New Powertrain and More
Dave Van Sickle, Canadian Auto Press
Ford’s Super Duty is already the most popular heavy-duty pickup on the market, sometimes outselling heavy-duty Dodge and Chevrolet trucks combined. The new 2011 Super Duty lineup demonstrates that the Ford truck team isn’t resting on its laurels, but still focused on continuous improvement.
2011 Ford Super Duty
And those improvements are everywhere. The real news, however, is the all-new powertrains, one of which features the new 6.7-litre Power Stroke V8 turbocharged diesel engine. For years, Ford equipped its heavy-duty trucks with diesel engines supplied by Navistar. That’s all changed. Designed and built in-house, the new Power Stroke delivers 735 pound-feet of torque at 1,600 rpm and 390 horsepower at 2,800 rpm – 85 pound-feet and 40 horsepower more than the outgoing product.
For those who don’t want or need a diesel, the new 6.2-litre V8 gasoline engine delivers 405 pound-feet of torque at 4,500 rpm and 385 horsepower at 5,500 rpm; the new engine is E85 (Ethanol) compatible, useful if you travel to the south or can find a station that sells it north of the 49th.
The new diesel engine features inboard exhaust architecture, where the exhaust manifolds are located in the valley of the engine and the intakes are on the outside. The cylinder heads are essentially turned around from where they would be in a conventional V8.
The turbocharger is located in the engine’s valley so it can be directly connected to the exhaust manifolds. A dual-sided compressor wheel runs in a single housing, allowing a single unit to function as a twin-turbocharger system in a smaller, more efficient package. It combines the fast response of a small turbocharger with the ability of a large turbocharger to move and compress large amounts of air. This arrangement shortens the connections between manifold and turbo, reducing the system’s overall volume, resulting in faster spool up and reduced lag. It also places components that need to be in cooler air away from hot exhaust pipes.
The fuel system injects fuel at more than 29,000 psi to eight-hole piezo injectors that deliver up to five injection events per cycle to spray fuel into the piston bowl. The direct-injection system is calibrated and phased for optimum power and fuel efficiency.
The exhaust gas after-treatment system meets the new, more stringent 2010 emissions requirements for nitrogen oxides, which have been lowered by approximately 80 percent. The system is the same as that offered by other automakers, using a three-stage process that requires the use of a urea solution that Ford calls Diesel Exhaust Fluid. This widely-available fluid, commonly known as Ad Blue, is added to an onboard storage tank through a port next to the fuel fill port.
The valvetrain features dual hydraulic lifters, improving performance and reliability by using two pushrods per cylinder instead of the conventional single pushrod.
An all-new six-speed automatic transmission was designed to manage the high torque produced by the new diesel engine. The improved fuel economy – up 18-percent over last year’s truck for best-in-class results – and greater capability – towing of 11,975 kilos (26,400 pounds) and a 2,957-kilgram (6,520-pound) payload – is due largely to the all-new 6R140 heavy-duty TorqShift six-speed automatic transmission. The new tranny is responsible for more than half of the overall improved fuel economy.
The new transmission features enhanced Tow Haul with integrated engine exhaust braking and SelectShift Automatic capability, which includes Progressive Range Select and a manual mode. A convenient rotary selector on a steering column-mounted stalk controls manual shifting.
A new, stronger torque converter is core to the improved transmission performance. It was designed to allow the transmission to lock earlier, and at a lower rpm—that translates into less slip and better fuel efficiency. The new design has more precise control of the lock-up clutch, allowing better control of converter clutch slip for smoother lock-to-lock upshifts.
The new transmission has a wide ratio span so the transmission now has a lower first gear for better off-the-line performance, and a taller overdrive ratio for improved highway efficiency. While the gearing itself is important, the key to overall efficiency is matching that gearing to the correct axle. With the diesel engine, up to four axle ratios are available on the pickups – 3.31, 3.55, 3.73 and 4.30.
The Power Take Off output gear is linked through the torque converter to the engine crankshaft. This allows the transmission to power auxiliary equipment such as snowplows, aerial lifts, tow truck lifts, cement mixers or dump trucks. The power is available any time the engine is running.
The 2011 Super Duty offers a factory-installed fifth wheel and gooseneck substructure directly attached to the frame. The upper fifth wheel structure can be removed from the bed in less than a minute, making the bed available for regular hauling chores and the gooseneck hitch ball can be removed in seconds. The electrical connection is mounted on the side of the bed wall, for a clean installation.
Ford’s Trailer Sway Control system, integrated with AdvanceTrac and Roll Stability Control monitors the truck’s motion when a trailer is attached. Trailer Sway Control can determine from the yaw motion of the truck if the trailer is swaying and can apply precise braking or reduce engine torque to help stop the trailer sway.
Normal braking is proportional to driver brake pressure for smooth brake stops. If the vehicle’s Anti-lock Brake System is engaged, the trailer brake kicks in to minimize trailer wheel lockup. In trucks with Trailer Brake Control towing trailers with electric brakes, the Ford system can, during a sway event, also apply brakes to the trailer to help stabilize it.
There’s much more to the new Super Duty—things like an information window on the instrument panel that you can scroll through to calculate travel time, average speed, distance and fuel economy. You can even get precise directions about connecting a trailer and it reminds you to plug in the wiring harness, hook up the safety chains and fold up the tongue jack.
And there’s a better ride, better handling and above all better fuel economy. If you really need a truck, take a look at this one.
Available now, 2011 Super Duty prices range from an MSRP of $35,499 to more than $80,000, from the base F-250 right up to the XXXL F-450. The body configurations and load capacities are as varied as your needs require and then some, allowing for the ideal truck for almost any requirement.
