In 2015, Ford made a radical change, they switched out the
steel on their F-150s for Aluminum. The gamble paid off, and now, Ford is
changing the rest of their trucks. The Ford Super Duty series is getting an
aluminum makeover. The Ford Super Duty is getting its first complete makeover
in 18 years.
Following in the footsteps of its little brother the F-150,
the new 2017 Super Duty, will replace the steel body panels with lighter-weight
aluminum for the cab and truck bed. For the Super Duty, Ford is using the same
0.055-in gauge “military-grade” aluminum as it uses on its lighter F-150 models,
saving up to 350 pounds over previous models. The chassis is still made from
95% high-strength-steel for the fully boxed frame and has 10 cross-members with
5 are through-frame cross-members, which add to the new Super Duty’s rigidity.
With the new frame and aluminum panels the Super Duty still
retains all the towing power that you know and love from the previous
generation. Towing up to 18,000 pound with the towing package and holding a
payload of 4,200 pounds for the F-250, make it best in class.
Another game changing upgrade to the Super Duty line is the
redesigned cabin, now sharing the same comfort that has come to be expected in
the F-150. The technology and refinement of the F-150 has migrated across the
entire F Series line-up. Starting at the front window, a sound-deadening rubber
gasket at the base of the windshield helps seal out engine noise in the cabin.
Dual glove boxes, a large functional center console, trailer brake controller,
overhead auxiliary switches and optional lockable storage bins under the rear
seats help round the Super Duty’s amenities. The new truck gets Ford’s Sync3, adaptive
steering, active forward-collision braking, and adaptive cruise control and
lane-departure warning. The Super Duty also has a very cool feature in which
you can attach a back-up camera to the back of your trailer and it will show on
the in dash screen, this works for up to a 33 foot trailer.
The powertrain is much the same as the previous generation,
two gas engines, a 6.2L V-8 and a 6.8L V-10 and a second-generation 6.7L Power
Stroke V-8 turbodiesel. The diesel engine now uses dual-pilot fuel injection,
this helps reduce noise and decrease overall fuel consumption. The Super Duty
now carries a 48-gallon fuel tank giving these trucks a 1,000 mile range. The Super
Duty comes in 5 trim levels: XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum, 3 cab configurations,
Regular, Super Cab, and Crew Cab, and 2 bed lengths 6.5 and 8 feet.
