In Australia, Ute trucks are very important. People buy these trucks to use a lot. They are also driven in the most difficult places in the world, such as in the terrible heat of the Outback. If a truck can't handle these harsh conditions, Australian artisans won't buy it. For this reason, when Ford was building its first Ford Ranger Super Duty, it needed a very strong and durable truck. This is an even stronger version of a Ford Ranger, which gives the same power as large trucks even in small sizes.
The need for this strength was so great that Ford could not find human drivers to test this truck. So, Ford thought of doing something different. They used a robot driver to ensure that the Ford Ranger Super Duty is ready for any difficulty. Ford Australia's toughest test track is' Silver Creek '. It's at their You Yangs Proving Ground in Victoria. It is described as resembling a "dry drain," with 300 random, bone-rattling bumps.
"Silver Creek is our toughest man-made sustainability track," said Justin Capicchiano, Ranger Super Duty's program manager. It completely tests the truck from the wheels to the roof. It feels like you've driven on the world's most difficult roads for ten years. There are 2,000 suspension movements every time you walk on the track. It specifically checks the strength of body mounts, joints, engine mounts and connectors. By making the robot a driver, Ford was able to test 24 hours. It went on for days at a stretch, stopping only to check and refuel. the truck was not even driven empty; It was tested with a total gross vehicle mass of 9,921 pounds.
When the truck is empty, it still has a lot of thrust, but when it is tested at Silver Creek with the maximum Gross Vehicle Mass, this thrust increases even more. "This is a very important test for a truck that has to perform the most difficult tasks or the most dangerous adventures in the worst conditions," Capicchiano said. There is also a video of this test, in which you can see Ranger Super Duty shaking badly on these bumps. This Super Duty Ranger looks great because it runs on bumps. The most amazing thing is how stable it feels even when fully loaded.
The Ford Ranger Super Duty is a mid-size version of the Ranger sold in Australia and some other parts of the world. It gives as much capacity as the F-Series in a small truck. It can pull a ton more than the standard Ranger. Its maximum gross vehicle mass is also 2,756 pounds more. Changes include additional skid plates, a standard long-range fuel tank, and eight-lug hubs. This is the first non-F-Series Super Duty model made by Ford Australia.
