Chevrolet SUBURBAN - 2011 Owner's Manual page 386

9-98 Driving and Operating
the weights on the vehicle's axles
and the Gross Vehicle Weight
(GVW), are not exceeded.
The plow your vehicle can carry
depends on many things, such as:
The options your vehicle came
with, and the weight of those
options.
The weight and number of
passengers you intend to carry.
The weight of items you have
added to your vehicle.
The total weight of any
additional cargo you intend to
carry.
Say, for example, you have a 700 lb
(318 kg) snow plow. The total weight
of all occupants and cargo inside
the cab should not exceed 300 lb
(135 kg). This means that you may
only be able to carry one passenger.
But, even this may be too much if
you have got other equipment
already adding to the weight of your
vehicle.
Here are some guidelines for safely
carrying a snow plow on your
vehicle:
Make sure the weight on the
front and rear axles does not
exceed the axle rating for each.
For the front axle, if more cargo
or passengers must be carried,
appropriate counter ballast must
be installed rear of the rear axle.
Counter ballast must be properly
secured so it will not move
during driving.
Follow the snow plow
manufacturer's
recommendations regarding rear
ballast. Rear ballast may be
required to ensure a proper front
and rear weight distribution ratio,
even though the actual weight at
the front axle may be less than
the front axle rating.
The snow plow manufacturer or
installer can assist you in
determining the amount of rear
ballast required, to help make
sure your snowplow/vehicle
combination does not exceed
the GVW rating, the front and
rear axle ratings, and the front
and rear weight distribution ratio.
The total vehicle must not
exceed the GVW rating.
Front axle reserve capacity is the
difference between your front Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) and the
front axle weight of your vehicle with
full fuel and passengers. Basically, it
is the amount of weight you can add
to your front axle before reaching
your front GAWR.