Ford Motor Co. has introduced its 2017 Super Duty chassis cab lineup, which includes the F-350, F-450 and F-550 chassis cabs. Highlights of the 2017 lineup, according to Ford, include: best-in-class front gross axle weight rating of 7,500 lbs.; a gross combined weight rating of best-in-class 40,000 lbs. – meaning a fully loaded Super Duty chassis cab and trailer can carry the equivalent of half the maximum combined weight rating of a semi-tractor-trailer on most U.S. highways; and 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel engine ratings of 330 HP and 750 lb./ft. of torque.
The second-generation Ford-designed, Ford-built 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel engine is available for pickup trucks and chassis cabs providing a high combination of horsepower and torque. The 6.2-liter V8 gasoline engine comes equipped with the new TorqShift-G transmission for the F-250 pickup.
The backbone is an all-new, fully boxed frame comprised of more than 95% high-strength steel that offers up to 24 times stiffer than the previous frame – enabling the most towing and hauling capability ever delivered by Super Duty, Ford explained.. The new truck line features heavier-duty four-wheel-drive components, driveline, axles and towing hardware. For the first time, the Super Duty body uses high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloy, which is more dent- and ding-resistant than the outgoing steel body and not subject to red rust corrosion.
Towing is core to the Super Duty mission. All-new advanced coaching and camera technology makes conventional and gooseneck/fifth-wheel towing easier and more efficient. There are 16 new features – from LED lighting to adaptive cruise control – that assist Super Duty drivers. As many as seven cameras help drivers see more angles and monitor conditions surrounding the truck, and provide better trailering than ever before. A center high-mounted stop lamp camera provides visibility into the cargo box, especially for easier hook-up of gooseneck/fifth-wheel trailers. A 360-degree camera system uses four digital, high-definition cameras to give the driver a bird’s-eye view surrounding Super Duty. Trailer reverse guidance provides visual cues and tips to help ease backing up a trailer. A first-ever, factory-available trailer camera can be attached to a trailer to improve visibility backing up.
Drivers will benefit from a in-cab trailer tire pressure monitoring system from the comfort of the cab while stopped or on the highway. Additionally, adaptive steering provides for increased confidence to help make towing the heaviest of loads easier and brings greater ease to navigating job sites and parking lots with or without a trailer. The technology reduces the amount of steering input needed to change direction at low speed, while reducing sensitivity to steering input at higher speeds.
