On Thursday, January 30, 2014 8:28:58 PM UTC-5, Mr. Luddite wrote:

We often saw Dodge, Ford and Chevy/GM pickups. If you looked at the
undercarriage the components ... meaning wheel drums, rear end,
suspension, etc., were huge on the Dodges compared to the Fords and GM
products ... comparing the same series .... 150, 1500, 250, 2500, etc.
That's what convinced me to buy that hard riding Ram 2500 HD. It rode
hard but was a strong truck. Weakness was their transmissions.

Bigger size doesn't always mean better strength. It can just mean more weight... especially bad if the smaller, lighter components are strong enough for the job. Then you're just lugging around more weight along with that stiffer suspension to carry it.

Seems like Dodge has, for years, been the stiffest, most truck-like. Chevy was the softest, and Ford found the right combo in-between the two.