![]() Again, for safety's sake, the GAW should never surpass the GAWR on any vehicle. As you can see, an assortment of problems can result from overloading. Overloaded and overstressed components within the vehicle's rear suspension system could bend or even break, causing you to lose control on the road. The rear tires may not be able to handle the extra weight, potentially causing a blow out situation. ![]() ![]() The vehicle's brake system will not be as effective, as the front brakes typically do the lion's share of the braking. Here's just a sample of what can go wrong if, for example, too much weight is placed on the rear axle of a vehicle: The vehicle's overall handling will be greatly affected because the steering will be less responsive. Heavy loads are always difficult to control on the road, but if that heavy load is unevenly distributed between the axles or even overloaded on one side of an axle, the problem will only be magnified. Overloading a vehicle of any kind - including a trailer - is dangerous. Safety is the primary reason for manufacturers to place a limit on how much weight each axle can carry. Yet, once again, the pickup truck's GAWR would remain the same. If the same pickup truck was to once again be loaded with the four-100-pound boulders, the truck's GAW would be increased by the exact weight of the boulders - 400 pounds. If someone were to unload all of the boulders, the truck's GAW would be reduced by the weight of the boulders (400 pounds) however, the GAWR would remain the same. Four boulders weighing 100 pounds each, for a total of 400 pounds. It's imperative that you don't confuse these two terms - the GAW of a vehicle is constantly changing, but the GAWR will remain the same.Īs an example, let's think of a pickup truck that's carrying a cargo bed full of boulders. The actual amount of weight each axle is carrying is the gross axle weight, or GAW. It's important to understand that a vehicle's GAWR is not a measurement of how much weight each axle is actually carrying at any given time. Of course, all of this weight is distributed between two axles. According to the New Car Buying Guide, the GAWR includes the weight of the vehicle, passengers, cargo and even trailer tongue weight (if applicable). The gross axle weight rating definition doesn't really mention what the weight rating really takes into consideration. Towing at the Maximum Controllable Speed.A vehicle's axles should never be loaded beyond the manufacturer's listed GAWR. You can think of the GAWR as a weight limit for each of your vehicle's axles - a weight limit determined by the automaker. Front and rear axles have individual gross axle weight ratings. A vehicle's GAWR is the specific weight determined by the manufacturer to be the maximum allowable weight that can be placed on an individual axle. ![]() A good place to begin is learning the GAWR definition. No matter what type of vehicle you drive - whether it's a car, truck, SUV or even a recreational vehicle - you should be aware of your gross axle weight rating. One of these often-overlooked numbers is the vehicles gross axle weight rating, or GAWR. However, there are still a few numbers that don't get the attention that they deserve. What kind of mileage does this model get? How fast can it accelerate from zero to sixty? What's the cubic volume of the cargo space? How much horsepower and torque is the engine capable of producing? How much does it cost? These are all fairly common numbers to learn when you're searching for a new or used vehicle. Sometimes, buying a car or truck can feel like a numbers game. It doesn't matter what type of vehicle you drive - you should never exceed its gross axle weight rating.
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