Infographic: Ford Super Duty shows off market share in the workplace
Filed under: Truck, Marketing/Advertising, Work, Ford
Use your truck for work? Chances are good, according to Ford, that truck is an F-Series Super Duty proudly wearing a Blue Oval on the massive front grille. Perhaps that shouldn't come as too big a surprise, considering that Ford has sold 4.1 million Super Duty pickups since 1998, which, Ford is happy to point out, is enough trucks to wrap around all 16,000 miles of the Australian coast.
Something tells us that Ford's placement atop the heavy duty work truck market is secure for at least a little while; after all, every 63 seconds, a Super Duty pickup truck rolls off the assembly line. Want more interesting stats? You'll find plenty of 'em - including 21 separate industries where the Super Duty reigns supreme - in the infographic above (click on the image for the full-size version) and press release after the break. And if you're a Super Duty owner yourself, Ford invites you to share your own story at its new We Own Work website.
Continue reading Infographic: Ford Super Duty shows off market share in the workplace
Infographic: Ford Super Duty shows off market share in the workplace originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsMatchbox 2011 Ford F-350 Super Duty by Superlift suspensions is one hot fire truck
Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Truck, Work, Ford, Police/Emergency
We have little interest in running into burning buildings, but we can imagine being a firefighter has its perks. For starters, those guys and girls get the chance to pilot some seriously incredible machinery. Superlift, Matchbox and Ford got together to create what could very possibly be the world's most bad-ass brush truck using a 2011 F-350 Super Duty as the base chassis. The truck wears an astonishing 10-inch lift and 41-inch Interko IROK tires. A full tube exo-cage helps protect the PPG "Oh So Orange" paint, and a smattering of lights and sirens ensure that everyone will see this emergency vehicle coming.
A full fire-fighting utility bed, complete with water tanks, pumps and hoses, sits ready to take on brush fires and the like, and a front-mounted water canon means that the Matchbox brush truck can tackle flames going and coming. We dig it.
Matchbox 2011 Ford F-350 Super Duty by Superlift suspensions is one hot fire truck originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsOhio judge orders Ford to pay $2B to dealers over class-action suit
Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Work, Ford
An Ohio judge ordered Ford to pay $2 billion to thousands of its dealerships to settle a 2002 lawsuit. Dealers brought the class-action lawsuit after Ford overcharged them for commercial trucks over an 11-year period.
The cash reward breaks down like this: $781 million in damages and $1.2 billion in interest will be divided up among nearly 3,000 dealerships after being overcharged on nearly 475,000 trucks.
According to Ford, the lawsuit covered 600 Series and higher trucks built between 1987 and 1997. Dealers accused Ford of failing to let them know about price concessions given to some dealers. Ford says it will appeal the decision, so the $2B likely isn't going anywhere just yet.
Ohio judge orders Ford to pay $2B to dealers over class-action suit originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 11 Jun 2011 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsReport: Ford feels Japan quake effect with shortage of red, black paint
Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Ford
2010 Ford Taurus SHO - Click above for high-res image gallery
Due to a pigment shortage stemming from the March 11 earthquake in Japan, Ford has had to stop taking new orders for cars in Tuxedo Black, and is limiting orders of three shades of red. Officials from Ford say they're working on another source for the pigment as you read this, and have enough cars in each color to satisfy demand until production resumes.
The paint shortage affects the F-150 and Super Duty lines of pickups, as well as the Explorer, the Expedition, Focus, Taurus and the Lincoln MKS and Navigator. Ford's slowdown follows General Motors, who slowed production of pickups in Shreveport, Louisiana, as well as compact cars in Europe following parts shortages.
Honda, Toyota and Nissan have all experienced slowdowns as a result of the quake, though none have had to limit color choices.
Photos copyright (C)2011 John Neff / AOL
[Source: Bloomberg]
Report: Ford feels Japan quake effect with shortage of red, black paint originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord Super Duty pickups to regain maximum towing title
Filed under: Truck, Work, Ford, Diesel
The never-ending battle of heavy-duty pickup truck one-upmanship continues with Ford's announcement that it will increase the maximum trailer tow rating on its 2011.5 F-350 and F-450 Super Duty models to 17,500 pounds. Not coincidentally, General Motors nabbed the maximum conventional trailer rating at the beginning of 2011 with the latest versions of its Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD with ratings of up to 17,000 pounds.
Of course, to pull such massive loads, any fullsize truck needs to be properly equipped, and in the case of the Ford, that means a 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel (400 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque), a Crew Cab, dual-rear-wheel chassis and a weight-distributing hitch. For those keeping track, GM says its trucks can pull their maximum loads with a standard weight-carrying hitch. Thanks to all for the tips!
At the start of 2011, the Ford Super Duty's maximum conventional tow rating stood at 16,000 pounds when properly equipped. What led to the increase? Speaking to PickupTrucks.com, Ford spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari explained that a frame change made back in August of 2010 will work together with a new hitch design that will go into production on Monday, February 7th. So there you go.
Naturally, we expect a suitably quick response from General Motors, and possibly even Ram. Of course, there's always the Ferd F-Teenthousand...
[Source: PickupTrucks.com]
Ford Super Duty pickups to regain maximum towing title originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsRumble in the Rockies with HD pickups results in lopsided victory for…
Filed under: Truck, Chevrolet, Ford, GM
Pickuptrucks.com published its Heavy-Duty Shootout over the summer, which the truck-centric site calls the most exhaustive testing of pickups you'll find anywhere (it's true). The title bout of that competition featured Detroit's best diesel-powered three-quarter and one-ton pickups, with the Chevy Silverado HD coming out on top. But while victory was sweet for the Bowtie brand, some Blue Oval fans bemoaned the fact that the Super Duty trucks weren't of the "Job Two" variety. The Job Two trucks from Ford featured an ECU reflash for their 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel engines, which resulted in a power bump to best-of-class levels of 400 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque. So on paper, the Job Two Super Duty appeared to be more stout than the Silverado HD and its 6.6-liter Duramax V8 diesel rated at 397 hp and 765 lb-ft of torque.
But General Motors didn't back down, instead challenging The Blue Oval's truck team to a mountainous tow-off. Ford refused. Instead of walking away, GM offered Pickuptrucks.com the opportunity to observe a competition between the Ford and Chevy, an opportunity the truck site couldn't pass up, with stipulations. The trucks had to be purchased off the dealer lot, equipment levels had to be as close as possible and the testing would have to be performed by Pickuptrucks.com and Diesel Power magazine, with Chevy merely looking on. The trucks were driven out to Dillon, Colorado to the Eisenhower Pass on Interstate 70 for a 7.6-mile mountain course with grades ranging between five and seven percent at an elevation that topped two miles high. With four adults and an 18,920-pound trailer for each truck, the overall GCWR of the Chevy came in at 27,940 pounds, while the Ford tipped the scales at 28,160 pounds. The very simple goal was to determine which one-ton truck would reach the summit first, as well as to compare how their exhaust brakes performed.
[SPOILER ALERT: Follow the jump to find out who won or read the official results at Pickuptrucks.com]
[Source: Pickuptrucks.com]
Continue reading Rumble in the Rockies with HD pickups results in lopsided victory for...
Rumble in the Rockies with HD pickups results in lopsided victory for... originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsChevy challenges Ford to HD towing contest, gets turned down
Filed under: Truck, Marketing/Advertising, Work, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, Diesel
Numbers like maximum horsepower, torque and tow ratings are the heart and soul of the full-size heavy duty pickup truck segment. No shocker there. But how much reliance can consumers actually put on figures provided by the manufacturer? And, keeping in mind that the average test drive doesn't include hooking up a ten-ton trailer, how might we all get a proper frame of reference when judging one massive diesel beast with another?
Such questions may soon get an answer... other than this one, decided upon just a few weeks back. It seems that General Motors has issued a pretty straightforward challenge to Ford: a towing duel up mountain grades, followed by a comparison of factory-issued exhaust brakes on the way back down. (Sorry, Ram... guess you're not invited out to play.) Seems simple enough, no?
Here are some relevant statistics: Ford's (reflashed) 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V8 engine punishes the tarmac with an even 400 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque. That's class-leading, as GM's 6.6-liter Duramax pumps out 397 horses and 765 pound-feet. Looking at those numbers, Ford wins... right?
Not so fast, says Chevrolet Silverado Marketing Manager Tony Truelove, "Numbers on paper are fine," he said. "Let's go work these trucks in the mountains, and may the best truck win." To which Ford Trucks spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari replied, "We challenge our trucks against the competition in grueling prove-out tests continually, and the customer gives us the results - sales leadership year after year."
That's right, The Blue Oval plainly and unsurprisingly declined Chevrolet's invitation. But the show must go on, and our friends at Pickuptrucks.com promise to be on hand in their very best black-and-white-striped shirts to serve as referees for the main event. Let's get ready to rumble!
[Source: PickupTrucks.com]
Chevy challenges Ford to HD towing contest, gets turned down originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsSuper Duty’s Power Stroke diesel gets 800 lb-ft of torque reflash
Filed under: Truck, Ford, Diesel
2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty - Click above for high-res image gallery
We don't remember feeling at all disappointed when Ford released power figures for its new 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel engine available in the 2011 Super Duty. After all, who's going to argue with 390 horsepower and 735 pound-feet of torque? Then General Motors published power figures for its new 6.6-liter Duramax Diesel of 397 ponies and 765 stump-pulling lb-ft of twist. Oh snap! That left Ford on the shallow end of the power pool, but engineers were secretly working on a flash update for its in-house oil burner. The engineering tweak is now available and brings the Power Stroke's figures up to 400 horsepower and 800 lb-ft of torque, besting the General's mill by three ponies and 35 pound-feet.
Our friend Mike Levine over at Pickuptrucks.com dyno'd the engine before and after the reflash. The new Power Stroke has a lot more low-end torque than it did before the reflash, with an extra 45 lb-ft available at the rear wheels at a measly 2,000 rpm. But as the power band stretches towards 4,000 revolutions, the torque totals swing back into the favor of the pre-calibration engine by 22.1 lb-ft. Is that a big deal? Probably not to truck drivers, as low-end torque is the name of the game when you're pulling and hauling for a living. Beyond added capability, Levine tells us that the reflashed Super Duty feels less jumpy, adding "gear shifts were smoother and less noticeable after the update than before getting on the freeway and driving on surface streets." New 2011 models heading down the assembly line will receive the updated mill, but existing customers can get a free reflash from their dealer. For the next 12 months, some early purchasers of the 2011 Power Stroke will also have to visit a dealer for the upgrade. The whole process reportedly takes all of 30 minutes, or enough time to think about what else you can tow with your newfound torque. Head over to pickuptrucks.com to read the extensive review of the new engine calibrations.
[Source: Pickuptrucks]
Super Duty's Power Stroke diesel gets 800 lb-ft of torque reflash originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOfficial: Ford 6.7-liter PowerStroke gets 800 lb-ft as of next week, upgrades available
Filed under: Truck, Work, Ford, GM, Diesel
2011 Ford Super Duty pickup - Click above for high-res image gallery
Ford has made it official: beginning with next week's production, the 6.7-liter PowerStroke turbo diesel in the 2011 Ford Super Duty pickup will be upgraded to 400 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque. That's a bump of 10 hp and a jump of 65 lb-ft, enough to leapfrog General Motors' 6.6-liter Duramax by 3 hp and 35 lb-ft. Or, to put more bluntly, enough to run over the Duramax on its way to the top of the heavy duty engine heap.
Further, at the end of August, the Super Duty's frame will be strengthened, upping its payload rating by 550 pounds (to 7,070), which will also increase its fifth-wheel tow rating by 1,000 pounds to 22,600.
Although not much can be done for your tow rating if you bought a Super Duty as soon as it hit the showroom, you can get the power upgrade from your suddenly feeble 635 torques. For one year starting on August 31, 2010, will be able to take their pickups into Ford dealers and get their engines tweaked to the new standard. Since there's no hardware involved, Ford says it should take just 20 minutes to get the reflash job done - learn more with the official press release after the jump.
Photos by Rex Roy / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Sources: Ford, Detroit News]
Official: Ford 6.7-liter PowerStroke gets 800 lb-ft as of next week, upgrades available originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsReport: Ford 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel to churn out 800 lb-ft of torque
Filed under: Truck, Work, Ford, GM
In February, the specs on Ford's 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbo-diesel V8 were announced: 390 horsepower and 735 pound-feet of torque. A month later, General Motors laid out the specs on its 6.6-liter Duramax turbo-diesel: 397 hp and 765 lb-ft. According to PickupTrucks.com, the Duramax could be shoved to the corner again later this year, when a high-output Super Duty blows out the footlights with 400 hp and 800 - or more - lb-ft of twisting gumption.
According to the unknown source within the Blue Oval, Ford's new 6R140 TorqShift six-speed transmission has strong enough guts that Ford can open up the taps on that engine a bit. And give GM something to think about. If this absurdly powerful dream does come true, the behemoth motor will be seen in the second wave of 2011 Super Duty pickups that begin production in a few months. No word on whether early adopters of the 6.7-liter will get a free upgrade.
[Source: PickupTrucks.com]
Report: Ford 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel to churn out 800 lb-ft of torque originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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