2017 Ford Super-Duty News

[kscarbel2]

Ford showcases ‘toughest, smartest, most capable’ Super-Duty ever

Fleet Owner  /  March 2, 2016

There was no mistaking the message: the all-new Ford Super-Duty is the "toughest, smartest and most capable" ever built, and the automaker showed off the pickup line as well as the new Transit van series Tuesday evening, March 1.

It was at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis. Ford gathered reporters for a press event showcasing the Super-Duty's new features and the engineering and testing that went into them. The company says the all-new F-350, F-450 and F-550 chassis cab lineup is optimized to help commercial customers be more productive on the job — "from clearing snow-filled streets to rescuing stranded motorists to restoring power in a storm."

"We're the only OEM in the North American market that has a product in every class: 1-7," said John Ruppert, general manager of commercial vehicle sales and marketing at Ford.

"Commercial truck customers need tough, capable trucks that can haul heavy equipment to crush challenging jobs," said Craig Schmatz, chief engineer for Ford Super-Duty. "The innovations our team has put into the next-generation Super-Duty chassis cab are paying off by delivering capability that surpasses the competition."

The next-generation F-350, F-450 and F-550 Super-Duty chassis cab lineup features:

- Best-in-class front gross axle weight rating of up to 7,500 lbs. — 250 lbs. more than the closest competitor — that supports carrying larger equipment like snowplows, taller utility buckets and cranes, larger ambulance bodies or other specialized vocational body upfits.

- Best-in-class gross combined vehicle weight rating of up to 40,000 lbs., including the truck and everything it can haul and tow. Ford reps pointed out that that is half the maximum gross combined weight rating of an 18-wheeler semi on most U.S. federal highways.
 

- 330 hp and 750 lbs.-ft. of torque from a second-generation Ford-designed (actually AVL-designed), Ford-built 6.7L Power Stroke V-8 diesel, which the company notes are the best-ever ratings for Class 4 and Class 5 Super-Duty chassis cab

All-new frame

Thanks to an all-new frame, the F-350, F-450 and F-550 F-Series chassis cab delivers more work capability.

The frame is the most rigid ever used in a Super Duty chassis cab. It features 95% high-strength steel with eight times more torsional rigidity than the previous frame, Ford says, thanks to welded crossmembers and fully boxed rails under the cab and forward. Open C-channel frame rails behind the cab are designed to enable easier body and vocational equipment upfits. All this helps deliver the 40,000-lb. max gross combined weight rating and 500-lb. increase in front gross axle weight rating, along with increased towing capacity over the previous Super Duty chassis cab.

Weight savings

Using advanced materials, Ford says it saved up to 350 lbs. in the all-new F-Series Super Duty and reinvested the savings into tougher, stronger components. For the first time, the Super-Duty body uses high-strength, military-grade aluminum alloy throughout the cab, which improves dent and ding resistance while saving weight for significant increases in towing and payload capability, according to the company.

In addition to the heavier-duty fully boxed frame under the cab, Ford says many components "are more robust in the new Super Duty — including axles, suspension, driveline and towing hardware."

Powered by Ford

The 2017 Super Duty chassis cab with second-generation 6.7L Power Stroke V-8 diesel paired with a commercial-grade six-speed 6R140 automatic transmission adds 30 horsepower and 90 lbs.-ft. of torque for a maximum rating of 330 hp and 750 lbs.-ft. — the highest ever for Super Duty chassis cab.

Ruppert said Ford is the only heavy-duty truck manufacturer to design and build its own diesel engine and transmission combination, which ensures the powertrain works seamlessly with all chassis components and vehicle calibrations. The approach enables Ford engineers to optimize vehicle performance across the entire lineup, he said.

500,000-mi. B10 life

- The 6.7L Power Stroke V-8 diesel engine for the Ford F-650 and F-750 medium-duty truck line has a B10 design life of at least 500,000 mi., according to Ford, meaning 90% of the engines are expected to go farther than that without requiring a major service that involves removal of cylinder heads or dropping the oil pan to reach internal components.

- The Ford 6.7L diesel engine and Ford TorqShift HD six-speed automatic transmission are designed for medium-duty use with "great power, performance and fuel economy — backed by unsurpassed warranty and national network of Ford service centers."

"F-650 and F-750 customers help keep America moving," Ruppert said. "We're here to make sure they can with our all-new medium-duty trucks — whether that's trucking freight from Los Angeles to New York, or helping keep the lights on in your neighborhood."

The three diesel power levels available are 270 hp/675 lbs.-ft. of torque, 300 hp/700 lbs.-ft. of torque and 330 hp/725 lbs.-ft. of torque. Built at Ford's Ohio Assembly Plant near Cleveland with available straight frame and tractor configurations, the 2017 Ford F-650 and F-750 medium-duty trucks are now available for sale.

 

 

 

[kscarbel2]

Ford Boosts Diesel Super Duty Chassis Cabs

Heavy Duty Trucking  /  March 1, 2016

Ford has increased towing and payload capability for its 2017 Super Duty F-350, F-450, and F-550 chassis cabs with new frames and a next-generation 6.7L V-8 PowerStroke diesel with more horsepower and torque, Ford has announced at the Work Truck Show.

Ford's second-generation 6.7L V-8 diesel adds 30 horsepower and 90 lb.-ft. of torque for a maximum rating of 330 hp and 750 lb.-ft. — a high-water mark for the trucks.

The 2017 chassis cabs also get a new frame consisting of 95% high-strength steel and eight times more torsional rigidity than the previous frame with through-welded crossmembers and fully boxed rails under the cab and forward.

The improvement results in a 40,000-pound gross combined weight rating (GCWR) and a 500-pound increase in front gross axle weight rating to 7,500 pounds to support bigger snowplows, taller utility buckets and cranes, as well as larger ambulance bodies or other specialized vocational body upfits. Towing capacity also increases over the outgoing models.

[kscarbel2]

All-new F-Series Super Duty offers innovative Trailer Reverse Guidance

Ford Media Press Release  /  March 16, 2016

 

 

 

[kscarbel2]

Ford Offers 7 Trailer Cameras with 2017 Super Duty

Heavy Duty Trucking  /  March 16, 2016

Ford is offering a seven-camera system with its 2017 Super Duty trucks that gives a driver additional views around the side of the truck and behind the trailer, Ford has announced.

Ford is offering the Trailer Reverse Guidance system as part of the Ultimate Trailer Tow optional package. The system includes three high-resolution cameras and a color-coded bird's-eye view diagram of the truck to help avoid a jackknife. Yellow or red means the trailer angle is too tight.

Four additional cameras include one behind the trailer, one inside the cargo box, one to see directly ahead of the truck, and a camera to activate a lane-departure warning.

The system enhances rear-view mirrors by including a tailgate camera to track the motion of the trailer, two side-view cameras that shift the view of the trailer as the angle changes, a customer-attached camera for the back of the trailer, and a center high-mounted stop lamp camera to see inside the cargo box.

Ford has submitted two patents on the technology.

[kscarbel2]

 

[kscarbel2]

 

[kscarbel2]

 

[kscarbel2]

 

[Red Horse]

I can't imagine the wiring harnesses in these trucks.  

[kscarbel2]

 

[Wobblin-Goblin]

I am not a fan of box frames and "through-welded" cross members. Give me a rugged C-channel frame and bolted/riveted cross members, thank you.

[kscarbel2]

8 minutes ago, Wobblin-Goblin said:

I am not a fan of box frames and "through-welded" cross members. Give me a rugged C-channel frame and bolted/riveted cross members, thank you.

Mack "body-bound" bolts remain the best fastening system (for medium and heavy trucks).

But rivets can loosen......not my favorite.

Huckbolt is okay, but let's be clear.......it was invented to save the manufacturer money and time in chassis assembly. It is NOT superior to Mack's "body-bound" bolt fastening technology.

[Red Horse]

On 6/23/2016 at 8:58 AM, kscarbel2 said:

 

Hmnn-I wonder why Stacy didn't say anything about the International class 7 bucket trucks in the background.  C'mon Stacy, when are you going to pull the trigger on some 750's??  Typical Ford medium duty marketing-don't bother to edit out the competition.

Small point?  for sure but I call it.." attention to detail"

[kscarbel2]

 

[kscarbel2]

Ford's redesigned Super Duty pickup raises performance ante

Automotive News  /  July 18, 2016

Ford Motor Co. used the weight savings from an aluminum body to beef up the capabilities of its Super Duty pickups, which it says will beat the competition in towing, payload, torque and diesel horsepower ratings.

The redesigned F-250, F-350 and F-450, slated to be on sale this fall, weigh as much as 350 pounds less than the outgoing models, Ford said. That’s about half the weight savings Ford gained by switching the light-duty F-150 from steel to aluminum body panels.

Ford said the Super Duty’s frame, composed of 95 percent high-strength steel, is 24 times stiffer than the current generation’s frame to support heavier loads and trailers.

“We listened to our customers and created the toughest, smartest and most capable Super Duty ever,” Doug Scott, Ford’s truck marketing manager, said in a statement.

The F-450 SuperCrew 4x4 can tow 21,000 pounds with a conventional hitch -- 1,000 pounds more than its closest rival, Ford said. Its tow ratings are 32,500 pounds for a gooseneck trailer, 1,290 pounds more than its top competitor, and 27,500 pounds for a fifth-wheel trailer, 2,500 pounds more than any other heavy-duty pickup.

The F-250 and F-350 with a single rear wheel can tow a class-leading 18,000 pounds with a standard hitch, Ford said. Ford said the redesigned Super Duty will be the first pickup to offer adaptive cruise control and a collision-warning system with brake support for trailers up to 32,500 pounds.

The maximum gross combined weight rating for an F-450 SuperCrew 4x4 and a trailer is 41,800 pounds, more than any other heavy-duty pickup and more than half of the weight limit for an 18-wheel semitractor-trailer on most federal highways, Ford said.

Payload capacity for the F-350 is a class-leading 7,630 pounds, while the F-250 can haul 4,200 pounds in its bed, 600 pounds more than any competitor, Ford said.

Diesel versions of the Super Duty, equipped with the second-generation of Ford’s Power Stroke V-8 turbocharged engine, are rated at 440 hp and 925 pounds-feet of torque without special tuning or hardware, Ford said.

The standard gasoline engine, a 6.2-liter V-8, produces a class-leading 430 pounds-feet of torque and 385 hp. That beats the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 on both numbers and tops the heavy-duty Ram 2500’s torque rating by 1 pound-foot, but the Ram has a more powerful rating of 410 hp.

Ford said the Super Duty will offer improved fuel economy ratings, but it has not released specific numbers.

Ford Press Release - https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2016/07/18/all-new-ford-f-series-super-duty-leaves-the-rest-behind--raises-.html

[kscarbel2]

Ford 2017 Super Duty payload, towing data released

Fleet Owner  /  July 18, 2016

OEM says adaptive cruise control can function even when towing 32,000 lbs.

Specific payload and towing numbers released today for the new 2017 F-Series Super Duty truck – a vehicle officially unveiled late last year – result in Super Duty models that offer “more towing and hauling capability than ever before,” according to Ford Motor Co.

Some of the data Ford is releasing includes:

• Maximum payload of 4,200 lbs. for the 2017 Ford Super Duty F-250 and payload of 7,630 lbs. for the 2017 Ford Super Duty F-350;
• Maximum conventional towing with F-250 and F-350 single-rear wheel models with the OEM’s new trailer tow package boosted to 18,000 lbs.;
• A maximum gooseneck tow rating of 32,500 lbs. for the Ford F-450 Super Duty SuperCrew 4x4, with maximum fifth-wheel towing increased to 27,500 lbs.
• Maximum gross combined weight rating for truck and trailer now tops out at 41,800 lbs.; more than half the maximum weight limit of an 18-wheeler tractor-trailer combination for most federal highways.

“This is the best heavy-duty truck we’ve ever made,” noted Doug Scott, Ford’s truck marketing manager.

“What it boils down to is a more efficient truck,” Brian Rathsburg, marketing manager for the 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty, told Fleet Owner.

“If you can tow and haul more, that means you need to take fewer trips, which benefits you on fuel economy, certainly, but also in time savings,” he explained. “Time is money for commercial customers and if you can be more efficient and also more capable at the same time that lowers the overall cost of ownership for the vehicle.”

Rathsburg added that several new technologies augment the 2017 Super Duty payload and towing capabilities as well:

• An adaptive cruise control and collision warning system with brake support for towing heavy trailers, allowing operators to traverse steep mountain grades while maintaining speed, even with a trailer weighing 32,500 lbs.;
• A center high-mounted stop lamp camera to provide visibility into the cargo box that is especially helpful when hooking up gooseneck and fifth-wheel trailers;
• An “ultimate trailer tow” camera system that uses four digital, high-definition cameras to give the driver a 360-degree bird’s-eye view surrounding the vehicle.
• A “trailer reverse guidance” package that provides visual cues and tips to help ease backing up a trailer, along with a factory-available trailer camera can be custom-placed on a trailer to improve visibility backing up;
• An optional in-cab trailer tire pressure monitoring system, accessible from cab while stopped or on the highway;
• A blind spot information system with trailer tow that is “optimized” in Scott’s words for the Super Duty to include trailer lengths up to 33 ft. long, using radar sensors in the truck’s tail lamps to monitor areas that may not be visible to the driver.

“As we like to say, it boils down to safety systems and technology making the customers' lives easier,” Rathsburg said. “And making their lives easier helps them be more efficient – ‘efficient,’ there’s that word again – which again helps lower the overall cost of operations for them.”

Ford is also offering several beefed-up powertrain options for its 2017 F-Series Super Duty line to enable greater payload and towing capability.

First, its second-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbocharged diesel engine now offers 440 hp and 925 lb.-ft. of torque, mated to a TorqShift six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission. This package will be the standard option for every Super Duty – from F-250 to F-450 – that is spec’d with a diesel engine; without requiring special tuning or unique hardware, the OEM said.

The second powertrain choice is a 6.2-liter V8 gasoline engine – the standard option for F-Series Super Duty models – that offers 385 hp and 430 lb.-ft of torque. It, too, will be mated to the TorqShift six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission, the OEM said.

Rathsburg added that commercial customers should also understand how the use of military-grade aluminum in both the body and frame of the 2017 F-Series Super Duty – mirroring what Ford did when it revamped its F-150 pickup two years ago – benefits commercial customers.

“We saved 350 lbs. of weight by using that strong aluminum and we reinvested some of that weight savings back into the truck to create bigger and stronger components,” he emphasized. “That again allows the truck to be more capable and more efficient for the commercial user.”

[kscarbel2]

 

[Red Horse]

On 6/27/2016 at 8:43 PM, Red Horse said:

Hmnn-I wonder why Stacy didn't say anything about the International class 7 bucket trucks in the background.  C'mon Stacy, when are you going to pull the trigger on some 750's??  Typical Ford medium duty marketing-don't 

8 hours ago, kscarbel2 said:

 

So why do you suppose there is never a mention of the F-550 in these ads?  OR does F-550 get excluded because they are ony talking about "pickups"??  Once again dumb ass Ford marketing IMO.  The F-550 IS going to get the new cab, right?  So why exclude the F-550 in all this "horn blowing". Not "chassis DRW??"  Meantime Dodge continues to kick butt in class 3-4-5.

 

[TeamsterGrrrl]

Maybe Ford has a new F-550 and above coming for 2018 or later model year? The aluminum cab will give Ford an advantage over Navistar and the GM badged new mediums. Extend the F-Series model range with a tandem and baby 8 tractors and they'll be able to offer the price advantages of a mass produced cab and powertrain to 80% of class eight applications.

[kscarbel2]

4 minutes ago, TeamsterGrrrl said:

Maybe Ford has a new F-550 and above coming for 2018 or later model year? The aluminum cab will give Ford an advantage over Navistar and the GM badged new mediums. Extend the F-Series model range with a tandem and baby 8 tractors and they'll be able to offer the price advantages of a mass produced cab and powertrain to 80% of class eight applications.

An F-850 tandem with the AVL 6.7 Powerstroke and Ford 6-speed Super-Duty transmission?   (and Hendrickson RT suspension?). 

I know the Navy would buy it on price, but I pity our boys who have to depend on it.

[TeamsterGrrrl]

A Ford employee who obviously knew what he was talking about and talked too much told me a tandem F series is in the pipeline. As for durability, the 2nd generation Ford built Super Duty has a half million mile B10 rating, and their 6 speed automatic has been standing up well. This is the powertrain that powers the F series with the huge trailers that do the interplant shuttle along Lake Erie on Ohio 2, and with the winds off the lake that's as tough a duty as class 8. The class 8 operators that cover 100,000 miles or more a year and run their trucks for a million miles wouldn't be happy with an F series, and Ford isn't going to build a mega vocational truck with 65k rear axles. But for the operators that just need a day cab tractor for intermodal work or the transportation department that needs a tandem axle dump truck that'll move snow, an F-850 will fit the bill for way less dollars than the competition.

[kscarbel2]

I see an F-850 6x4, like the GMC C8500 6x4, as a very low cost option principally for municipalities. In the past, VERY few were built/sold as tractors. 99% were rigids.

For intermodal work, one would be smarter to buy a certified used Class 8 tractor with a warranty, than a new F-850 that will wear out in a fraction of the time and have no resale value.

If the F-850 had a Cummins ISL and Eaton AMT, decent drive axles and Hendrickson HAS air suspension, then you might sell a few.

[TeamsterGrrrl]

Government is a big chunk of the truck market, and a reliable customer, much more so that contractors and for hire trucking. The intermodal market I'm thinking of is a smart long haul trucking company or private fleet that's adopted intermodal and whose average GCW is 40k pounds and only puts 50k miles a year on a truck, and has income tax liabilities to offset. A 300 HP Ford Powerstroke and Ford automatic does the job for them, and for way less than the $100k plus price of a traditional class 8 tractor. I agree that Cummins power and Eaton transmissions would help sell F750s and bigger, but it's mostly a marketing move, as the Ford Powerstroke has shown itself to be the equal of the Cummins B series. I own stock in both Ford, Eaton, and Cummins so I could care less either way...

[Red Horse]

3 hours ago, TeamsterGrrrl said:

A Ford employee who obviously knew what he was talking about and talked too much told me a tandem F series is in the pipeline. As for durability, the 2nd generation Ford built Super Duty has a half million mile B10 rating, and their 6 speed automatic has been standing up well. This is the powertrain that powers the F series with the huge trailers that do the interplant shuttle along Lake Erie on Ohio 2, and with the winds off the lake that's as tough a duty as class 8. The class 8 operators that cover 100,000 miles or more a year and run their trucks for a million miles wouldn't be happy with an F series, and Ford isn't going to build a mega vocational truck with 65k rear axles. But for the operators that just need a day cab tractor for intermodal work or the transportation department that needs a tandem axle dump truck that'll move snow, an F-850 will fit the bill for way less dollars than the competition.

Well interesting point on the interplant shuttle trucks-I would imagine they would "cube out" before they exceed GCW but for sure if they are pulling 102" 53 footers for sure they will get a workout with windload.  I have to agree with KSC though that I'm a skeptic when it comes to the Power Stroke/Torqueshift combo in the high end of class 7-never mind 8.  And I know they are banking on the warranty as the "hook" as well as the B-10 rating but time will tell.  650 sales are doing very well but my guess is the bulk of those are gas jobs.  As for new 750's, none of the dealers in this neck of the woods seem to have any in inventory.

In anycase, I agree 100% on the future of intermodal-and you don't need a 15 liter to do that.  What I wonder is why are they hesitant to bring one of those 9 or 13 liter engines they are building in Turkey-unless their license with FIAT precludes them from using in US-

And speaking of a good intermodal truck, what would be wrong with bringing one of the Cargo variants over- KSC-any thoughts?

[kscarbel2]

Rather than buy a throw-away 6.7L Powerstroke-powered Ford F-850 6x4 tractor to run intermodal up to 100,000 miles a year, it would be more prudent of me to buy a far more advanced, durable, comfortable and economical C-2335 Ford Cargo 6x2 tractor (liftable tag axle) with the 9L 350hp Ecotorq.