Ford Gets Real About Truck Payload Ratings

Ford Motor Co. says it will stop temporarily lightening its pickup trucks to boost their payload ratings.

Ford introduced the practice, which was later adopted by General Motors Co., three years ago. Earlier this summer GM dropped the subterfuge, which involves removing the test truck's bumpers, mounting lighter wheels and stripping off other removable components to hike the vehicle's theoretical maximum payload rating.

Like GM, Ford will now calculate its capacity figures using base curb weight vehicles. The switch in procedure lowers the truck's maximum payload by 150 lbs.

Ford also will adopt the industry's SAE J2807 towing standard, beginning with its 2015 F-450 heavy-duty pickup. It says that model's towing capacity will be unchanged at 32,500 lbs.