We suppose it shouldn’t come as a surprise that, when it comes to the 2011 F-Series Super Duty trucks, Ford is willing to make any mid-model year changes necessary to keep it ahead of the Chevrolet Silverado HD and Ram 2500 HD trucks.
First, Ford made a software upgrade on diesel trucks to increase performance numbers to 400 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque. For a while, the changes kept the Super Duty on top of the heavy duty power and torque bragging rights wars. All 2011 Super Duty trucks with the 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbocharged diesel V-8 engine were eligible to come into a Ford dealership until the end of August 2011 for the free upgrade. In February Ford announced that all 2011 F-Series Super Duty trucks built from then on would have revised conventional trailer towing ratings so that the automaker could once again brag in advertisements that the F-Series Super Duty has a class-leading towing capacity.
Higher-strength steel in a frame crossmember and an upgraded trailer hitch are the changes that result in the Super Duty’s revised ratings. Rear- and four-wheel-drive F-250s and F-350s in a single rear wheel configuration are rated 14,000 pounds in towing capacity while dual-rear-wheel F-350s and F-450s boast a towing capacity of 17,500 pounds. In case you’re wondering, that’s a full 1500 pounds higher than the number provided at the 2011 Super Duty’s launch in April 2010.
As a bonus, Ford’s mid-year changes also helped dual-rear-wheel F-350s in rear-wheel-drive form increase maximum payload to 7070 pounds and maximum fifth-wheel towing to 22,600 pounds.
By Zach Gale
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