Forum Discussion
85 Replies
- I too like the new features, bigger cab, and chassis refinements on the new Superduties. While not a huge fan of the new body styling, I'm sure it will grow on me.
I am however a bit disappointed in the performance of these new rigs. I fully expected the aluminum bodies and increased torque to have some actual real world benefits that would be demonstrated in these types of challenges.
To see the 2017 F350 come up short in the Ike Gauntlet surprised me and made me that much happier I bought a 2015 F450 instead of waiting 6 months for the 2017's. And why did they lose the massive S130 rear axle for the 2017 F450's? Was it to save weight?
Is the torque management that much more aggressive in the new models? The 2015 F450 dominated the competition with less torque? What's up? - I tow an RV as well as haul all sorts of equipment or other "stuff" on a tandem dually gooseneck. Any 22000 lb RV will tow easier than the equipment they towed behind the 1 tons. When they are only travelling 45 mph and going up a steep incline with 30,000 lbs GCVW the wind resistance is a very small part of the equation. The wind and rolling resistance combined at 45 mph is not going to require over 80 hp to overcome where as 287 HP are required to lift a truck and trailer up an 8% grade at 45 mph excluding wind and rolling resistance. So a total rear wheel HP of 367 rear wheel HP would be required for an 8,000 lb truck to tow a 22000 lb rv up an 8% grade at 45 mph with only somewhere around 35 of that 367 Hp being used to overcome wind resistance. At 65 mph more like 90 Hp is required to overcome air resistance.
ShinerBock wrote:
All things aside, any truck that can tow 12,500 lbs up and down a road like that while easily able to maintain the speed limit both ways is a winner in my book.
My only wish is for them to take something with a little more frontal area up the Ike like a 13k fifth wheel. That would probably make those trucks work a little harder and not able to hold the speed limit.
You want full frontal??
Sorry had to. Nah I agree they should be towing RVs to get a better handle on true towing capabilities.- Sounds like the new Ford is doing great! Glad to see competition, which will drive the other 2 to make better products. My good friend has a 2016 F350 with the 6.7 and he LOVES it. My cousin has a 2011 F250 with the 6.7 and he LOVES it. Sounds like a great engine that is getting better and better as they continue to refine it. While I can't afford one, it sure looks like a winner to me!
1jeep wrote:
All the BS about new frame and alum body and how it would change the payload and towing capability. Yet this truck is rated to carry only about 100 lbs than my previous 2011 f250. also they can rate it to tow a million pound trailer it still cant carry the tongue or pin weight!
Sometimes people tow trailers that aren't RVs. It's pretty easy to adjust a load on a utility trailer to take you up to the max tow weight without exceeding the carrying capacity of the truck.ShinerBock wrote:
brulaz wrote:
ShinerBock wrote:
RCMAN46 wrote:
They did say at 3:11 in the 3500 video the Ram required three brake applications.
That was because they did not put the Ram in Auto mode. If they did, then it would have automatically downshifted to maintain speed just like the Ford and GM did. The Rams have two modes for its exhaust brake. Full mode for those who like to manually gear down and Auto mode for those that like the computer to do everything.
Hmmmmm. Not sure about this. I thought RAM's aggressive downshifting was controlled entirely by T/H mode, not the mode of the exhaust brake.
I've used Full exhaust brake mode down some steep Appalachian slopes, along with T/H, and it definitely downshifts aggressively. Can't imagine Auto mode doing it any better.
Full mode will slow down the truck even when it's not accelerating. Auto mode only activates when it is accelerating, or you touch the brakes.
Puckuptrucks.com(and myself) has already tested this. They had less brakes applications using the EB in Auto mode than in regular mode.
They actually had to hit the accelerator because it slowed them down too much versus no accelerator touches in regular mode. Don't imagine it not doing any better, try it and see.
Interesting, and thanks for the tip. I'll try Auto next time.
But I can see how the Ike Gauntlet folks would think Full mode would give you more aggressive breaking, both engine and exhaust.
My apologies to Ford fans for veering off into a RAM topic.
EDIT: I found the pickuptrucks.com articles that Shiner refs:
http://special-reports.pickuptrucks.com/2014/08/ultimate-one-ton-hd-challenge-davis-dam-exhaust-brake-test.html
http://special-reports.pickuptrucks.com/2014/08/ultimate-one-ton-hd-challenge-eisenhower-pass-exhaust-braking.html
Very interesting results for all 3 trucks.- All things aside, any truck that can tow 12,500 lbs up and down a road like that while easily able to maintain the speed limit both ways is a winner in my book.
My only wish is for them to take something with a little more frontal area up the Ike like a 13k fifth wheel. That would probably make those trucks work a little harder and not able to hold the speed limit. - 2 things stood out to me...
All the BS about new frame and alum body and how it would change the payload and towing capability. Yet this truck is rated to carry only about 100 lbs than my previous 2011 f250. also they can rate it to tow a million pound trailer it still cant carry the tongue or pin weight!
PRICE...At $75k this truck has a higher sticker price than my 2016 F350 DRW Platinum.
While the torque ratings are getting close to 1000tq, the price tags are getting close to $100k. - My experience with the auto setting on my exhaust brake is consistent with ShinerBock's explanation. I've come down some serious western grades with it and not had to touch the brakes other than where I've had to slow down more for corners. One quirk with my truck is that the exhaust brake symbol doesn't switch to green in auto mode. It works fine, though.
Fordlover wrote:
ShinerBock wrote:
... Although he would be lying if he said he could have broke the speed limit all the way up the hill. When they took the decibel reading, he clearly said he was wide open throttle yet not exceeding the speed limit.
Not at all. If he exceeded the speed limit at the beginning of the run, he was saying he could have maintained >60 MPH over the entire run. That's not the same as saying he could accelerate more at any point of the run. At that point he may not have been able to accelerate any more, but as the grade decreases (they mentioned they were at the steepest portion) they would have picked up more speed.
What was stated here was that he said he could exceed the speed limit at ANY point in the run, not just the beginning or the flat parts. That is why I stated that they would be lying because he was at wide open throttle at that point in the run while not exceeding the speed limit.
