2008 Ford F450 Super Duty - Building The American Dream

The redesigned '08 Ford Super Duty carries over cues from the current F-150 platform. Overall, the interior feels far more upscale, especially in the King Ranch and Lariat versions (shown). Regretfully, the top of the dash storage has been reduced to hold only one clipboard, but the door pockets now have much more capacity.

In order to scrub the exhaust of practically all soot, a diesel particulate filter (DPF) was mounted behind the catalyst. This filter will automatically maintain itself by going into a regeneration mode (roughly once per tank of fuel) where it will burn off any excessive buildup. At approximately 100,000-120,000 miles, the DPF will need to be cleaned by your Ford dealer.

When the engine goes into its DPF regeneration mode, fuel is injected during the exhaust stroke to heat the exhaust to 1,100 degrees. To manage that heat as it exits the vehicle, Ford engineers have added this heat-dissipating dual pipe tip to 6.4L-equipped diesel trucks.

Ford's fully integrated electronic trailer brake controller should be considered required equipment for every Diesel Power reader. It features over 1,000 different algorithms to control your trailer's electric brakes precisely in any condition.

Could this optional Tailgate Step be the next big innovation in pickup trucks? Ford designers think so. To make getting in the bed of the truck easier, the top edge of the tailgate can be slid down to form a step. Various handles and railing designs were tested, but in the end this simple pole was deemed to be perfect.

Ford has also developed a new retractable bed extender to help contain oversized cargo. Unlike other bed extenders on the market that can sometimes get in the way, this system is designed to stow into the sides of the bed when not in use.

The redesigned cooling system begins with a huge intercooler that gets priority airflow to cool the high-pressure intake charge before it enters the engine. The 6.4L's radiator size was increased by 33 percent and is fed by a larger water pump that nearly doubles the flow rate from 75 to 140 gallons per minute. Reports are that the new cooling system will have approximately 30 degrees of cooling advantage over the diesel competition from GM and Dodge. In addition to the oil, power steering, transmission, and A/C heat exchangers, Ford has also added a diesel fuel cooler. With this system, any unused fuel from the common rail gets cooled by a fuel-to-water heat exchanger near the brake master cylinder. An electric pump then circulates the coolant to a heat exchanger mounted next to the intercooler.

Building off its world class towing platform, Ford has upped the ante with new power-fold and power-telescoping side mirrors. The new mirrors extend outward up to 231/44 inches and feature a spotter mirror that is more than double the size of the previous version for improved visibility. The mirrors telescope or fold at the touch of a switch mounted to the door panel and are integrated into the vehicle's seat-position and pedal-memory system. The mirrors still feature heated glass, clearance lamps, and integrated turn signals.

To meet '07 emissions standards, the 6.4L uses significantly more exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) than last year's 6.0L. That means when the 6.4L is making 350 hp at the crankshaft, 25 percent of the air it's breathing is recycled exhaust gasses. Those exhaust gases pass through 17 inches of heat exchangers and an oxidation catalyst to cool them from 1,100 to 111 degrees and strip the EGR of its oily residue. This ingenious system is designed to keep EGR sludge buildup to a minimum as it turns the EGR soot into a lighter, fluffier form that will not gum up the engine.