Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/662812
EquipmentWorld.com | April 2016 71 F ord's new 2017 Ford F- Series chassis cab trucks benefit from the stronger new frame and alumi- num body found in the the 2017 Super Duty pickup models. In addition, these trucks will fea- ture the highest-ever power rating of any generation of Super Duty chassis cab models: 330 horsepower and 750 pound-feet of torque. The second-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel provides a power increase of 30 horsepower and 90 pound feet of torque. The new models will also be the first Ford chassis cab trucks to feature Ford's all-aluminum Super Duty cab, which lightens the truck by 350 pounds. That weight reduc- tion pays huge dividends, because Ford engineers reinvested it in the truck's frame. At 95 percent high- strength steel, Ford says the frame now boasts eight times the torsional rigidity and 24 times the stiffness of the previous frame. It also features through-welded crossmembers – including an addi- tional floor crossmember to support greater fifth-wheel or gooseneck towing capacity – fully boxed rails under the cab and forward, and open C-channel frame rails behind the cab that enable easy body and vocational equipment upfits. Ford also beefed up the ax- les, brakes and hitches to handle larger loads and upgraded the truck's suspension steering. The end result is a 500-pound boost to the front gross axle weight rating – now up to 7,500 pounds – and a gross combined weight rating of up to 40,000 pounds, a 5,000-pound boost that places the truck at half of the maximum GCWR of an 18-wheeler on most U.S. federal highways, Ford says. The Power Stroke engine is de- signed to travel up to 500,000 miles before a major service that involves removal of cylinder heads or drop- ping the oil pan to reach internal components. The half-million-mile figure is a B10 rating based on the 330-horsepower version of the engine. Ford says this B10 design life estimate is the number of miles in operation before 10 percent of en- gines are expected to require such a service. pro pickup | by Wayne Grayson | WayneGrayson@randallreilly.com Ford ups power, towing on 2017 F-Series chassis cab Super Duty trucks