August 16th, 2007

Ford's New, 2008 F-Series Trucks

According to Ford, their F-Series pickup trucks have been America's best-selling full-size pickups for 30 years. I learned why at the company's Premier Automotive Group (PAG) headquarters building in Irvine, CA. Ford's approach to truck design places a lot of emphasis on listening to drivers to learn how they use their trucks, in order to give them what they want and need.

Senior Ford engineers conducted demonstrations for us to compare their F-150 to Toyota's Tundra and Chevrolet's Silverado. There are distinct, fundamental differences between these competing trucks. One demonstration involved the application of weight to each of the three vehicles' frames and then measuring how much they deflected. Ford's tested best (F-150 - 0.934, Silverado - 1.550 and Tundra - 2.426).

Foose F-150

An engineer compared features of each of the trucks' frame designs. Important differences included frame depth, welds versus rivets, the number of points where the cab is attached to the frame and more. Another demo revealed significant differences in the trucks' rear leaf springs, including their width. Only Ford uses two bolts, not one, to fasten the leaf springs together. Advantage Ford.

In another test we applied torque to a leaf spring bolt from each truck, noting how much torque it took to make them stretch and then break. Advantage Ford again.

A video showed each truck driving along a very rough test track. We observed how well each vehicle remained in control and how much each truck's bed moved relative to its cab. The Ford appeared to be upset the least by the rough road, thanks in large part to the torsional rigidity of its frame. We moved outside to see some of the new F-Series trucks. Chip Foose introduced us to his new Foose F-150.

A special Harley-Davidson F-150 was unveiled, against a background of two Harley-Davidson motorcycles which stood in the water feature in front of the PAG headquarters building. I drove a Harley-Davidson F-150 on the freeway. Its combination of a sporty exhaust note, powerful supercharged engine and decent handling on the on- and off-ramps made it fun to drive.

Supercharged Harley-Davidson F-150

I also drove a beautifully detailed F-150 Lariat Limited along the same route. However, its comparatively leisurely acceleration and its more truck-like cornering capabilities really made me appreciate the performance benefits of the Harley-Davidson model.

For secure storage, an innovative new, factory-installed cargo management system will be available with the 6.5-ft. Styleside box. It includes strong, integrated, easily moveable crossbars and two lockable storage boxes.

Another new, recently introduced storage solution is the F-150 mid-box. It provides secure storage behind lockable, double-paneled doors near the front of the bed, on both sides. Sliding drawers can be fitted into the enclosed space. It is available on the Regular Cab with the 145-inch wheelbase and on the SuperCab with the 163-inch wheelbase.

F-150 mid-box

I wish that one new feature that I tried was available on all new vehicles. It is a backup camera system, but instead of using an expensive navigation system screen that you need to look down at, the screen is in the interior rear view mirror - right where you'd look naturally when backing up. That and the audible alert tones, in conjunction with huge exterior side mirrors, make backing up without hitting anything much easier.

Ford's F-Series trucks have earned a reputation for being tough. They have "more trucks on the road with 250,000 miles or more than any other brand." To demonstrate this toughness, Ford assembled a team of seven drivers, gave them a 2008 F-Series Super Duty truck equipped with the new 6.4 liter Power Stroke twin turbo diesel engine, attached a large, heavily loaded trailer and sent them on a long, cross-country trip called "BOLD ENDURES," "America's Toughest Road Test."

2008 Ford F-Series Super Duty

They drove 150,000 miles in only 131 days, covering the 48 lower states, Alaska and seven Canadian provinces. That's just over 1,145 miles per day. To accomplish that feat they drove 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Trouble-free, their truck pulled an amazing 18,000 pounds for 100,000 miles, and around 14,000 pounds for the other 50,000 miles.

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Copyright © 2007 Jan R. Wagner - #243nr4 AutoMatters