Part
3:
[1] [2] [3] [4]
[5] [6]
[7] [8]
[9]
[Intro]
[3/4-Ton 7% Grade]
[1-Ton 7% Grade]
[Diesel v Gas Comparison
7% Grade]
[3/4-Ton 15% Grade] [1-Ton
15% Grade] [Diesel v Gas
Comparison 15% Grade]
[F-450
All Grades] [Summary]
Three-Quarter-Ton
Gas Pickups - 15%
Grade W/10,500# Trailer:
The
15% grade was where we separated the men from the boys. Inclinations
this steep expose even the slightest powertrain and platform weaknesses.
And there was almost no time for a truck to recover and mask any shortcomings
in its powertrain during the brief 820-foot run.
NOTE:
Due
to space and readability considerations, the bar graphs
below only show the test results from 100-m (300-feet) to 250-m (820-feet).
See the table at the bottom for full test results from 50-m to 250-m.
All
times and speeds measured are shown cumulative over the run.
In
the graphs below: the lower a truck's bar is, relative to the other
two trucks' bars, in the "Time Over 250-Meters" graph the
better it performed. The higher a truck's bar is, relative to the other
two trucks' bars, in the "Speed over 250-Meters" graph, the
better it performed.
The
shortest time required to cover the 250-meter distance determined the
best performing truck.
| Three-Quarter-Ton
Gas Pickups 15% Grade W/Trailer Summary |
|
|
|
|
 |
2007
Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab 5.7-L V8 4x4 SRW 5-speed auto 3.73 |
2008
Ford F-250 Super Duty Crew Cab 6.8-L V10 4x4 SRW 5-speed auto
4.30 |
2007
GMC Sierra 2500 Crew Cab 6.0-L V8 4x4 SRW 6-speed auto 3.73 |
| Cumulative |
Time
(sec) |
Speed
(mph) |
Time
(sec) |
Speed
(mph) |
Time
(sec) |
Speed
(mph) |
| 50-m / 164-ft |
12.73 |
14.30 |
11.14 |
16.61 |
12.38 |
12.27 |
| 100-m / 328-ft |
19.93 |
16.66 |
17.25 |
20.45 |
20.04 |
16.38 |
| 150-m
/ 656-ft |
26.51 |
17.70 |
22.46 |
23.01 |
26.05 |
19.81 |
| 200-m / 984-ft |
32.78 |
18.19 |
27.16 |
25.14 |
31.02 |
23.97 |
| 250-m
/ 1312-ft |
38.93 |
18.36 |
31.53 |
26.93 |
35.55 |
28.23 |
|
|
|
|
Three-Quarter-Ton
Gas Pickups 15% Grade Assessment:
The
V10 powered F-250's timing was even better during the 15% incline than
the 7% hill, relative to the Sierra and Ram times in the same
tests. The 4.30 rear was a huge help, but the V10's monster torque
was also required to get off to a dominant 16.61-mph start in the first
50-m. Ford's gas engine team should be very proud of how this truck
performed on such a radical slope.
The
Sierra also performed ok. But we wonder how much closer or different
the results would have been if the old 8.1-liter big block V8 was still
available for the GMT900 heavy dutys.
But
the Ram. Whoa. It fell flat in this contest. In first gear the 5.7-liter
HEMI V8 got off to a good start, neck and neck with the 6.0-liter Vortec
Max in the GMC, but as soon as the HEMI shifted into that tall 1.67:1
second gear (that we first mentioned during the level 1/4-mile hauling
tests) the truck could only lug its way up the rest of the hill. It
was a graphic example of how a single mismatch in components caused
a giant stumble in performance during this stress test.
Part
3: [1] [2] [3] [4]
[5] [6] [7]
[8] [9]
|
