GMC 2003 Sierra 1500 Pickup Owner's Manual page 343

Q:
What if I want to add heavier equipment to my
A:
You can add heavier equipment on the front of the
vehicle if you compensate for it by carrying fewer
passengers, less cargo, or by positioning cargo
towards the rear. This has the effect of reducing the
load on the front. However, the front GAWR, rear
GAWR and the GVWR must never be exceeded.
vehicle?
On some vehicles equipped with certain front
mounted equipment, such as a snow plow, it
may be possible to load the front axle to the
front GAWR but not have enough weight on
the rear axle to have proper braking
performance. If your brakes can't work
properly, you could have a crash. To help your
brakes work properly when a snow plow is
installed, always follow the snow plow
manufacturer or installer's recommendation for
rear ballast to ensure a proper front and rear
weight distribution ratio, even though theactual
front weight may be less than the frontGAWR,
and the total vehicle weight is less than the
GVWR. Maintaining a proper front and rear
weight distribution ratio is necessary to
provide proper braking performance.
4-62