Super Duty redesign?
 

Is the Super Duty line still slated for a complete makeover? I'd like to plan ahead.

I still think it's gonna be till '15 or '16 the earliest we'd see a new design.

i hope not. They dont really have any reason to. I think their sales are probably fine, and mechanically everything seems pretty fit right now. What do you think they would or should change if they did redesign it?

Complete make over? Meaning chassis and cab design? I doubt it. But we may see a new facade around 2015

I think Ford showcased the Atlas concept at the Detroit auto show as the new F series truck, but it looks like it will be for the F-150

Hopefully not, every new generation that comes out makes mine look that much older :)

I hope they don't make any major changes because if they did I have a bad feeling they'd put an IFS under the front and do away with the manual hubs. The only thing I don't like about the current SD is the huge grill.

Maybe they will update the frame and axles to give it more capacity. It's been a little over 7 years since the last update. I could use more carrying capacity in a SRW.

I heard 1-2 years ago that 2014 was the redesign. I seriously doubt they would put IFS under it. The cab still works well now, but Dodge has made huge advancements with their cab space, and GM with their frame strength. I'd like to see Ford stay on top. I think 15 years on a cab design is enough, and I'm ready to take it to the next level. I'm wondering if the fact that the Atlas concept looks bigger may signal a return to one common body for the F150 & Super Duty Like before 98. I may order a new F550 in the next 1-2 years, but really don't want the same cab again.

From what I have read the Atlas concept included the aluminum body and was only for the F150 platform.

Not gonna happen anymore. The tires themselves can't take the weight...

A complete makeover of chassis and all won't be for probably 5 more years. The last chassis ford had was around for 20+ years.

The new design will come when new mileage standards force it. What is the gvw cutoff where they are not included in the corporate average anymore?


When the epa mandates the 25/350 get 25mpg you will see a manor redesign!

And the 450 will become way more popular!!

there has to be changes in order to complete with Ram and their 2013's. But what the Changes will be is hard to say right now.

The Chassis is fine for me (I buy 550's), I just want a new/updated body with more interior room. My F150 Regular cab has a lot more cab length than My 550, and you can recline the seats. The last chassis design was 80-97. I heard a couple years ago class 2-5 Fuel economy standards are starting in 2014. NO specific numbers, but that they must improve by a percentage of previous years.

if they don't put a manual transmission in it they can make it look like a VW beetle or a Ferrari for all I care. They won't get dime one from me.

If they had a higher manual sales rate, they would've kept it. Not worth the extra expense for the few who feel this way. Dodge will probably follow suit in a couple years too.

Honestly the way trucks are going I doubt we will every see anything newer than the 03's.

can you get higher than 100%?

The take rate on the manual was something like less than 6% in overall truck sales. Some will try and say it was because of emissions, but I don't believe that. Just Ford limited the packages that could get the manual tranny so the order rate was low. If they offered it throughout all the trim levels the take rate would have remained higher. But at the same time lots of the guys who were ordering the higher trim trucks were not taking manuals because they just wanted the ease of driving the auto's, especially since the introduction of the torqueshift.

all the ford keep getting uglier. the messed up the mustang, super duty, (did away with the crwon vic, my work vehicle). best body for the mustang was 04 and best for super duty was 05-07. 08-11 was ok..., but still like the 05-07. 12 body style......grill is messed up, headlights dont look good, bubbly fenders, and not a fan of the location or look of the fender grills and f series emblem. ford needs to overhaul their exterior. interior is nice from what i see. best body style imo is dodge, theve come a LONG way with the exterior look

on a side note, what about these diesels. im a fan of the older diesels where you hear the chatter and smell a true diesel smell. now the new ones sound like a gasser with a million miles with a back knock and smell like chlorine. idk bout yall, but some black sot on the rear bumper just adds appeal.

I'm hoping they at least add an option for hid headlights. I like how quiet they are, my 7.3 gets annoying on longer trips or when I have to take a call and can't hear who im talking to...

I buy v10's since EPA killed the diesels. No engine problems at all since 06.

A retro dentside body design would be nice. Go back to the more rectangle wheel wells.

That's what GM is for. GM should add rectangular tires to match......

I think the last GM I rode in already had them!!!!

Why is everyone so stuck on the idea of a solid front axle? I would LOVE to see a heavy duty IFS underneath the next gen Super Duty. :-X22

People see what you get with the GM. Ifs with torsion bars doesn't ride as well as springs and look at the success that has been had with the current Ford setup.

That's true, but by those rights Henry Ford would have seen the success of the Model T and never gone forward with the development of the Model A, which was hugely successful. GM underwent a complete redesign of their IFS for 2011 and I think time will tell if it's much of an improvement over the previous design.

The current Ford system typically goes through balljoints before 100,000 miles, has issues with U-joints, needle bearings, and ESOF hub seals. Not saying that there's anything wrong with it, but there is ALWAYS room for improvement. And there are well-proven IFS systems that are out there.

http://www.oshkoshdefense.com/foleya...sVuE9SK3CzZjH0

The current Ford system typically goes through balljoints before 100,000 miles, has issues with U-joints, needle bearings, and ESOF hub seals. Not saying that there's anything wrong with it, but there is ALWAYS room for improvement. And there are well-proven IFS systems that are out there.

Not True. My current '05 (which has been traded for a'13) has 143782 miles on it and the front end has never been touch. In contrast the last chev ('98) had the front end totally replaced at 73673 miles and was ready for another front end at 106759 miles when I got rid of it for my current '05. A solid axle is by far better than IFS system.

Well you're in luck! All you need to do to get an IFS is get 2wd :)

Apparently it's already in testing :D

http://typophile.com/files/square-wheels_6612.jpg

So because yours hasn't had any issues you flatly declare them all bulletproof?

Yeesh...that ancient Twin I-beam front suspension isn't much to write home about either.

I'm not trying to say that the solid front axle is a bad thing, but there are some great reasons for IFS. And the idea that you can't design an IFS system that's tough enough is a complete myth. I like my Excursion and it's solid axle, but I would like it better if it had a solid independent setup.

IFS is great for serious off roading, and Sunday drives. solid fronts are good for heavy duty stuff. I think the reasoning is that our trucks are targeted at hauling not off roading. Obviously we push them off road but they aren't rock climbers. I feel that a SA is very appropriate. It would be nice to have the option of both, perhaps as a heavy duty front suspension package. But the overhead for such a thing would be too great.

Same as I heard, or researched. I'm at a business school now and did a project on the Chevy Volt. Lots of info came of the research including new goverment fuel regs in the form of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. Basically, every manufacturers fleet must meet a minimum fuel economy each year, and this number grows significantly each year. 1 or 2 hybrids in each fleet will no longer be enough to meet the CAFE in a few years. Hence the aluminum body F150 and who knows what mods to super duty trucks in the future. I don't think beefier axles that can increase GVWR and GCWR are top priority on Ford's future planning:'(.

Sorry, but that might be the one thing that would put me in a Dodge. Just some reasons why IFS sucks:

-overall weaker than solid axle
-hardly any suspension travel
-more expensive/complicated to lift

The only benefit is a nicer ride, which I don't see why everyone is so concerned with (i.e. the softer rear springs in the 11+ that squat like crazy). Its a heavy duty truck and should be designed for payload capacity, not a smooth ride.

Just for reference, the only time IFS tends to be a better choice off road is for high speed stuff. Rock crawlers tend to be much better off with a proper solid axle. Even the six-figure, ground-up custom rigs driven by the pros use solid axles. For everything but Baja races and such, a solid axle tends to be preferred.

While I'm sure it's technologically possible to engineer an IFS system that won't go pigeon-toed like when Chevys are pushed hard, I can't imagine it's worth it. They'll still be much more complex in design with more parts to break, more complex to maintain properly, more painful to lift, and more painful to work on. And while now the D60 is getting unit bearings for some reason, at least the have the option of switching back to proper spindles and hubs.

By the way...Bruin008, you really think that old 4th generation Mustang was the best looking one? Really? Better looking than the 5th? I can't imagine you'll find too many people who'd agree with you.

SFA gets my money. IFS goes to the scrap yard.

IFS rides like a car on the hwy. That is the draw to them. But too weak overall and not a serious competitor for anything of real weight in its current form.

I Prefer the SFA especially for the heavier towing.

You can avoid ESOF problems by getting a manual 4x4 system.

Not like a GM. Like the '73-'79 wheel wells. The rounded ones have been around since '87.

It'd be nice to get an IFS for the 4x2s. Twin I's are fine until the springs wear down. Then they just eat tires.