envision. It’s got me leaning 2500, unless I want a dually.....which I don’t. Just thought I wanted a 3500 for covering my bases, but seems without two wheels, they’re just 2500s with stiffer rear suspension/higher bed capacity?

In the Ram, the 2500 uses coil spring rear suspension while the 3500 uses leaf springs. IMO the 2500 rides noticeably better. Ford uses leaf springs on both, usually with one extra on the 350. Not sure about the GM offerings.

Big plus for the 2500.

I think you are correct that the only difference between a 250/2500 or 350/3500 is stronger rear springs for higher payload in the bed, and associated rougher ride. I know that was the case when I purchased my Ford Super Duty, I went with the F250.

I looked at some online auto parts stores. I compared some common parts for the 2500 and single wheeled 3500. Except for the springs, all parts I looked at were the same part #s, axles, hubs, brakes, U-joints, etc. Even the wheels are the same. They both have front coils and use the same springs.

Both the 3500 and 2500 before '14 have leaves on the rear. I think they put coils on the 2500 after that. My '08 2500 also has air bags and I can bring it up the 3500 capacity with an air hose. They're readily available for all years and both leaf and coil springs.

Intended purpose?

Check out the F350. A long bed crew cab diesel single wheel is now rated to carry about 4600 pounds. Plus the long bed gives you a 48 gallon tank. For a few bucks more the F350 does so much more just in case you ever need it and has the correct sticker on the door jam to prove it. Should be worth a lot more on trade in as well.
F250 diesel has a really crappy load rating that most owners dont realize until after they buy it.

Load ratings on diesel 3/4's is lower than similar gassers because of the extra engine weight.

If will matter if you're in an accident and have exceeded the capacities of a 3/4 ton truck. Won't matter one bit to the judge that the parts are the same.

One major consideration is that if used commercially, the 1 ton GVWR is can be over 10,000 lbs, which makes it a DOT defined Commercial Motor Vehicle when crossing state lines. All of a sudden you need DOT #’s, log books, driver qualification files, annual inspections, medical cards, all manner of fun!

The 1 ton does not have a higher towing capacity than the 3/4. It only has stiffer rear springs and higher payload capacity, but not much. The 1 ton can make sense if you're going to install a service bed or flatbed with toolboxes, air compressor, welder etc., and you know the springs on the 250 will sag too much. The 350 is a stiffer ride when it's unloaded. For most people buying SRW, the 3/4 ton makes more sense. For people buying a heavy work/service truck or tow rig for a 5th wheel or gooseneck, they will be better off with a dually. In Ford, the 450 and 550 offer more significant upgrade from the 250 than the 350 does -- but not saying they're better if you don't need them.

For me personally, I got out of the big pickup thing. 20 years ago all the young dudes I knew were buying big -- not for work, but for recreation, toy hauling, and basically for the image because they didn't want to drive a Prius. Some of them are still buying newer versions of the same thing and paying $80 or $90 thousand dollars for them. Yeah they tow a couple times a year but mostly they just commute in those things. My advice is if you need to tow but only occasionally, then buy a used rig, like 15 years or older. Then you can buy a half-ton, compact pickup, or an SUV or car or whatever for everyday when you don't need 20,000 pounds towing capacity.

I like the idea of a 1 ton in Minnesota because the license difference between the 3/4 ton will save quite a bit over the life of the truck, YMMV

A diesel 2500 with have an abysmal load carrying capacity due to the heavy diesel engine. I haul a cabover camper and my 3500 swb diesel has a 4100lb payload capacity , many 2500 diesels are under 2000lb capacity

It's not just the diesel that lowers payload capacity -- crew cab, 4x4, long-bed all add a lot of weight that takes away from the left-over payload capacity. Even the DRW option can lower payload capacity on some pickups because it adds weight and it's usually not the tires that are the limiting factor.

Dunno about the newer ones but whenever I looked over a 3/4 ton ford, it has this odd-ball front dana 50 half assed axle.

The one ton had the high pinion dana 60.

Independent front suspension on a heavy duty truck makes zero sense to me, so chevy was out.

Nowadays, ford runs a dana super 60 front axle. That's some overbuilt stuff right there.


Even one ton leaf packs, I added an extra leaf to the front end. Flat bed, full length crew cab utility-rack and 6 steel cargo boxes, the rear spring pack was upgraded to f-550 springs. The f-350 springs were not enough.

Coil springs on a dodge rear axle? That's some urban-cowboy bullsht right there!

the receiver on the 1 ton dodge maybe larger, so you have to sleeve down to use your existing stuff

Going to a long bed crew cab on a 2020 F350 diesel will actually increase the load capacity beyond a short bed crew cab.
Each brand and truck model is different. It really pays to do research before buying.

The Dana Super 60 is an overbuilt front axle for a Jeep. It's pretty wimpy for a full-size pickup, even for the front axle. It's fine for low profile highway size tires, but weak for larger tires on a 4x4 that weighs 8000+ pounds.

Coil springs are so much better than leaf and it has nothing to do with urban cowboys. Leaf springs support the vertical load, but they also have to be stiff enough to locate the axle and limit axle wrap. With coil springs, the axle can be located by rigid links/control-arms, so the coils can be rated for the load instead of for locating the axle which almost always results in a mismatch. Coils are especially superior off-road. Leaf springs have nothing going for them in any respect except cheapness for the manufacturer. FWIW, I have both, so this is not personal bias. My HD pickup has leaf, but my other truck and 4x4 are coil. I don't own any Dodge either, so I'm not defending that.

Having owned both 2500 and 3500 Dodges in the exact same configuration(an 06 and an 08, so not really apples to apples) I'd go 3500 again. Mine rides a little better than my 2500 for some unexplained reason, and I like the extra capacity.

I like the 3500 because of the load capacity and that it doesn't squat as much when I hook up a trailer.