The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network







Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.

Go Back   The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network > 47 - Current classic GM Trucks > The 1973 - 1987 Chevrolet & GMC Squarebody Pickups Message Board

Web 67-72chevytrucks.com


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-13-2024, 02:04 AM   #1
79vette
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Sandy, UT
Posts: 195
Heaviest GVW on a square body?

I've seen square body trucks with rollback bodies on them, and would like to buy or build one someday. But I'm having a hard time imagining how anyone hauls anything with them?

The cab and chassis crane truck in my signature has the narrow C&C 14 bolt, which is the heaviest axle I've ever seen in a square. GVW per the door sticker is 10k lbs. I'd guess the truck and cab are at least 4500 lbs with a 350 and 2wd 4 speed, likely more if it was a big block and 4wd. An aluminum rollback bed is probably at least 2k. So at the absolute maximum, a wrecker body on my truck could carry up to 3500 lbs without being over GVW.

Once you figure the driver and passenger and under body toolboxes full of stuff, I could barely tow my Corvette without being overweight. Are there heavier GVW square bodies out there, or are people who build rollbacks on these just overloading their trucks and hoping the cops don't ask any questions?
__________________
1988 "Crane Truck" C30 - 350, SM465, with a 15' knuckle crane - thread
1986 M1009 - 6.2 Diesel, SM465, 2 speed aux trans, NP205 - thread
1979 Corvette - 350 T5
1977 Jimmy - 350, TH400, NP203
1982 Blazer - 350, 700R4, NP208 - Totalled, now a parts truck
Scratch built 16' flatbed trailer - thread
79vette is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-13-2024, 12:46 PM   #2
KQQL IT
At the body shop.
 
KQQL IT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Land of fruits and nuts.
Posts: 5,256
Re: Heaviest GVW on a square body?

Ours was terribly overloaded with about anything on the deck.
Much less with a 24' car trailer behind it, not to mention no trailer brakes.
As I recall it was 8500lbs empty
__________________
" That didnt make it any newer "
" Dont antique the equipment "
KQQL IT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-13-2024, 06:44 PM   #3
ElGracho
Gentleman Jim Driver
 
ElGracho's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Poulsbo, WA
Posts: 1,553
Re: Heaviest GVW on a square body?

The highest GVW I've seen is 10500 for 2WD, 11000 for 4WD. C30/R3500 or K30/V3500 with dual rear wheels and C7C (2WD) or C7E (4WD), heavy duty chassis option.

The payload capacities are very close because the 2WD truck itself it lighter with the 2WD front end vs front axle and no transfer case.

Also, the shorter wheelbase Cab and Chassis has the highest payload because the suspensions are the same between the 135.5" cab and chassis, 159.5" long cab and chassis, and the 164.5" crew cab frames but the short one (not short bed, shorter of the cab and chassis trucks) weighs the least.
__________________
Joe
'75 GMC Gentleman Jim
'84 Chev C10 Short Wide - Super duper plain (manual steering, manual brakes, no dome light, no cig lighter)
'85 Chev C10 Short Wide - Super plain Vortec 4.8 4L60E trans
also: '81 K30, '83 C30 Crew Dually, '84 M1028 CUCV, '85 M1009 CUCV, another '85 C10 SWB, '89 R3500 Flatbed
ElGracho is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-17-2024, 10:11 AM   #4
GM72K10
Next!
 
GM72K10's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Eastern Pa.
Posts: 2,483
Re: Heaviest GVW on a square body?

Yes, my 86 K30 C7E dump has an 11,000 GVW rating. Can haul about 3000 pounds legally. Compare that to my 2020 Silverado 3500HD Cab and Chassis which has a 14,000 GVW rating which can haul 2 tons legally because the Utility body on it with tools brings it up to 10,000 lbs. empty.
__________________
86 K30 CUCV M1028A1
86 K30 CUCV M1028a2 dually
86 K30 C&C 6.2 4:56s, 4M, 11,000 gvw, ex fire truck, now lowboy dump
More square bodies and CUCVs than I care to admit to
2020 Silverado K3500HD Work truck
GM72K10 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-19-2024, 08:07 PM   #5
kennyw
N9PHW
 
kennyw's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: PNW USA
Posts: 136
Re: Heaviest GVW on a square body?

I have an RV conversion Cab/Chassis with 10K GVW but they added 15K rear springs.
Attached Images
  
__________________
"I got it one piece at a time and it didn't cost me a dime..."
kennyw is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-03-2024, 11:09 PM   #6
bigdaddy4x4
Registered User
 
bigdaddy4x4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: concord ga
Posts: 188
Re: Heaviest GVW on a square body?

i had a 86 c30 454 4 speed roll back with a 17 ft chevron steel bed with stinger i was hauling for sadisco now called copart when i first started in 1987-95 it was rough to haul to 2 at the same time the truck would pull anything but alot of the cars trucks would be very hard on the rear stinger to pickup high enough to tow i went to a spring shop and had new heaver springs added to the rear and after adding the springs it would pickup any thing you could put behind it i am talking like 2 77 cadillac sedan devilles one loaded to the rear and picking up the other from the front i was hauling 8 to 10 cars trucks a day and never had to go thru the scales of course that was years ago but i wouldnt be afraid to build a c30 today if you aint gona be useing it everyday
bigdaddy4x4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:58 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright 1997-2022 67-72chevytrucks.com