2005 FORD SUPER DUTY wheel

•Rear Wheel Drive (RWD)
vehicles/Four Wheel Drive
(4WD)/All—Wheel Drive (AWD)
vehicles (front tires at top of
diagram)
REVIEW COPY
2005 F250/350/450/550(f23), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
158

•DRW – Six tire rotation
If your vehicle is equipped with dual
rear wheels it is recommended that
front and rear tires (in pairs) be
rotated only side to side, with the
rear tires maintaining original
vehicle position. After tire rotation,
inflation pressures must be adjusted
for the tires new positions in
accordance with vehicle
requirements.
Sometimes irregular tire wear can be corrected by rotating the tires.
Note:If your tires show uneven wear ask a qualified technician at a
reputable repair facility to check for and correct any wheel misalignment,
tire imbalance or mechanical problem involved before tire rotation.
Note:Your vehicle may be equipped with a dissimilar spare tire/wheel. A
dissimilar spare tire/wheel is defined as a spare tire and/or wheel that is
different in brand, size or appearance from the road tires and wheels. If
you have a dissimilar spare tire/wheel it is intended for temporary use
only and should not be used in a tire rotation.
Note:After having your tires rotated, inflation pressure must be checked
and adjusted to the vehicle requirements.
REVIEW COPY
2005 F250/350/450/550(f23), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
159

SNOW TIRES AND CHAINS
Snow tires must be the same size and grade as the tires you
currently have on your vehicle.
Note:Do not use snow chains on front tires of Harley-Davidson vehicles.
The tires on your vehicle have all weather treads to provide traction in
rain and snow. However, in some climates, you may need to use snow
tires and chains. If you need to use chains, it is recommended that steel
wheels (of the same size and specifications) be used, as chains may chip
aluminum wheels.
Follow these guidelines when using snow tires and chains:
•Use only SAE Class S chains.
•Install chains securely, verifying that the chains do not touch any
wiring, brake lines or fuel lines.
•Drive cautiously. If you hear the chains rub or bang against your
vehicle, stop and re-tighten the chains. If this does not work, remove
the chains to prevent damage to your vehicle.
•If possible, avoid fully loading your vehicle.
•Remove the tire chains when they are no longer needed. Do not use
tire chains on dry roads.
•The suspension insulation and bumpers will help prevent vehicle
damage. Do not remove these components from your vehicle when
using snow tires and chains.
VEHICLE LOADING – WITH AND WITHOUT A TRAILER
This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or
trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating
capability, with or without a trailer. Properly loading your vehicle will
provide maximum return of vehicle design performance. Before loading
your vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms for determining
your vehicle’s weight ratings, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle’s
Safety Certification Label and Tire Label:
Base Curb Weight– is the weight of the vehicle including a full tank of
fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo, or
optional equipment.
Vehicle Curb Weight– is the weight of your new vehicle when you
picked it up from your dealer plus any aftermarket equipment.
REVIEW COPY
2005 F250/350/450/550(f23), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
160

Cargo Weight– includes all weight added to the Base Curb Weight,
including cargo and optional equipment. When towing, trailer tongue load
or king pin weight is also part of cargo weight.
GAW (Gross Axle Weight)– is the total weight placed on each axle
(front and rear) – including vehicle curb weight and all payload.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)– is the maximum allowable
weight that can be carried by a single axle (front or rear).These
numbers are shown on the Safety Compliance Certification Label
located on the driver’s door or B-Pillar. The total load on each
axle must never exceed its GAWR.
Exceeding the Safety Certification Label axle weight rating limits
could result in substandard vehicle handling or performance,
engine, transmission and/or structural damage, serious damage to the
vehicle, loss of control and personal injury.
Note:For trailer towing information refer toTrailer towingfound in
this chapter or theRV and Trailer Towing Guideprovided by your
dealership.
REVIEW COPY
2005 F250/350/450/550(f23), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
161

GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)– is the Vehicle Curb Weight + cargo +
passengers.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating)– is the maximum
allowable weight of the fully loaded
vehicle (including all options,
equipment, passengers and cargo).
The GVWR is shown on the
Safety Compliance Certification
Label located on the driver’s
door or B-Pillar. The GVW must
never exceed the GVWR.
Exceeding the Safety Certification Label vehicle weight rating
limits could result in substandard vehicle handling or
performance, engine, transmission and/or structural damage, serious
damage to the vehicle, loss of control and personal injury.
REVIEW COPY
2005 F250/350/450/550(f23), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
162

GCW (Gross Combined Weight)– is the weight of the loaded vehicle
(GVW) plus the weight of the fully loaded trailer.
GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating)– is the maximum allowable
weight of the vehicle and the loaded trailer – including all cargo and
passengers – that the vehicle can handle without risking damage.
(Important: The towing vehicle’s braking system is rated for operation at
GVWR, not at GCWR. Separate functional brakes should be used for safe
control of towed vehicles and for trailers where the GCW of the towing
vehicle plus the trailer exceed the GVWR of the towing vehicle.The
GCW must never exceed the GCWR.
Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight– is the highest possible weight of a
fully loaded trailer the vehicle can tow. It assumes a vehicle with only
mandatory options, no cargo (internal or external), a tongue load of
10–15% (conventional trailer) or king pin weight of 15–25% (fifth wheel
trailer), and driver only (150 lb. [68 kg]).Consult your dealership (or
theRV and Trailer Towing Guideprovided by your dealership) for
more detailed information.
Tongue Load or Fifth Wheel King Pin Weight– refers to the amount
of the weight that a trailer pushes down on a trailer hitch.
Examples:For a 5,000 lb. (2,268 kg) conventional trailer, multiply 5,000
by 0.10 and 0.15 to obtain a proper tongue load range of 500 to 750 lb.
(227 to 340 kg). For an 11,500 lb. (5,216 kg) fifth wheel trailer, multiply
by 0.15 and 0.25 to obtain a proper king pin load range of 1,725 to 2,875
lb. (782 to 1,304 kg)
Do not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR specified on the
certification label.
Do not use replacement tires with lower load carrying capacities
than the originals because they may lower the vehicle’s GVWR
and GAWR limitations. Replacement tires with a higher limit than the
originals do not increase the GVWR and GAWR limitations.
REVIEW COPY
2005 F250/350/450/550(f23), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
163

Exceeding any vehicle weight rating limitation could result in
serious damage to the vehicle and/or personal injury.
Steps for determining the correct load limit:
1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX pounds” on your vehicle’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX
kilograms or XXX pounds.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage
load capacity. For example, if the “XXX” amount equals 1,400 lb. and
there will be five 150 lb. passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lb. (1400 – 750 (5 x
150) = 650 lb.).
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on
the vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
The following gives you a few more examples on how to calculate the
available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity:
•Another example for your vehicle with 1400 pounds of cargo and
luggage capacity. You decide to go golfing. You and your friends
average 220 pounds each and the golf bags weigh approximately 30
pounds each. Is there enough load capacity to carry you, 4 of your
friends and all the golf bags? The calculation would be: 1400 – (5 x
220) – (5 x 30) = 1400 – 1100 – 150 = 150 pounds; yes, you have
enough load capacity in your vehicle to transport 4 of your friends and
golf bags.
•A final example for your vehicle with 1400 pounds of cargo and
luggage capacity. You and one of your friends decide to pick up
cement from the local home improvement store to finish that patio
you have been planning for the past 2 years. Measuring the inside of
the vehicle with the rear seat folded down, you have room for 12-100
pound bags of cement. Do you have enough load capacity to transport
the cement to your home? If you and your friend each weighed 220
REVIEW COPY
2005 F250/350/450/550(f23), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
164

pounds, the calculation would be: 1400 – (2 x 220) – (12 x 100) =
1400–440–1200=–40pounds; no, you do not have enough cargo
capacity to carry that much weight. You will need to reduce the load
weight by at least 240 pounds. If you remove 3-100 pound cement
bags, then the load calculation would be:
1400 – (2 x 220) – (9 x 100) = 1400 – 440 – 900 = 60 pounds; now you
have the load capacity to transport the cement and your friend home.
The above calculations also assume that the loads are positioned in your
vehicle in a manner that does not overload the Front or the Rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating specified for your vehicle on the Certification label
found on the driver’s door.
Special loading instructions for owners of pickup trucks and
utility-type vehicles
For important information regarding safe operation of this type
of vehicle, see thePreparing to drive your vehiclesection in
this chapter.
Loaded vehicles may handle differently than unloaded vehicles.
Extra precautions, such as slower speeds and increased stopping
distance, should be taken when driving a heavily loaded vehicle.
Your vehicle can haul more cargo and people than most passenger cars.
Depending upon the type and placement of the load, hauling cargo and
people may raise the center of gravity of the vehicle.
TRAILER TOWING
Your vehicle may tow a Conventional/Class IV trailer or fifth wheel trailer
provided the maximum trailer weight is less than or equal to the
maximum trailer weight listed for your engine and rear axle ratio on the
following charts.
To calculate your maximum trailer weight:
for pickup truckstake the GVWR and subtract the payload, take
estimated curb weight adn the driver’s weight, and substract them from
the GCWR listed for your vehice in the following chart/table given its
series, engine, transmission and drive axle ration. This calculation will
give you the maximum trailer weight possible for your vehicle.
for chassis cabs and pickup trucks with aftermarket equipment:
weigh your vehicle at a certified scale and subtract this actual curb
REVIEW COPY
2005 F250/350/450/550(f23), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
165