New Ford Super Duty Chassis & Engine get Bump for 2017 [News]

2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty

In a press release Tuesday, Ford announced the all-new 2017 Super Duty chassis cab will receive a 40,000-pound gross combined weight rating for its commercial trucks. The Super Duty chassis serves as the backbone for the F-350, F-450, and F-550, and previously had a 35,000-pound GCWR. According to Ford, the new rating will be best in class. In addition, the new Super Duty’s chassis cab will also have a best-in-class front gross axle weight rating of 7,500 pounds, which is a 500-lb increase over the 2016 Super Duty chassis cab.

To achieve the higher ratings, Ford says the 2017 Super Duty frame is stronger, utilizing 95% high-strength steel and through-welded cross-members in its construction. The body will also be lighter through the use of an aluminum alloy. All in all, the new truck will be 350 lbs lighter than the previous generation.

The ratings given in the press release pertain to commercial F-Series trucks, however. An interesting point of consideration is that the 2016 Super Duty with the 6.7L Power Stroke turbo-diesel already has a maximum GCWR of 40,400 pounds in non-commercial applications. Does this mean the rating will also increase for these vehicles? The answer to that question to do not know yet.

Helping pull the additional weight the new chassis cab can handle will be the second-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbo-diesel V8. Paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission, the engine gets an additional 30 horsepower and 90 lb-ft of torque. The maximum ratings will be 330 hp and 750 lb-ft. Please keep in mind that this rating is for the commercial version of the engine. This is not the consumer version that will be announced later for the F-250 and F-350 Super Duties.

We are looking forward to testing a 2017 Super Duty on the Ike Gauntlet, as we would love to see how it stacks up against the competition. Until then, check out the Ram HD 3500 dually completing its run. The Chevy HD 3500 Ike video will be coming soon.

Brian Waring
Brian is an engineer by trade but his true passion is anything automotive. He wakes up every morning to search the web for the latest industry news. He enjoys taking his Tacoma 4×4 off-road in the mountains of Colorado where he spends his free time hiking, biking, and snowboarding with his wife and dogs near their Rocky Mountain home.