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Ford 2005 Super Duties on Steroids.
 It's so fun to see what truck manufactures
come up with for new models! At the Ford Proving Grounds in Arizona, I drove the new 2005 Ford Super Duties off road and pulling
the heaviest of trailers on Fords oval track and on the winding Arizona
interstate. The Ford 2005 Super Duty has few changes to the
body, but the muscles have gone threw the gamma rays like the Hulk. Yeah the
Tonka Hulk. As heavy duty pickup trucks improve at a dramatically faster
rate than say just ten years ago, faster improvements means better choices.
Ford found it's limitations in the past Super Duty line F250 thru F550 and
the changes made for 2005 will be welcomed by the truck owner who works their
trucks with large loads and trailers as 90% of Super Duty owners tow
trailers.
New for 2005, Ford increased payload and trailering
capacities with real changes, not just numbers. The frame is thicker, the
axle tubes are thicker, and more gussets at cross members. The new Super
Duty's turning radius is shorter, the steering is tighter, the brakes are
larger, thicker larger wheels, improved ride and an industry first, optional
trailer brake controller built into the dash that activates the electric
trailer brakes the same time as the truck hydraulic brakes. The only
puzzling change to the 2005 Ford Super Duty, is the diesel power barely
increased. But the gas engines for 2005 do have more power with 3 valves per
cylinder, variable cam timing and now use the TorqShift 5-speed automatic
transmission used in Ford's 6.0L Power Stroke diesel.
See what 2005 Ford truck owners
are saying.
The pickup truck diesel power race, pushed to
600 lb-ft of torque by Dodge at the start of the year, looks to be what most
folks have measured the category leader with. It's bold of Ford not to
leap frog the competition and only raise the torque to 570 for it's 2005
models. Ford has instead decided to be the leader in capacity and braking,
which I'm glad to see safety as a key feature in the trucks that tow the
longer and heavier trailers each year.
In comparison trailer pulling at the Ford
track, driving a Dodge 2004.5 Cummins diesel, GM 2004.5 Duramax diesel and
the Ford 2005 Navistar diesel, all automatic transmissions with 3.73 rear
axle ratio's, Ford didn't come in second or third as we switched trucks in
the quarter mile racing, pulling 13,400 # 5th wheel trailers as fast as we
could. The same Ford winning streak happened with gas trucks pulling 10,800
# trailers with a 2005 Ford 6.8L V-10, 2004 GM 8.1L V-8 and Dodge's 2004 5.7L V-8
Hemi, all automatic transmissions. The weight distributing hitches that all
the conventional trailers we towed where equipped with, were set at 10% of
the trailer tongue weight.
  New
for 2005 Ford F450/550, are bigger muscles with a thicker frame, wheels and
axle tubes along with a wider front axle to decrease the turning radius by
12 ft. With a 45 degree front turning angle, I could turn shorter with the
2005 Ford F550 than the GM C5500 with it's 54 degree wheel cut angle and the
same wheelbase. New for 2005 too on the F450/550 are 10-bolt wheels
replacing the 8-bolt wheels. The F450's front axle is rated at 7000# for
2005.
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| The Super Duty frame is still C-channel, which I was
glad to see. Besides being easier to add aftermarket products like bed
ball hitches, a C-channel frame allows more flex under load and flexing
is better than breaking. Look at the frame of a Peterbilt or Kenworth, all C-channel. |
Opposing rear shocks improve the ride.
New thicker frame (7.1 ml) with more bracing and thicker axle housing tubes,
along with thicker wheels, all contribute to higher payload and trailer
capacity that's not just numbers. |
The front frame cross member is gusseted
to the frame for strength. All new front axle configuration is still a
mono beam, but coil springs replace the leaf springs for a softer ride
and the ability to turn a 5' tighter circle. |
 Driving
or should I say flying over an off-road course on the Ford Proving Grounds,
was invigorating. The new drag link front axles with coil springs have more
travel than the leaf springs they replace and the off-set rear shocks all
add to the new Super Duty's ability to handle rough roads smoother than
previous models.
Pulling and stopping the "Whopper" 15,000 lbs of bumper
trailer!
 Finally
after all the cards and letters, someone at Ford listened to the need for a
factory installed trailer brake controller called "TowCommand". I help
moderate trailer website forums and hear of the frustrations, even
with factory installed trailer brake wiring harness's on tow packages. There
can still be difficulties hooking up aftermarket brake controllers and adjusting them.
And with the new for 2005 model year, larger trailer capacities of 17,000 lbs
5th wheel/gooseneck and 15,000 lbs conventional tow trailer, stopping the
extra weight is engineered into truck from the start.
The Ford TowCommand
trailer brake controller is built and engineered jointly with Tekonsha who
is famous for their Prodigy trailer brake controller. With adjustable gain
in a digital readout, the Ford "built into the dash" trailer brake
controller was smooth braking even pulling a 15,000 lb triple axle
conventional trailer. We did the fast lane changes and panic stopping on
Ford's oval track. TowCommand being different from most aftermarket brake
controllers, ties into the trucks hydraulics', so it senses truck brake
pressure and can apply trailer brakes as fast as the truck's brakes. Master
Brake Systems BrakeSmart trailer brake controller is the only controller that I
knew of that tapped into the trucks hydraulic lines in modern trucks.
Before ABS came to trucks in the eighties, most brake
controllers worked this way. And in an emergency situation with the trucks
ABS activated, Ford's new TowCommand can reduce the trailer brake pressure
(gain) as it
communicates with the truck's computer for faster reaction time with
proportional trailer brake control to prevent the trailer brakes from
locking up. TowCommand also will tell you in the digital readout if your
trailer wires disconnect from the truck. All these features will make towing
your trailer in heavy traffic less hectic. Next to the TowCommand in the
picture above are optional toggle switches you can use for a snow plow,
lights, etc. Nice having a factory switch panel wired for accessories. I use
to have many wires dangling from my trucks fuse box for my accessories.
"Drivers start your glow plugs." Journalist's racing to get
the King Ranch or the dualies. Pulling conventional trailers and
5th-wheel trailers in Arizona at maximum trailer weight.
 Since I've never seen a 15k
weight distributing hitch, I'm assuming it's a custom job.
This conventional triple axle trailer weighed 15,000 lbs. The 2005 Ford F350
dually handled it well.
These new 2005 Super Duty's will be welcome news for folks
who tow heavy 5th wheels, travel trailers and horse trailers. In my Insider
Club were I give specific truck advice, it's been hard to recommend Ford in
situations were folks need to haul a large slide in camper or the heavier
5th wheel/gooseneck trailers as Ford's payload and trailer capacity was
lower than GM and Dodge. Now theirs 3 choices again that can be used at
their GCWR, GVWR and keep the your insurance company happy as well as law
officials.
 The built in, TowCommand" trailer brake controller, higher payloads and trailer capacity
are real improvements that impress me more than all the chrome and fancy
paint. And
there's nothing wrong with turning tighter for a smaller circle either. The new
front suspension changes improve the handling and steering with trailers.
Now with Fords first tracking bar in a Super Duty to stabilize the axle with
coil springs, it is large, greaseable and adjustable. Learning from Dodge truck tracking
bars, with wear problems 1994-2002.
For 2005 Ford has increased the wheel size on F250/350 to
a standard 17" wheel with an 18" option. The brakes are larger on all the
Super Duties. Now the GM 8.1L gas engine with the Allison automatic
transmission has some competition, as all the Super Duty engines, gas and
diesel now can have the optional 5R110 TorqShift automatic that was
introduced in the 2003 6.0L Power Stroke diesel.
The Harley-Davidson 2005 model F250/350 features 20"
wheels and an optional "wet on wet" flame paint option. A newer bolder grill
sets off the bolder looking truck.
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| !5,000 #'s of conventional trailer. That's a bunch.
The receiver hitch available for Super Duty F350 dually, called class V
is a 2.5" for larger drawbars. It comes with a reducer so your 2" weight
distributing hitch and drawbars will still work. The Class V receiver
hitch is rated 6000#'s for weight carrying hitch and #15,000 #'s for
weight distributing hitch. |
Read Ford's 05 Super Duty Press Release
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Roadside Assistance for Equestrians.
This
is an ideal electrical
connection for your trailer.
