How To Make a 1500 Tow Like a 2500: Increase Towing Capacity
Not enough towing capacity can happen when you select a trailer that is too heavy for your current vehicle. Or you upgrade to one that is too heavy for your truck's tow rating. In these situations, there are modifications you can do to handle the problem.
One of the best ways to increase your 1500’s towing capacity is to make sure it has the towing package installed. This is just one option to increase the amount your vehicle can tow. However, it is not the only step you need to take.
To learn more about this objective, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can upgrade your 1500 and have it tow like a 2500 truck. Just be prepared for the additional expense.
Can I Increase The Towing Capacity Of My Truck?
Some people think that you cannot increase your truck’s towing capacity. That opinion usually is based on the total GVWR your vehicle is rated for. If you try to increase the total towing weight limit, you should not go beyond this rating.
But that may be when the truck is stock and has not been enhanced by the upcoming improvements that are said to increase your 1500’s towing capacity (or any truck’s towing limit).
The issue of towing capacity is questioned as some people are inclined to disagree with the validity of the towing ratings. They claim that the towing rating is nothing but a numbers game and is rarely based in reality.
You can take that point of view if you want and run the risk of towing heavier than the stated capacity. But no one will guarantee good results all the time. The reason they won’t make the guarantee is that on single-axle trucks, you are also limited by the GVWR for the rear axle.
There are a lot of factors involved that make towing heavier loads possible or impossible to do. This is not a situation where you can add a tow package and tow what you want.
How Can I Make My 1500 Tow More?
Given what has already been said, there are options that will help your 1500 tow heavier loads. The drawback to this upgrade is that it is going to be expensive and it is not limited to just changing one part.
Here are the suggestions so you can mull this over and consider your next move:
1. Increase the size of your radiator- you will need to have extra coolant inside your engine to handle the heat that will be generated by the heavier load
2. Upgrade your axles- stock axles probably won’t handle the heavier load. You will need to change them out for heavier-rated models that can
3. Boost your suspension- stock suspension systems may not be up to the task. You need to move to a heavy-duty suspension system to achieve your objective.
4. Add a brake controller- you need one to help you slow down and stop that heavier load.
5. Bigger tires- your current ties may not have the load rating to handle the heavier tongue weight. You will have to find tires that are load-rated high enough to have smooth driving and no blow outs
6. Buy a weight distribution hitch- this will balance the weight over both the front and rear axles. This is essential for better towing and stability.
7. Replace stock shocks- you should go to a better grade of air shocks. This will help improve your handling
8. Add extra leaves to the springs- leaf springs can only handle so much weight before they start to fail. Adding a new leaf or two increases the amount of weight this part of the suspension system can handle.
9. Use helper springs- these items will prevent the truck from bottoming out when towing heavier loads.
Even with all of these upgrades, the warnings about towing are heavier than the manufacturer’s towing recommendation. You make these upgrades at your own risk.
How To Make a 1500 Tow Like a 2500
We cannot guarantee that the following suggestions will achieve this objective. The best that can be said is that a culmination of these suggestions possibly can turn your 1500 truck into a 2500 towing machine.
1. Improving the exhaust system- by adding new filters and going to a dual exhaust system, your engine can breathe better. This situation also enhances your towing power as well as your engine’s overall performance.
2. Enhance or reprogram your ECU- the engine control unit monitors HP, torque, air intake, and more. However, those computer chips inside the ECU can be reprogrammed to get more HP and torque out of your engine.
This step should help increase your towing capacity a little bit. The reprogramming should also upgrade the chips governing fuel efficiency, air intake, and shifting gears which will contribute somewhat to increasing your towing capacity.
3. Upgrade your braking system- it takes a lot to stop a heavier trailer and your stock brakes, even with a brake controller, may not be heavy-duty enough to do the job. Go larger in this case to make sure you have the braking power to tow those heavier loads.
4. Upgrade the intake and exhaust systems- this can help boost the power of your engine and allow you to attach that heavier trailer you want to tow. Boosting engine performance is one of the better steps to take to tow like a 2500 truck.
The thing to remember when making these upgrades. They are not always going to boost your towing capacity in large amounts. At best you may get a boost in little increments for each option. The total amount may get you where you want to be.
Then you have to look at the cost for both sets of upgrades (the previous section and this one). Most of these alterations will not be cheap. You have to weigh these costs and add in trade-in value against the cost of buying a good 2500 truck.
It may be cheaper in terms of money and time to forget upgrading your 1500 and simply buying a 2500 with the towing capacity you are seeking. It certainly will be easier to do.
Increase The Towing Capacity Of a Silverado 1500
While the above improvements can be done to your 1500 Chevy Silverado, there is an important step you need to take first, before adding those features. This step has you finding out your current towing capacity and subtracting it from the amount of weight you want to tow.
If the amount left over is twice the amount of your current towing capacity, then trade in your Silverado and buy a bigger truck. One reason this is said is because the cylinder head can crack at any time when you are over the recommended towing limit. Especially if you travel rough roads.
If it is not twice the current limit, then go ahead and do the modifications already mentioned. But the warning is still going to be there. Anytime you increase the towing capacity, you run the risk of having something go wrong.
When it goes wrong, you have wasted all that money. It is something to think about as you contemplate this move. Just because you upgrade does not mean the risks disappear completely.
One Part Not Mentioned- The Transmission
When it comes to towing, there is an important part that is essential to upgrading your towing capacity. That part is your transmission. You will need a model that can handle the extra weight being towed.
We are talking about having gears low enough to get the load started as well as gears high enough to maximize fuel economy when on the highway. You may have to change the transmission from a 4-speed to a 6-speed to ensure you can tow that heavier load without the engine complaining.
With this change, you also need to install a transmission cooler large enough to prevent overheating. You want to avoid overheating in both the engine and the transmission.
If you don’t, it is possible to do irreparable damage (worst-case scenario), to both vital truck components. Don’t forget to watch those tires. Even though you may have upgraded their load rating does not mean you avoided getting a bad tire or two.
Heavier loads can mean more wear and tear and unbalanced loads can lead to tire damage at the wrong time.
Some Additional Words
While it may not be possible to buy a bigger truck, you can try to see if the above options will work for your 1500. There is no guarantee that these modifications will have your 1500 truck tow like a 2500. It is just not built for that heavier weight.
When you make all these modifications, it may have been simpler and easier to just trade your 1500 in and buy a 2500. This avoids time delays, bad workmanship from the mechanic, and other unforeseen problems. Not everyone can install those modifications correctly.
