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Ford announced the all-new 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty chassis cab.
The all-new F-350, F-450 and F-550 chassis cab lineup is optimized to help commercial customers be more productive on the job – from clearing snow-filled streets to rescuing stranded motorists to restoring power in a storm.
“Commercial truck customers need tough, capable trucks that can haul heavy equipment to crush challenging jobs,” said Craig Schmatz, Ford Super Duty chief engineer. “The innovations our team has put into the next-generation Super Duty chassis cab are paying off by delivering capability that surpasses the competition.”
The all-new frame features 95 percent high-strength steel with eight times more torsional rigidity than the previous frame, through-welded crossmembers, and fully boxed rails under the cab and forward for strength and safety. Open C-channel frame rails behind the cab enable easy body and vocational equipment upfits. All these improvements help deliver the best-in-class 40,000-lb maximum gross combined weight rating and the 500-lb increase in front gross axle weight rating, along with increased towing capacity over the previous Super Duty chassis cab.
Using advanced materials, Ford is saving up to 350 lbs of weight in the all-new F-Series Super Duty – reinvesting that savings into tougher, stronger components.
For the first time, the Super Duty body uses high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloy throughout the cab, which improves dent and ding resistance while saving weight for significant increases in towing and payload capability.
“We are reinvesting the weight saved by using advanced materials, giving that savings back to customers with more capability and performance than ever,” said Schmatz.
In addition to the heavier-duty fully boxed frame under the cab, many components are more robust in the new Super Duty, including axles, suspension, driveline and towing hardware.
The all-new 2017 Super Duty chassis cab with the proven Ford-built second-generation 6.7L Power Stroke V8 diesel paired with a commercial-grade six-speed 6R140 automatic transmission adds 30hp and 90 ft/lbs of torque for a maximum rating of 330hp and 750 ft/lbs. of torque – the highest ever for Super Duty chassis cab.
Ford is the only heavy duty truck manufacturer to design and build its own diesel engine and transmission combination, ensuring the powertrain will work seamlessly with all chassis components and vehicle calibrations – from concept to execution. The approach enables Ford engineers to optimize vehicle performance across the entire lineup.