reason for low weight capacity?

[Guest brianwi11iams]

I was just curious if anyone knew the reasons for the super low weight capacity of Pathfiinders/QX4s? Is it a safety thing because of handling/tipping, or an actual mechanicial limit of something?

 

Thanks.

[nick1716]

maybe the unibodys cant handle as much as the body on frame??? i dunno either

[RowOSU]

ultra low as compared to? and what weight are you talking about trailering or just hauling in general? I know I bring a metric crapload of stuff to school each year..

[vengeful]

And how much is a "metric crapload" in English units?

[RowOSU]

haha that in english terms would be a motherload. I pack like a woman.

[Pezzy]

I pack like a woman.

That's funny... I don't pack like that.

[herm]

A vehicles weight capacity is based on a combination of things - such as coil springs and suspension parts, right thru to brake strength, wheel bearing and axle diameters. They determine the ratio of strongest to weakest parts, and formulate a number from that. Compare to a F150, F250 and F350 - the whole truck gets progressively beefier as the rating increases.

 

It has less to do with a unibody vs frame construction.

 

by replacing the stock suspension with an aftermarket (stiffer) suspension you don't technically (legally) increase the vehicles weight capacity. However, in my experience, that approach does allow carrying a very full load without compromising the suspension. meaning - with the stock suspension I was consistently bottoming out the rear coils, and the pathy was a handful to drive. With an Old Man Emu suspension, the same heavy load does not compress the coils to the axles, and the vehicle is much easier to drive.

 

You have to be very aware of the increased load, just like trailering a heavy load, or driving an F250 with a full load of wood. You need to go slower, recognize increased braking distances and an increased chance of roll over in a high speed evasive move.

 

On Pathys, the drivetrain is pretty beefy, the brakes are adequate (rear discs would be nice) and unless you're carrying steel plate the relatively small cargo size is self-limiting concerning just how much weight you can physically fit in it. A crapload of camping gear can certainly add up, but even a few 100 quart coolers packed with ice and...let's say 'energy drinks', shouldn't become a dangerously heavy load.

 

In theory, you should be able stuff 5 250 pound adults and 2 100+ pound dogs in it. That would be 1450 pounds, which is a lot of camping gear. It also exceeds the vehicles weight limit, and on a stock suspension you would have a lowrider pathy. You would be at risk for increased chance of tire failure, suspension failuure, or any number of other problems. That would also be dependent, in part, to road conditions and driving styles.

 

every holiday season we all see a few family trucksters squatted right down on the rear end because they are seriously overloaded, but most seem to survive.

 

here's a link:

 

www.edmunds.com/ownership/driving/articles/46586/article.html

[big_johnson]

A vehicles weight capacity is based on a combination of things - such as coil springs and suspension parts, right thru to brake strength, wheel bearing and axle diameters. They determine the ratio of strongest to weakest parts, and formulate a number from that. Compare to a F150, F250 and F350 - the whole truck gets progressively beefier as the rating increases.

 

It has less to do with a unibody vs frame construction.

 

by replacing the stock suspension with an aftermarket (stiffer) suspension you don't technically (legally) increase the vehicles weight capacity. However, in my experience, that approach does allow carrying a very full load without compromising the suspension. meaning - with the stock suspension I was consistently bottoming out the rear coils, and the pathy was a handful to drive. With an Old Man Emu suspension, the same heavy load does not compress the coils to the axles, and the vehicle is much easier to drive.

 

You have to be very aware of the increased load, just like trailering a heavy load, or driving an F250 with a full load of wood. You need to go slower, recognize increased braking distances and an increased chance of roll over in a high speed evasive move.

 

On Pathys, the drivetrain is pretty beefy, the brakes are adequate (rear discs would be nice) and unless you're carrying steel plate the relatively small cargo size is self-limiting concerning just how much weight you can physically fit in it. A crapload of camping gear can certainly add up, but even a few 100 quart coolers packed with ice and...let's say 'energy drinks', shouldn't become a dangerously heavy load.

 

In theory, you should be able stuff 5 250 pound adults and 2 100+ pound dogs in it. That would be 1450 pounds, which is a lot of camping gear. It also exceeds the vehicles weight limit, and on a stock suspension you would have a lowrider pathy. You would be at risk for increased chance of tire failure, suspension failuure, or any number of other problems. That would also be dependent, in part, to road conditions and driving styles.

 

every holiday season we all see a few family trucksters squatted right down on the rear end because they are seriously overloaded, but most seem to survive.

 

here's a link:

 

www.edmunds.com/ownership/driving/articles/46586/article.html

and there you have it folks

[RowOSU]

That would explain why my bumpstops are just chillin inside the spring now... I want to put the OME suspension on this spring before i head back home for the summer (the drive to school this year with my MTB, Kayak and all my clothes, etc) was a little sketch.. I know my rear end is fatigued as it is and then overloading like that wasnt too smart.. So I hope to stiffen her up this spring.

 

That's funny... I don't pack like that.

 

-I've noticed that more and more, maybe i don't pack like a woman so much as a 15 year old girl going to NSync camp

[96pfinderSE]

I've noticed that more and more, maybe i don't pack like a woman so much as a 15 year old girl going to NSync camp

HAHA -alcohol-