Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'f-150'.
Found 11 results
-
John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 7-24-2019 Ford has been working hard behind the scenes to develop the world's first mass-produced, mainstream electric pickup truck. That development is now to the point where Ford is ready to start showing off a bit. This week, Ford's chief engineer for the F-150, Linda Zhang, hooked up the test mule to ten double-decker rail cars. She then tugged that train 1,000 feet. To add a bit of drama, she then loaded up 42 F-150s into those rail cars and did it again. Clearly, electric trucks will be tow monsters. Ford is one of the best-positioned automakers to advance its fleet with electric drive. Ford is now a partner with not only Rivian, who is developing a luxury EV pickup, but also with VW. No other automaker has as much to lose by falling behind in the EV transition, and no other automaker seems better positioned to profit from EVs when they are finally ready for the masses. Related Story: Is GM Working On EV Pickups?
-
John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 5-9-2018 A fire at Wangfen Automotive Holding Group’s Meridian Lightweight Technologies plant in Eaton Rapids, Michigan has halted production of the Ford F-150. The plant makes structural components like radiator cradles in the F-150 and Super Duty trucks. It also makes instrument housings. Ford says that its business accounts for roughly a third of the plant’s production output. That leads us to wonder if GM might also be affected. “This is a fluid situation, but we are working closely with our supplier and UAW partners to do everything we can to limit the impact on our production,” said Joe Hinrichs, executive vice president and president of Ford global operations, said in a statement. “It’s a full team effort and we’re confident that any impacts will be short term. The good news is we have strong inventories of our best-selling F-series pickups and other vehicles, and customers won’t have a problem finding the model they want.” GM says that the company's products may be spared from shutdowns due to shortages. “At this point, there has been no immediate impact to our operations,” confirmed a spokesperson for the carmaker. “Our global supply chain team continues to monitor the situation.” News reports say that the employees recognized the danger. One former employee said, "I'm not surprised it didn't blow up years ago." See video for details. The plant fire also included explosions, which makes it unlikely that a quick return to production will be possible for Meridian. The company specializes in work involving magnesium. Magnesium is flammable and difficult to extinguish once oxidation starts.
-
John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 1-8-2018 Ford announced a sixth engine option for the F-150 line this week. The new engine is a 3.0-liter, V6 “Power Stroke” turbo diesel. The new engine will produce its peak torque of 440 ft-lbs at 1,750 RPM. To make the most of that twist, Ford has mated it to a diesel-specific SelectShift 10-speed automatic transmission which can shift non-sequentially. In other words, it can skip over gears to find the right one for the circumstances. Ford’s aim is to produce the best towing combination in the F-150’s class in terms of efficiency and drivability. “For every truck owner who wants strong fuel economy while they tow and haul, we offer a new 3.0-liter Power Stroke V6 engine that dreams are made of,” said Dave Filipe, vice president global powertrain engineering. “The more you tow and the longer you haul, the more you’ll appreciate its class-leading towing and payload capacity and how efficient it is at the pump.” The new 3-liter Power Stroke diesel has just 250 hp, but will be able to tow up to 11,400 pounds and has a 2,020-pound payload capacity. Ford says this combination makes the new F-150 the best-in-class hauler. Going further, Ford says that this new drivetrain will be the best hauler in the most severe conditions. Rather than an electric cooling fan, Ford has opted for a premium mechanical engine-driven fan plus dual radiator shutters for improved high temperature, high-altitude performance. “We know that competing diesels with electric cooling fans have to dial back on power under extreme heat and altitude, so we decided on a viscous-controlled mechanical fan that has the capacity to move much more air across the radiator and intercooler in extreme conditions,” said David Ives, Ford diesel engine technical specialist. “This gives F-150 Power Stroke owners more power and more passing capability in harsh conditions.” Ford says that in moderate driving and towing conditions, the F-150 engine control system will back off the fan load through a viscous coupler and close the radiator shutters for improved aerodynamic efficiency and reduced parasitic engine loss. Ford’s extensive experience with boosted engines shows in the new engine’s design. With a focus on reducing turbo lag, Ford incorporated a high-efficiency variable-geometry turbocharger. Fuel injection is via a common-rail fuel injection system with a 29,000 pounds per square inch injection calibration. Ford promises smoother, quieter operation and reduced emissions. Borrowing from the new 2.7-liter turbocharged gasoline engine in its trucks, the new Ford V6 diesel uses a compacted-graphite iron block material and has a forged-steel crank. Other features of the new engine include dual fuel filters, a cast-aluminum oil pan, and a two-stage oil pump. Ford says the new 3-liter turbodiesel F-150 can be ordered in either rear-wheel drive or 4X4 in the following configurations starting this month: Retail customers: - 2018 F-150 Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum edition SuperCrew trucks with either a 5.5-foot or 6.5-foot bed configuration, and SuperCab trucks with a 6.5-foot bed configuration. Commercial Fleet Customers: - All F-150 trim levels with SuperCrew 5.5-foot or 6.5-foot bed configurations and SuperCab trucks with a 6.5 foot bed.
-
John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 11-28-2017 Please don't kill the messenger! Motor Trend has named the Ford F-150 its “Truck of the Year” in the same week U.S. News & World Report Autos chose Ford as the best truck brand. Ford can’t seem to lose a contest these days. These wins come just a few weeks after the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) named the F-150 the Truck of Texas for the second straight year. Nic Phillips, President of TAWA, said of its group’s award, “Ford’s 2018 F-150 Pickup, boosted by its extreme performance 2018 Raptor model along with updated EcoBoost engines and 10-speed transmissions, convinced our journalists to bestow the trophy.” U.S. News said of the F-150, “The Ford F-150 nabbed the Best Truck Brand award for Ford, with the F-150's capability, safety, and high-tech features putting it over the top.” What say you GM-Trucks.com faithful? Will GM’s Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra turn the tide in the 2019 model-year with new updates and designs and do these awards even matter?
-
The exact cause of the problem is related to the output speed sensor on the vehicle’s transmission lead frame. Dealers will inspect the transmission, note and then clear any codes, update the transmission software and also replace the transmission lead frame. Ford is also extending the warranty coverage of that part to 10 years and 150K miles. The transmission related to this recall is the Ford 6R80. This is a six-speed transmission that Ford manufacturers under license. If you have one of the vehicles listed above and want to check to see if your vehicle is included in the recall please click this link. -
From the album: Inspiration
I dont remember where I saw this one -
Today, UAW Vice President Jimmy Settles issued a 5-day strike notice to Ford for its Kansas City F-150 plant according to the Detroit Free Press. Settles was quoted as saying "The company (Ford) has failed to negotiate in good faith at the local level on issues surrounding manpower provisions, the national heat stress program, and skilled trades scheduling amongst others." -
Steep discounts on trucks, or any vehicle for that matter, in the middle or near the end of their design cycle is commonplace. However, a five-digit discount on a brand new vehicle is unusual to say the least. Ford's aluminum trucks were expected to scare the folks at GM and Ram, and maybe even Toyota, who likes to keep its sales low. Nobody seems very worried anymore. Ford's discounting may in part be caused by GM's own deep discounts. As we recently reported GM has been offering up to $8,500 on some trucks. Ford says that its incentives are lower than this time last year and that its $44,100 average transaction price is the highest in the industry. -
Visitors to Chevrolet.com are prompted to watch these three videos, which all seem to make the same point. You've got to be an idiot to buy a truck with an aluminum body. That said, each video goes about it in very unique way. Take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIC7Fw1rFF4 So, what do you think? Is highlighting a short term difference a good long term move for Silverado marketing? -
Visitors to Chevrolet.com are prompted to watch these three videos, which all seem to make the same point. You've got to be an idiot to buy a truck with an aluminum body. That said, each video goes about it in very unique way. Take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIC7Fw1rFF4 So, what do you think? Is highlighting a short term difference a good long term move for Silverado marketing? -
The vehicles tested for the title were: Chevrolet Colorado WT and Colorado Z71 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD Ford F150 2.7L EcoBoost and 3.5L EcoBoost Ford F-450 Ford Transit 350 HR and Transit 150 MR GMC Canyon SLT GMC Sierra Denali 2500 HD Also read: Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 concept marks return of legendary moniker Beating out the Ford's all new F-150 is a huge win for Chevrolet, as Truck of the Year winners typically use the award as leverage for marketing to consumers. Plan on seeing the Motor Trend Golden Calipers alongside the Colorado alot this year. How did the Editors of MT make their decision? Chevrolet says testing regimen went down like this: To determine which truck deserved top honors, the MOTOR TREND test team subjected all of the contenders to numerous instrumented and real-world road tests. First up was standard MOTOR TREND testing, which included: 0-60 mph and 1/4-mile acceleration, 60-0 mph braking, and maximum lateral grip - all without payload or trailered loads. A specific payload was then added to each truck and van, and the vehicles were then driven more than 250 miles to the Arizona/Nevada border to evaluate ride quality and loaded fuel economy. The vehicles were driven up and down the famed Davis Dam in Bullhead City, Ariz., for further assessment, including an instrumented test designed to simulate a passing situation while carrying a load. The team then moved to a world-class automotive proving grounds for instrumented acceleration tests with nominal weight trailers. Truck and trailer were also driven through a short handling course to evaluate acceleration, braking, maneuverability and outward visibility. The final phase of evaluation involved a 21-mile road loop through hills of Arizona's Hualapai Mountains. Following the team's intensive evaluation, the trucks were shipped to MOTOR TREND headquarters in El Segundo to undergo proprietary "Real MPG" fuel-economy testing. Using advanced exhaust gas and flow-rate analyzers, Real MPG measures tailpipe emissions every second during a three-hour, 88-mile drive around the Los Angeles area to record accurate real-world fuel economy. Once testing was completed, select MOTOR TREND editors convened to determine which truck would be crowed Truck of the Year. "When it came down to it, after over a week's worth of testing, we sat down, we hashed it all out. All the judges are asked to write down their top 3 picks - and third place was the Ford F-150; second place was Ford Transit, and by unanimous vote was the Chevrolet Colorado" Edward Loh, Editor-In-Chief of Motor Trend Read Motor Trend's Article on the 2015 Colorado here View attachment: ChevyColoradoMTTOY08.jpg Motor Trend Editor-In-Chief Edward Loh (left) presents General Motors CEO Mary Barra with the 2015 Motor Trend Truck of the Year Award for the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado. Motor Trend makes the announcement Wednesday, December 3, 2014, noting the 2015 Colorado emerged as Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year by a rare unanimous vote. The editors were impressed with Colorado’s clean-sheet design, “right-sized” package, excellent handling, and overall capability. (Photo by Steve Fecht for Chevrolet) View attachment: ChevyColoradoMTTOYTeam04.jpg Motor Trend Detroit Editor Scott Burgess (l to r) presents the Motor Trend 2015 Truck of the Year award to General Motors Vice President Global Product Programs Doug Parks, Executive Chief Engineer Full and Midsize Truck Jeff Luke, Vehicle Chief Engineer Anita Burke, and Executive Vice President Global Product Development Purchasing and Supply Chain Mark Reuss at a special event Wednesday, December 3, 2014 in Warren, Michigan. (Photo by Steve Fecht for Chevrolet)
