Ram 1500 GVM upgrade kits released by Tough Dog

Australian aftermarket suspension company Tough Dog has released its Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) upgrade for the Ram 1500 DS, made from December 2017 onwards.

By replacing suspension components and going through a Second Stage Manufacturer process, Tough Dog is able to increase the GVM of the Ram 1500 by 349kg to 3889kg.

This can be done either before or after registration, although the prior works out to be more cost effective as it doesn’t require additional engineering for approval.

With a standard GVM of 3450kg, the DS-series Ram 1500 offers a payload that ranges from 820 to 845 kilograms.

Once the GVM upgrade is applied however, that payload effectively grows to 1169kg – 1194kg.

Replacing suspension components, the GVM upgrade comes from increasing the front and rear axle load limits, and testing the upgrades through Finite Element Analysis, brake testing and stability control calibration testing. 

The towing capacity of 3500kg or 4500kg, and the Gross Combination Mass of 7237kg remain unchanged.

The Tough Dog GVM upgrade for the Ram 1500 costs $3185 pre-registration (Federal Approval) or $3094 post-registration (State Approval). Both prices exclude the cost of fitment, and the latter will also require the cost of engineering approval.

The upgrade comes with an unlimited-kilometre warranty, capped at four years for recreational users and three years for commercial users.