Ford Super Duty customers rely on their trucks to get the job done – whether at work or at play. The 2005 Super Duty delivers – with more capability, unsurpassed gas and diesel power, more toughness and useful new features that will make work easier and recreation time more enjoyable.
“The original Super Duty proved that pickup trucks with the right stuff could handle jobs that once were associated only with the big, commercial medium-duty truck segment,” said Frank Davis, Ford vehicle programs director for pickups and commercial vehicles. “The 2005 Super Duty takes this capability to the max, with towing and cargo ratings that will astound our customers.”
Stronger, tougher frame underlying all of this new capability.
Design changes that cap off the new capabilities with a bolder, tougher look up front, the segment’s only 18- and 20-inch wheels and a more refined interior.
Higher Tow Rating, More Payload Capacity
For 2005, Ford Super Duty pickups have more towing and payload capacity than ever, making F-350 the clear class leader, for towing up to 17,000 pounds.
All Super Duty trucks – from F-250 through F-550 – benefit from chassis upgrades, including stronger frames and available stronger axles.
Ford responded to marketplace changes by implementing a new variable gross vehicle weight rating strategy across all of its Super Duty F-Series pickups that better accommodates the way most customers use their trucks.
With more customers opting for features like diesel engines, four-wheel-drive and crew cabs, this new strategy takes advantage of the Ford Super Duty's higher axle weight ratings, stronger frames and better brakes to help preserve payload capability on trucks with higher equipment levels.
As a result, maximum pickup payload capacity increases by up to 1,280 pounds.
Towing follows suit. With the 5.4-liter, 3-valve Triton V-8 engine, Super Duty now can tow up to 12,300 pounds, an increase of 3,000 pounds, making this economical powertrain even more attractive for fleet and commercial users.
Dual-rear-wheel Super Duty pickups with the 6.8-liter, 3-valve Triton V-10 and 6.0-liter Power Stroke diesel will have the ability to tow up to a class-leading 15,000 pounds conventionally. That’s an increase of up to 1,600 pounds and establishes Super Duty as the clear leader in the class.
“There’s a reason people look up to Super Duty as the benchmark in this class,” said Susan Dehne, F-Series Super Duty chief engineer. “It was a great truck to begin with – and we’ve improved more than 100 individual areas to make it even better.”
The F-250/F-350 Super Duty frame features a new fully boxed front section, improving strength and torsional stiffness.
From the boxed section back, the frame uses steel that is 10-percent to 17-percent thicker, with additional gussets providing even more strength and durability in high-stress areas. This is the thickest gauge steel in any pickup.
This strong new frame extends back to an optional new 2.5-inch hitch receiver. This is an increase from the previous 2-inch receiver, and allows the higher conventional tow rating.
TowCommand™ System Makes Towing Easier
Handling is improved off-road, thanks to suspension changes, including new front coil springs on 4x4 trucks. The new design provides better traction and improved ride over rough or loose surfaces.
The 2005 Ford Super Duty offers a package of standard and optional features specifically geared toward users who tow trailers. Since a trailer behind a Super Duty tends toward the bigger, heavier and bulkier end of the scale, towing brings more demands. The TowCommand System is intended to make life easier for the driver when a big load is along for the ride. “This truck is all about capability and control,” said Dehne. “Knowing 90 percent of our customers tow trailers, towing had to be a priority in our improvements.” The TowCommand System, which includes the industry’s first factory-installed and warranted electronic trailer brake controller, offers smoother operation and safety features. This includes a special trailer brake strategy when the truck’s anti-lock braking system detects poor traction. No aftermarket trailer brake controller can do this. The electronic trailer brake controller is integrated into the instrument panel, with graphics that match the rest of the Super Duty interior. It gives audible and visual warnings if trailer wiring becomes disconnected.
Ford’s TowCommand System also includes TorqShift® transmission with tow-haul mode, best-in-class brakes and telescoping trailer tow mirrors.
Class-Leading Power
The 2005 Ford Super Duty offers an unequaled lineup of powertrain options, including the segment’s most powerful gasoline engine. Ford’s three-valve-per-cylinder head, introduced on the 2004 F-150, is now available for the first time on a V-10 engine, thanks to Ford’s modular engine strategy.
The new 6.8-liter, 3-valve Triton V-10 produces 355 horsepower and 455 pound-feet of torque – both class-leading figures.
The segment’s best-selling diesel engine – Power Stroke – benefits from 10 more pound-feet of torque. The 6.0-liter Power Stroke diesel is now rated at 570 pound-feet of torque and 325 horsepower.
Ford’s modular 5.4-liter, 3-valve Triton V-8 also migrates to Super Duty. Its three-valve architecture and sophisticated technology, including variable valve timing, help to deliver 300 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque. That’s an improvement of 40 horsepower and 10 pound-feet of torque over the 2004 Super Duty. More than 80 percent of peak torque – nearly 300 pound-feet – is available starting as low as 1,000 rpm.
Both gasoline engines also now benefit from electronic throttle control, which provides economy and performance benefits. For commercial users who need to elevate engine speed to run aftermarket power takeoff (PTO) systems, the new “stationary elevated idle control” feature is now included in the strategy of all Super Duty powertrains.
This replaces the auxiliary idle control kit and auxiliary powertrain control module that was optional in the 2004 model year. This feature and the new segment-first dash-mounted upfitter switches are the direct result of Ford’s dialogue with its commercial users.
Better Ride, Handling
The 2005 Ford Super Duty features a redesigned instrument panel with appliques unique to each series. Super Duty’s strong new frame also helps to enable better ride and handling, in concert with other improvements to the 2005 model.
A new monobeam coil spring front suspension replaces the leaf springs on four-wheel-drive F-250 and F-350 pickups. Efficient packaging of the new front suspension allows the front wheels to turn 18 percent further. This dramatically improves maneuverability and reduces the average turning circle by more than 5.5 feet.
Changes to the steering geometry, tighter internal tolerances in the new steering gear and a revised power assist curve improve steering feel.
The F-450 and F-550 Super Duty trucks get more than a 12-foot improvement in average turning diameter. “That is a huge benefit for commercial users who are maneuvering in a tight space to reach a job site,” Dehne said.
The rear suspension has new spring rates and staggered rear shock geometry to improve ride quality.
Stronger Brakes
New, larger wheel sizes on F-250 and F-350 – 17 inches as the standard wheel, with 18 inches on some models and a segment-first 20 inches on the Ford Harley-Davidson™ F-Series Super Duty – allowed engineers to upsize brake rotors by 5 percent, to 347 mm in front and 340 mm in rear. This provides greater braking surface and helps to dissipate heat, especially on long downhill roads.
Other improvements include larger calipers for both the F-250 and F-350. The front calipers have twin 60 mm pistons – up 11 percent from 2004 – for better braking feel. Rear calipers have twin 48 mm calipers on F-250 and twin 54 mm pistons on F-350 dual-rear-wheel models. The F-450 and F-550 also benefit from 30-percent stiffer calipers and larger brake rotors. New brake pad material provides quieter stops while more than doubling the lining life.
Design is Tougher, More Sophisticated
Super Duty’s new look reflects the changes under the skin with a bolder front profile and new wheel designs that communicate strength. Inside, the message is sophistication and refinement, with a new gauge cluster and instrument panel treatment.
The bold front grille – always a Super Duty signature – is even bolder for 2005, drawing cues from the popular Mighty F-350 TONKA concept truck’s chiseled good looks. Sharper edges and vertical bar surfaces provide a milled appearance.
A new exterior two-tone treatment includes a lowered “waterline” and new color combinations. Wheel lip moldings coordinate with the two-tone treatment on some series.
Larger three-dimensional badges identify each series and powertrain.
The 2005 Ford Harley-Davidson™ Super Duty now offers an industry-first “flame” paint option, with choice of black-and-red or blue-on-blue.
The flames, designed by a Harley-Davidson factory customizer, are painted using Ford’s patented wet-on-wet process, which produces a durable, seamless finish in the factory.
On the interior, new trim panels surround the central and driver’s side portions of the instrument panel, and match the inserts on the doors. These changes help reinforce differentiation among the series:
King Ranch trucks sport a new straight-grained Dark Mandarin Teak wood-appearance applique, complementing the distinctive Castaño leather used on seats, steering wheel and other trim. Unique badges inside and out identify the King Ranch Ford Super Duty.
Lariat trucks feature a warmer horizontal Cherry Zebrano grain wood appearance on interior trim, along with a host of interior comfort and convenience features, including leather-trimmed seating surfaces with six-way power driver’s and front Crew Cab passenger seat, as well as audio and climate controls on the steering wheel spokes.
XLT Sport trucks use a pewter wave finish on interior applique panels, for a strong, machined appearance.
Dark accent charcoal black is used in XLT trucks.
A new gauge cluster is cleaner and easier to read, with the circular speed and tachometer gauges flanking the message center, when equipped, and gear selector display. Modular design allows more differentiation in the gauge package, as well.
The climate control vents are now barrel-shaped and integrated into the surrounding surfaces no matter where they are pointed. That follows the pattern set by the optional new integrated electronic trailer brake controller and upfitter switches. The result is a clean, uncluttered interior.
Generous Space, Storage
Super Duty continues to lead the class in interior space. Various front seats are available, including a 40/20/40 split bench that offers a fold-down center arm rest with storage bin and two cup holders.
Rear seats offer convenient interior cargo options. The available Crew Cab Flex Fold™ rear bench seat, introduced in the 2004 model year, allows the user to fold down one or both seatbacks to create a flat shelf, or fold the seat bottoms up and fold out a flat steel load floor. The rear doors of Crew Cab models to swing open 76 degrees, for better access to the rear seating area.
F-Series Super Duty
Ford’s Super Duty lineup includes F-250 and F-350 pickups, as well as F-350, F-450 and F-550 chassis cabs, and is a part of Ford’s F-Series truck family – America’s best-selling truck for the past 27 years, and the best-selling vehilce, car or truck, for the past 22 years.
Text and photos courtesy of Ford Motor Company 
