Ford Ranger Super Duty off-road specifications confirmed

There’s been a consistent feed of updates and information on the upcoming Ford Ranger Super Duty, a vehicle that has fired up both the off-road and industry sectors. With more information coming to light today, Chasing Cars can now confirm, as well as compile, key off-road specifications and features of the vehicle. 

Today’s update from Ford has revealed close details of how it conducted real-world testing of the Super Duty in deep, shallow and repeated water crossing scenarios. This was again undertaken in the rugged Victorian High County region in pre-production vehicles. 

The setting for this test would be the iconic Crooked River Track near the township of Dargo. This track boasts 27 water crossings which range in depth and severity depending on rainfall.

The You Yang Proving Ground was also used to provide controlled environment testing. This regime involved a 50-metre long concrete tank which has the ability to raise water levels from nothing to over a metre in depth.

While achieving a class-leading wading depth rating was a major consideration, Ranger Super Duty Program Engineer, Drew O’Shannassy, explained that shallow water testing at different speeds was also very important to the program. 

Shallow crossings at high speeds for example put everything underneath the car under pressure. Think items such as the alternator, belts, turbo housing and exhaust system. 

“With significant force acting on the front of the vehicle during deep water wading, every seal must perform flawlessly so that not a drop of water gets where it shouldn’t. Our controlled water bath allows us to repeat our tests for accurate validation, but the real proof comes when conditions become unpredictable,” said O’Shannassy. 

Safari snorkel, breathers and wading depth 

Class-leading wading depth has been confirmed for the Ranger Super Duty, with Ford listing the figure as 850mm. If we compare that to the standard 4×4 Ranger, the Super duty has a 50mm advantage. A stock Ranger is rated to 800mm wading depth. 

For context, 850mm is claimed by Ford Engineers to be roughly between the top of the tyre and the bottom of the wheel arch. A significant depth and official rating for sure. 

This has been achieved by engineering vital components in a way that they are either out of harm’s way, or made them as waterproof as possible. However, the major reason Ford is confident in this 850mm water wading depth rating, is thanks to their partnership with Australian manufacturer, Safari 4×4 Engineering. 

Safari, as they are more commonly known in the industry, are among other things, responsible for developing and manufacturing high-quality snorkels for modern 4x4s. The Ranger Super Duty doesn’t have a raised air intake, as you might find fitted to the 70 Series LandCruiser – it’s been properly sealed against water ingress from factory. 

With the snorkel running as a factory-fitted accessory, buyers should hopefully run into fewer complications when it comes to warranty issues, too.

Extended breathers on vital components also gives the Super Duty an advantage in deep water. Most manufacturers have breathers on vital components, such as differentials and fuel tanks, to allow them to breathe under expansion and contraction. But they aren’t extended above 850mm like they are with the Ranger Super Duty. 

Where are the breathers located?

• Transmission 
• Transfer case
• Front and rear differentials 
• Fuel tanks 
• AdBlu tanks  

When you submerge a hot differential into cold water, there’s a chance it can suck in water as the metal casing contracts. Which is why most four-wheel drivers opt to fit aftermarket breathers to diffs, gearboxes, transfer cases, fuel tanks and even starter motors in some cases.

You can put that dusty 128 piece tool kit away though, as the Ranger Super Duty has raised breathers from the factory on a bunch of very important and expensive items. 

Testing times 

Previously, Ford Australia put out a series of releases discussing the various testing they have subjected the  Ranger Super Duty to in the name of science. 

Firstly, there was a gnarly hill climb test to showcase the traction control and locking differentials front-and-rear. 

Next, there was mud testing in thick Victorian clay based mud. So much mud driving was conducted, that Ford mentioned the vehicle weighed approximately 600kg more when testing had wrapped up, just from mud packing the ute. 

This mud test was performed to see if and what would break on the vehicle when pushed to limits. As well as put the cooling system under pressure, which has been beefed up significantly for the Super Duty platform.   

Now we know how an 850mm wading depth rating has been achieved, as well as gain an understanding of the testing methodology put in place during the engineering process.

Super Duty pricing 

• Single-cab chassis: $82,990 
• Super-cab chassis: $86,490 
• Double-cab chassis: $89,990 

All pricing correct at the time of publication, figures are before on-road costs. 

Walkaround Video 

While Chasing Cars is yet to drive a Ford Ranger Super Duty, we were one of the first outlets globally to see both a prototype and pre-production vehicle in the flesh. Check out this walkaround video showing our initial impressions of the big-rig in the Ford Ranger line-up.