Detroit 3 Trucks to Use J2807 Towing Standard for 2015
News of Ford and Chevy adopting the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J2807 common tow-rating standards has already been reported here on AutoGuide, but now Chrysler has confirmed that the Ram truck brand will also adopt the standard.
The use of J2807 will allow customers to compare tow ratings directly, as each manufacturer will test and rate their trucks using the exact same set of guidelines. Each manufacturer currently conducts its own tests, meaning that the tow ratings provided do not come from the same set of tests.
SEE ALSO: GM Trucks to adopt J2807 Tow Rating Standards
Toyota has used the standard since 2011 and adopting it caused the Tundra to lose 400 pounds from its maximum tow rating. Back in 2013, Ford said it would adopt the standards as well, but pulled out at the last minute, saying that it would wait until the 2015 redesigned trucks were available.
That decision caused both GM and Ram to wait, as no one company (beside Toyota) wanted to lose anything from its maximum tow ratings while its competitors stayed stagnant. Now, with the 2015 Ford F-150 on its way, all three of the big Detroit automakers have said that they will use J2807, and finally customers will have a level playing field to look at when it comes half-ton tow ratings.
There is one small caveat however. GM will not go to J2807 if Ford does not, so once again the onus is on Ford to make the next move before the others follow.
[Source: Automotive News]
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Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>
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