2500HD Rear Axle?

Does the 2500HD really have a different Rear Axle than the 3500 these days? When I bought my 3500 back in 2001 the dealer and I investigated and found that both trucks used the same axle and it was really the springs/wheels/tires that lowered the GVWR of the 2500HD. According to the current GMC site the 3500 now has a 9200 Rear Axle capacity and the 2500 HD has a 6900 Rear Axle capacity.

Again, back in 2001 they were the identical axle?

Springs/Wheels and Tires are easy to change for a higher capacity 2500HD, Axle is not. 3500 is not an option for me since GM doesn't make a 3500 Short Bed.

The axles are still the same. AAM (the axle mfg) rates the axle at 10,400#. It is GM's hardware and tire selection that reduces the capacity. I don't know where they are getting a rating of 6900#. That would require tires with a rating of 3,450 each. 265/75/16E tires are rated at 3,415#, and is what comes on the 3500 SRW (not short bed). It has to be a typo. OEM tires on the 2500HD are 245/75/16E, which are rated at 3,042#.

05 3500 SRW rear tires max load 3415 each as noted above

Rear GAWR is 6500 total - so 3250 per tire, which is likely the limiting factor.

On the other hand, I would have to load quite a lot on the hitch and back of the box to ever achieve close to that and stay within the 9900 total.

I think the total max on a 2500HD is 8600, is it not???

I wonder if the 5 looked like a 9 without a magnifying glass???

GVWR for the 2500HD is 9200#. Still the same axle. Tires and GM hardware make the rating differences.