A Mixed Breed Gets a Pedigree

For years, buyers of large work trucks have pieced together their vehicles from a variety of suppliers, ordering engines, transmissions and even minor components on an à la carte basis from lengthy menus. That practice is about to fade from Ford Motor’s commercial-vehicle dealerships, a result of the automaker’s push to streamline manufacturing and offer more efficient packages.

 Ford will build its 2016 F-650 and F-750 medium-duty trucks, introduced Tuesday at the Work Truck Show, an industry event in Indianapolis, with fully integrated powertrains and chassis. The arrival of the new trucks in the spring of 2015 will end Ford’s 12-year partnership with Navistar International, a joint venture called Blue Diamond Truck, and move production to Avon Lake, Ohio, from Escobedo, Mexico.

“It’s time for us to control our own destiny with this vehicle,” Todd Kaufman, an F-Series marketing manager, said. 

The move, Ford says, will help the company make refinements to performance, handling, ride and other areas by integrating the truck’s components seamlessly. 

Aside from styling changes, which include a taller, bolder grille that increases airflow to the engine compartment, the 2016 Ford F-650 and F-750 will have new powertrain choices. The company is upgrading its 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbodiesel, and the 6.8-liter V10 gasoline engine — the only gasoline engine offered in this size of truck — will carry over to the 2016 models. The 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel will no longer be offered.

Among the benefits will be an improvement in comfort for users. At idle, the revised Power Stroke V8 will be 25 percent quieter inside the cab than the outgoing 6.7-liter Cummins diesel, Ford estimates.

“You can actually have a conversation in the cab of this truck,” Mr. Kaufman said. 

Source:  nytimes.com

2015 Ford F-Series Super Duty is class-leading once again

Time for everyone to feign surprise – Ford has just announced that it has the increased horsepower and torque levels of its 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel V8 engine for 2015. As you'd expect, the Blue Oval is claiming class-leading figures of 440 hp (up from 400) and 860 pound-feet (up from 800), and that's enough to enable Ford's F-450 Super Duty model to tow as much as 31,200 pounds, which, again, the automaker claims is class leading.

Now, it should be noted that the max rating quoted above is achieved with the Ford F-450. The 2015 F-350, which is perhaps a better comparison to the Ram 3500 HD pickup that claimed the towing crown in 2013 at an even 30,000 pounds, is capped at 26,500 pounds, either with a gooseneck or when towing a fifth-wheel trailer. In any case, it's going to take a load the size of Godzilla to make any of the current crop of fullsize heavy-duty pickup trucks break into a sweat. For those keeping track, Chevy rates its 2015 Silverado HD at a maximum of 23,200 pounds.

Ford's newfound pulling power comes courtesy of a larger turbocharger for its in-house Power Stroke engine, new fuel injector tips and, we'd assume, retuned computer controls. Besides the engine enhancements, the F-350 gets a wider front track for 2015 and new front springs, while the F-450 gains commercial-grade 19.5-inch wheels and tires, new rear U-joints, leaf springs, stabilizer bars and shocks. The steering and brake systems have also been upgraded.

Source: autoblog.com