How to Upgrade Your RAM 2500 or Silverado 2500 from NB1 to NB2 in Australia

If you own a RAM 2500 or Silverado 2500 registered in Australia, there's a good chance you've hit a wall with payload. An NB1 to NB2 upgrade is the path most owners end up needing, and there are two ways to get there. One involves an engineer and some paperwork. The other involves new suspension and a much higher GVM. For most people, one of these is a far better outcome than the other.

Stock from the factory, the Silverado 2500HD comes in both the NB1 and NB2 category

2 Ways to Move Your RAM 2500 or Silverado 2500 from NB1 to NB2

First, a quick definition. NB1 and NB2 are Australian Design Rule categories for light goods vehicles. NB1 covers vehicles up to 4,500kg Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM). NB2 covers vehicles over 4,500kg. Moving from NB1 to NB2 means your truck is legally rated to carry more — which matters the moment you start loading a touring setup or towing a heavy caravan.

There are two pathways to complete an NB1 to NB2 upgrade.

The first is engineer re-certification. If you already own a registered NB1 RAM 2500 or Silverado 2500, an accredited engineer can assess the vehicle and re-certify it into the NB2 category. This doesn't necessarily require new suspension or major components. Most engineers will want to see some form of component change as part of the process. The outcome is a re-rated GVM, not a genuinely upgraded one.

The second pathway is a GVM upgrade. This is the one worth reading about.

New to these categories? Read more about what NB2 actually means for your truck.

This RAM 2500 is NB2 certified at 5300kg — bull bar, tray canopy, and a full lighting setup built on a platform that's been through the compliance process properly.

Why an NB1 to NB2 Upgrade Beats Re-Certification

Here's what most people don't realise: a GVM upgrade doesn't just push your truck over the 4,500kg NB2 threshold. It takes the GVM well above what a factory NB2 delivers in the first place.

Take the Chevy Silverado 2500 as an example. The factory NB2 variant sits at 5,148kg GVM. An Offroad Industries GVM upgrade on the same truck can take that figure up to 6,000kg, depending on the stage and variant. That's not a nudge — that's a different truck.

Depending on the stage of kit, you're looking at new heavy-duty coil springs front and rear, remote-reservoir shocks, and — on some builds — upgraded radius arms or upper control arms. The suspension geometry is set up for the new GVM rating and the increased ride height that comes with it. The truck doesn't just get a new number on the compliance plate. It gets the hardware to back it up.

The FOX Performance Elite shocks in the Silverado 2500HD aren't just a lift kit — they're part of a certified NB2 GVM package engineered to handle the weight the category allows.

The practical result is a truck that handles load and tow the way it should at that weight class. For most owners, an NB1 to NB2 upgrade solves two problems at once — you get the legal payload you need, and you get the suspension to match.

Wondering what changes once the upgrade is done? Read about what life looks like post-upgrade.

Offroad Industries and Vehicle Type Approval

Not all GVM upgrades carry the same legal weight, and that matters.

Offroad Industries (ORI) is one of Australia's most established suppliers of GVM upgrade packages for American trucks. The reason their kits carry real standing is Vehicle Type Approval (VTA) — a federal certification that means the kit has been independently tested and approved to the Australian Design Rules. In the 4WD industry, this is commonly referred to as federal approval.

Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD post NB2 upgrade — 6000kg GVM, BDS coilover conversion, and 35-inch tyres

What that means practically is that ORI GVM upgrades can be done pre-registration and are recognised by the federal government. ORI holds VTAs across their range for the RAM 2500 and Chevy Silverado 2500, as well as the Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra, and Chevy Silverado 1500.

BAW Automotive is an authorised ORI dealer and one of only two workshops in Brisbane certified to install Offroad Industries GVM upgrades. If you're in South East Queensland and you're planning an NB1 to NB2 upgrade, that matters.

What a RAM 2500 or Silverado 2500 NB2 Upgrade Costs

ORI GVM upgrade packages are available in multiple stages depending on the level of componentry and the GVM figure achieved. Prices and GVM outcomes vary by variant, so the stage that suits a RAM 2500 will differ from what suits a Silverado 2500.

Entry-level packages focus on the core suspension components needed to hit the new GVM rating. Higher stages add more capability — upgraded radius arms, higher-spec shocks, greater ride height, and more tyre clearance.

Inside the RAM 2500 wheel arch after an NB2 GVM upgrade — FOX remote reservoir, and BDS radius arms.

For the full breakdown of what each stage includes and the GVM figures achieved, the complete kit listings are on the BAW website. Check out the GVM upgrades for American trucks — every stage is listed with full component details so you know what you're getting before you call.

What to Do Next

If you're in Brisbane or South East Queensland and you're ready to get your NB1 to NB2 upgrade sorted, book a free quote with the BAW team. Tell us what you're running, what you're planning to carry or tow, and we'll give you a straight answer on which stage makes the most sense for your setup.

Book a free quote →