I got a '97 Heavy Duty and have asked a couple people what the diff is and haven't had two people tell me the same answer. I figured as stupid a question as it is that someone here knows the answer. Sorry, but it is kind of bugging me.

 

As far as I know the "Super Duty" label came on the '99+ model years F250's and 350's, whereas the "heavy duty" was on the '97 F250's due to the 2 models in 97. There was the HD model which you and I have and the Light Duty which looked like the 97+ F150's.
Mike

 

Actually, the "HD" or Heavy Duty was offered as far back as at least 1994 I believe. I had a 1994 F250 HD as I remember. I believe they built two versions of the F250 with the lighter version rated at about 6,600 lbs. gross weight and the HD version was more like 8,800 lbs., don't hold me to the exact figures because I'm going by memory. I think the lighter F250 might have been equivalent to what they used to call a "heavy half", or a beefier half ton truck. If you have the "HD" version, I think you have the equivalent of the modern day Super Duty. Please correct me anyone if that isn't the case.

 

Hello there I own a 94.5 and it is a F450 superduty ,so whats up with that.

 

I believe, and I might be wrong, that Super Duty used to only apply to the medium duty+ trucks. That label now refers, I think, to all F250+ trucks. The F250HD was used to destinguish between that model and the F250LD which is now basically an F150 with the 7700 GVWR package.

 

I have an 89 F250 that I believe is an HD. Check out the hubs. If they fill up the hole in the stock steel wheels, it's an HD. If they are considerably smaller like most are, it isn't. I could be proven wrong about the verbiage though. I do know there are two different hub sizes though.

 

F-450 and up in the nineties were called Superduty's. The were usually flatbed towtrucks and dump trucks. 99 on they called everything from the F-250 to 550 superdutys.

 

Yes my 94.5 F450 superduty is a flatbed and man will she ever haul a load.

 

The F-250 had a light duty and heavy duty version from about the mid 80's on up. The light duty had semi floating axles and a lower GVW. The heavy duty had a full floater and over 8500 gvw.

Super duties prior to 99 were confusing. I'm not sure exactly what determined one, because you could have a 350 and a 350 super duty, then there was just an F-super duty etc.

Chris

 

I'm getting a headache just reading this............

 

hd is a hd,, a sd is a hd. they a started in 99 with the same base in platfrom ie: 4 wheel disc,soild axels,leaf springs and so on. then the marking dept. come in and started push the name with this killer looking truck and we eat it up.

 

OK, what I'm getting from this and from the other people I talked to is that it was simply a name change. No specific reason, other than it is easier to just call all 250s and up Super Duties instead of changing the name for the different weight categories.

 

i think in the end ,that would be fair to say

 

I just bought a 93 F250. When the bank ran the vin it was identified as an "Extended Duty" truck. From what I can determine this is an F250 with one ton axles. The GVW is 8800.

John

 

I just bought a SUPER HEAVY DUTY....so there