2015 F-450 Super Duty

It has been said by many people that if you aren’t moving forward, you might as well be moving backwards because the world will just pass you by. This is truly the case in the auto industry. If you look at the progression over the past decade, you will see huge leaps in technology and styling.

There is a good reason for this progression, market share. The auto industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and market share is crucial to ensuring that you can not only maintain your slice of the pie but hopefully increase it.

Since 2001 when William Clay Ford Jr. took over as CEO for Jacques Nasser, Ford has been heavily re-investing in itself and its product line to reinvent itself. By 2006 when Alan Mulally took over as CEO, Ford was introducing new models and on its way to recovery, that is until the market collapsed in late 2007/early 08. Luckily, they had been renewing their product lines for years by this time. So, when the bailout happened, Ford was the only US manufacturer that didn’t require assistance!

Here we are 8 years later and Ford is sitting pretty. Recently, they announced an $80 million investment in their Super Duty production plant in Kentucky. They introduced quite a few new models over the past few months, including an all new Mustang!

It has been rumored that the new Super Duty was going to be getting an increased horsepower and torque rating and today, Ford officially announced it. They are bumping the power and capability of their Super Duties up! Staying with their in house built 6.7 Power Stroke, they are raising the power up to 440 horsepower and 860 lb.-ft of torque for all models! As of today, that puts them best in class for horsepower and torque! No word yet how Ram will respond.

6.7 Power Stroke

Below is the official press release:

NEW 2015 FORD F-SERIES SUPER DUTY WILL DELIVER BEST-IN-CLASS HORSEPOWER, TORQUE AND TOWING CAPACITY

• Second-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V8 turbo diesel boosts horsepower to a class-leading 440 horsepower; torque to class-leading 860 lb.-ft. for all models
• F-450 chassis upgrades raise maximum gooseneck trailer towing capacity to class-leading 31,200 pounds, fifth wheel towing capacity to class-leading 26,500 pounds, and gross combined weight rating to a class-leading 40,000 pounds
• F-350 available with maximum towing package that increases fifth-wheel/gooseneck trailer towing capacity to 26,500 pounds, and raises the gross combined weight rating to 35,000 pounds

Ford F-Series Super Duty reinforces its leadership in the heavy-duty pickup truck market with engine and chassis upgrades for 2015 that together deliver best-in-class horsepower, torque and towing capacity.

Ford’s second-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V8 turbo diesel now boasts 440 horsepower, up from 400 horsepower, and 860 lb.-ft. of torque, up from 800 lb.-ft, across all Super Duty models from F-250 to F-450.

The 2015 F-450 tops the F-Series Super Duty pickup truck lineup with maximum towing capacity increasing to a class-leading 31,200 pounds, a gain of 6,500 pounds. The truck’s gross combined weight rating increases to a class-leading 40,000 pounds, a gain of 7,000 pounds.

F-350 increases maximum towing capacity as well, to 26,500 pounds, from 23,200 pounds, and the gross combined weight rating goes up 5,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds.

The improved ratings are a result of designing and engineering the truck as an integrated system. The approach enabled Ford engineers to optimize performance across the full Super Duty lineup.

“Our chassis people work in unison with our powertrain people to develop more than a great truck, it’s a machine engineered for work,” said Doug Scott, Ford Truck group marketing manager. “We’re the only manufacturer that develops and builds our own powertrains in this class and when you combine that with a chassis that’s purpose-built for best-in-class power and torque, you can feel the result in the way it drives, especially when towing big loads.”

Power Stroke Engine Improvements

The 2015 Super Duty achieves best-in-class towing performance with a second-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel engine that was further developed to provide more power, torque and efficiency.

“The 6.7-liter Power Stroke was already a stout engine,” said Robert Fascetti, Ford vice president powertrain engineering. “The improvements we’ve made essentially give Super Duty customers an engine designed for our larger F-650 and F-750 trucks. They may not realize how tough this engine really is.”

Key innovations on the 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel are its compacted graphite iron engine block and reverse-flow layout. This segment-exclusive design places the exhaust inside the engine’s V-shape, with while the air intake positioned on the outside resulting in a variety of advancements:

• Shorter airflow from the exhaust system to the new, larger turbocharger sitting between the engine’s cylinder banks improves turbo responsiveness – key to providing torque quickly to truck customers when they need it most
• Positioning the turbo inside the engine’s valley helps isolate the engine’s hottest temperatures, improving performance and efficiency, while also reducing noise, vibration and harshness to improve driver comfort

Enhancements include a larger turbocharger for faster air displacement resulting in more power. The engine block is made of compacted graphite iron, which is stronger yet lighter than cast iron, is more wear-resistant and has enhanced sealing properties.

The DualBoost turbocharger that the 6.7 Power Stroke uses is quite unique. This turbocharger is a variable vein turbo that basically features two compressor wheels (one wheel with a different profile on each side).

“The designers of the original 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel predicted that it would eventually need to be upgraded for higher output,” said David Ives, Ford Power Stroke technical specialist. “They designed it in a way that made it easier to add a larger turbocharger, increasing airflow and creating more power for dramatically improved performance, yet we haven’t lost any efficiency.”

New injector tips spray a finer mist of fuel into the cylinders which provides a more complete burn and helps reduce noise, vibration and harshness. Other benefits include lower emissions and less fuel deposit buildup on the intake valves over time.

The engine enhancements give the Power Stroke engine a class-leading maximum output of 440 horsepower and 860 lb.-ft. of torque.

Chassis improvements

The F-350 is available with a high-capacity towing package that includes new front springs and a wide track axle, increasing the gross combined weight rating with the 6.7-liter Power Stroke engine from 31,900 pounds to 35,000 pounds.

Improvements to the F-450 that allow it to handle the increased tow rating include commercial- grade 19.5-inch wheels and tires; upgraded rear U-joints and suspension components, including new rear leaf springs; front and rear stabilizer bars; and shocks. The steering system has stronger gears and linkages and the fifth-wheel/gooseneck has an increased towing capacity. The brakes are larger brakes and feature new antilock brake calibration for enhanced braking performance.