Ford introduced its 2015 F-Series Super Duty lineup at the Texas State Fair and the big news is a better Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel engine. They’ve also beefed up the F-450 to make it even tougher and have refreshed the styling on the King Ranch.
The new Power Stroke features a larger GT37 turbocharger that measures 72.5 millimeters in diameter versus the smaller GT32 it replaces which came in at 64 millimeters. This means exhaust gases have a larger surface area to spin the turbo so you’ll get extra power.
The GT37 also has a single 88 millimeter compressor wheel that replaces the GT32’s dual-sided design. This will improve performance particularly at high altitude where the air is thinner.
Since the new turbo operates at lower peak pressure, Ford was able to eliminate the wastegate system and make the overall engine less complex. The larger turbo also means better engine exhaust braking that’s controlled by a push-button switch on the dash. This will help reduce wear and tear with less manual braking required from the driver, particularly on downhill grades.
There’s also a new high pressure fuel pump and fuel injectors to improve fuel delivery and combustion with less noise and vibration. A new exhaust temperature sensor helps give more accurate fuel control to improve durability, especially while towing.
Additional changes include piston assembly upgrades, redesigned turbo oil and cooling lines, a new polymer coating on main bearings, a new five-layer head gasket and added material on the cylinder heads, exhaust manifold and valvetrain to handle the increased power.
The Ford F-450 gets updates that let it better handle its fierce towing capabilities. It’s got a stronger frame and suspension as well as commercial-grade 19.5-inch wheels and tires. They’ve upgraded rear driveline U-joints, increased the fifth-wheel and gooseneck trailer capacity, given it stronger steering gears and linkages, and upgraded the suspension.
Ford gave its Super Duty King Ranch edition cosmetic upgrades both inside and out. You’ll find the Running W emblem as been tweaked to look more as if it’s been branded into the seats. The Mesa leather is a little lighter and there’s a new darker Caribou paint for the wheel lip, bumpers and lower body.
Check out this TFLtruck reveal video of the 2015 Ford F-450 Platinum :
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole also writes for NerdApproved and GeekMom.
