Ford and Chevy get all twisted up
With Fox off the Dish air, I now have a little time to browse other on-line providers. I've been wrestling with frame twist and how it effects the new Ford all aluminum frame 1 series, and other curre...
Forum Discussion
Another large advancement has been the CAN bus, and ECM/TCM matching. My current F-150 has no mechanical throttle. The cruise control and accelerator are all completely handled by the ECM.
It is only getting more interesting... Mercedes is speccing a 7 speed auto to get a four-banger in the Sprinter to be able to handle such a heavy vehicle, and Fiat has a 9 speed AMT transmission in the works.
Ford's EcoBoost technology is also maturing. At first, it was good for car engines, but proved itself in the F-150, and I would not be surprised to see an EB V-8 in a forthcoming 3/4 to 1 ton. The advantage of this is the engine loses significantly less power at higher elevations.
I think the AMT transmissions will definitely be where future improvements go. Essentially it is a manual gearbox, with the computer handling the clutch and shiftwork.
As for frame twisting, does the 2015 F-150 apply to 3/4 tons and up which are the mainstay for truck campers? I'd say the biggest issue before frame twist ever rears its head the half ton's payload capacity.
It is only getting more interesting... Mercedes is speccing a 7 speed auto to get a four-banger in the Sprinter to be able to handle such a heavy vehicle, and Fiat has a 9 speed AMT transmission in the works.
Ford's EcoBoost technology is also maturing. At first, it was good for car engines, but proved itself in the F-150, and I would not be surprised to see an EB V-8 in a forthcoming 3/4 to 1 ton. The advantage of this is the engine loses significantly less power at higher elevations.
I think the AMT transmissions will definitely be where future improvements go. Essentially it is a manual gearbox, with the computer handling the clutch and shiftwork.
As for frame twisting, does the 2015 F-150 apply to 3/4 tons and up which are the mainstay for truck campers? I'd say the biggest issue before frame twist ever rears its head the half ton's payload capacity.
