Reference · Power
Axle ratio, lockers, and drive type
The numerically higher axle is often the one in the max-tow cell. Four-wheel drive usually costs payload and can cost trailer rating.
Axle ratio is how many times the driveshaft turns for each turn of the wheels. A 3.73 or 4.10 multiplies torque and is a common requirement in a max-tow row. It is not universally higher: the 2026 F-250’s 22,000-pound conventional cell is a 3.31 axle with the high-capacity package.
Two-wheel drive is often the chart’s highest conventional number because it weighs less. Four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive are separate rows. A locker or an off-road tire can move you into a lower cell, as with the Raptor and the Colorado ZR2.
Limited-slip, electronic locking, and full-floating rear axles matter for traction and for how the truck is rated. They are recorded when the chart names them, not inferred from the trim.