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The new super haulers:
Ford's 2008 pickup models give a bigger nod to towing
Howard Elmer
Looking at the new 2008 lineup of Ford Super Duty trucks here in Las Vegas, it's obvious just how much they were influence by the recreational towing market.
Introduced in 1999, the Super Duty line consisted of the F-250 and F-350 pickups, and larger chassis-cab only trucks, which traditionally appealed to working fleet customers. Since then, recreational haulers have been steadily outgrowing the one-ton F-350. It's a niche that now accounts for around 30 per cent of total sales.
The new F-450 was spurred by a trailer industry building popular makes of fifth-wheels reaching lengths of nearly 13 meters and weighing up to 8,000-plus kg.
Still, increased capacity is only half the towing story. The new diesel engine brings appropriately upgraded systems to bear these increased loads. For instance, the Super Duty's radiator has grown by 33 per cent, and a larger water pump will push its flow rate for cooling from 283 to 529 litres per minute. Each version of Super Duty also carries an integrated trailer brake controller, factory wired to the standard seven-pin plug.
Easier shifting
The transmissions have received upgrades too, with all-new gear sets and a three-plate, two-stage torque converter. The F-450 also has upgraded synchronizers for easier electronic shift-on-the-fly of its 4WD system. While Super Duty trucks are available with gas engines, they're ordered with diesels at least 80 per cent of the time, according to Ford Canada; while the rate on the new F-450 is expected to be 100 per cent.
The 6.4-litre will deliver 350 horsepower at 3,000 rpm and 650 foot pounds of torque at 2,000 rpm. It's built with a design aptly named Ford Clean Diesel Technology, in response to new Canadian rules mandating refineries to produce fuel containing 97 per cent less sulfur. That translates to a sulfur content of 15 parts per million, down from what the industry used to say was acceptable—500 parts per million. This key change will work in tandem with the new diesel technologies that each manufacturer must introduce.
Compared to the diesel technology of just 10 years ago, today's new generation of diesels will discharge 80 per cent less particulate matter and pump 70 per cent less nitrogen oxide into the air.
These really are huge numbers, and the fact that the engines’ average fuel economy is up 15 per cent doesn’t hurt either. As for carbon dioxide emissions, (the infamous greenhouse gases) these engines extract more energy from a given quantity of fuel, so they reduce their total carbon dioxide emissions through improved fuel economy.
The rest of Ford's design team has also been busy, creating some really trick additions to the Super Duty design, such as power extending mirrors. These large, heated, power adjustable mirrors can be extended or retracted to accommodate any size of towed trailer. In a pinch, they also fold-in at the car wash.
Added to the trucks' tailgate is a very neat hidden step. Also in the cargo area is a new type of bed extender. Made of a composite plastic, it splits and folds flat on either side of the box, behind the wheel humps, out of the way—a nice change from the old style that had to be removed when not in use.
The bottom line for the Super Duty series, then, is better fuel economy, increased capacity, and a few non-traditional bells and whistles.
Howard Elmer is an automotive writer based in Brampton, Ont.
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