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Thanks to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), when car shoppers look at horsepower and torque figures on vehicles, they know that all the automakers are calculating them the same way. However, that isn't the case when it comes to truck buyers and max towing capacity ratings because each company figures the value differently. That practice finally changes with the SAE's standardized J2807 system, though, and Ram Truck is the first one to apply the new test procedure to its entire light- and heavy-duty pickup range.

All models of the Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 use the new, standardized rating for the 2015 model year, but buyers might not notice too much difference. According to the company, in 99 percent of cases the max towing weights are unchanged or even improve slightly from last year. That's a strong result compared to the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra that are seeing few increases but mostly decreases under the new testing procedure.

"For too long, an uneven playing field existed and towing capacities went unchecked. We're happy to be the only pickup truck manufacturer to align with the SAE J2807 towing standard across our pickup truck lineup," said Mike Cairns, director of Ram Truck engineering, in the company's announcement of the new specs.

The new 2015 Ram SAE J2807 towing capacities are as follows:

• Ram 1500 with 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 - 7,600 pounds
• Ram 1500 with 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 - 9,200 pounds
• Ram 1500 with 5.7-liter Hemi V8- 10,650 pounds
• Ram 2500 with 6.4-liter Hemi V8 - 16,300 pounds
• Ram 2500 with 6.7-liter Cummins inline-six diesel - 17,970 pounds
• Ram 3500 with 6.4-liter Hemi V8 - 16,420 pounds
• Ram 3500 with 6.7-liter Cummins inline-six diesel - 30,000 pounds

Not only is J2807 meant to create a standard across all truck makers; its tests are supposed to simulate real-world towing for trucks. To achieve a given weight rating, the pickups have to perform certain tests. These include evaluations like a 0-60 miles per hour time allowance, the ability to climb a grade without dipping below a certain speed and some handling checks. Once all of the companies are using J2807, buyers should have a far more accurate idea of towing performance. Scroll down to watch a video of Ram touting its new numbers and read the company's official release.Continue reading Ram goes all-in on SAE J2807 tow ratings [w/video]

Ram goes all-in on SAE J2807 tow ratings [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Jul 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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