F-450 gets best-in-class towing nod using SAE J2807 standard

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Updated Sep 9, 2014
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Using the Society of Automotive Engineers J2807 standard, the 2015 Ford F-450 Super Duty Class 3 pickup has been rated a best-in-class 31,200 pounds.

SAE J2807 establishes tow vehicle performance requirements against certain performance criteria to determine a truck’s maximum trailer tow rating. Ford is a founding member of the J2807 committee, which includes other truck and trailer manufacturers.

“We leave no doubt with customers that the F-450 pickup truck has best-in-class towing of 31,200 pounds – whether tested using our own internal towing standards or SAE J2807,” says Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development.

Ford improved the 2015 F-450 pickup by giving it a more capable version of the F-350 frame, plus a more capable suspension and 19.5-inch wheels and tires to enable its best-in-class towing.

The F-450 pickup is available exclusively as a crew cab 4×4. The truck’s J2807-certified maximum tow rating is 2,200 pounds greater than its closest competitor’s crew cab 4×4 pickup.

Best-in-class towing performance is achieved with Ford’s second-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel engine that has been developed to provide the segment’s top combination of power, torque and efficiency. The Power Stroke boasts best-in-class 440 horsepower across all Super Duty pickup models – from F-250 to F-450. Super Duty also offers 860 lb.-ft. of torque for the same models.

Ford previously determined F-450 pickup towing capacity using rigorous internal testing standards exclusively. Now it has added SAE J2807 test procedures, reaffirming the F-450 pickup rating. F-450 passed the additional tests with 31,200 pounds in tow, just as it passed Ford internal tests.

SAE J2807 requires the vehicle to be loaded with about 400 pounds more weight than Ford’s internal test (two passengers instead of one, and base curb weight instead of minimum curb weight), but the weight addition has no effect on F-450 towing capacity. Using either standard, F-450 has best-in-class towing capacity of 31,200 pounds.

As a result of the J2807 test results, Ford is also increasing the F-450 pickup’s already best-in-class gross combined weight rating from 40,000 pounds to 40,400 pounds – topping the nearest competitor by 2,500 pounds

Ford says it is migrating to the J2807 standard when it introduces all-new vehicles and will use base curb weight, rather than minimum curb weight, to determine payload ratings for all of its pickup trucks. The change will align Ford’s payload rating practices with other manufacturers to make it easier for customers to compare vehicles.

Using base curb weight, maximum payload for the 2015 F-450 pickup goes from 5,450 pounds to 5,300 pounds.