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When it comes to sales, Ford's F-Series truck has been the dominant force in the U.S. truck market for quite some time. And if you want to know why, the new 2008 Ford F-450 Super Duty pickup stands as a prime example.
Sure, most people will never need a truck with the sheer brute strength of the 2008 Ford F-450 Super Duty pickup with its 6.4-liter PowerStroke diesel and 24,500-pound towing capacity. But that's not the point. The point is that some people -- especially snowbirds with huge fifth-wheel trailers -- have shown a need for the ultimate towing machine.
Making their own bed
In the past, if you wanted an F-450 dually that didn't look like an industrial appliance, you had to convert a commercial-grade F-450 cab-chassis, the unfinished one that comes with naked frame rails behind the cab. Several companies make a tidy living from grafting standard F-350 8-foot beds (or even fiberglass replicas) onto the back of cab-chassis combinations. Unfortunately there are major problems involved.
First, a commercial chassis usually features a narrow standard frame with straight rails just 34 inches apart. A conventional civilian pickup actually employs wider-spaced frame rails because it doesn't have to be compatible with moving-van cargo boxes, tow-truck setups and other industrial gear. Bolting a typical pickup bed to a narrow cab-chassis frame requires hand labor and fabrication.
And then there is the wheelbase issue. An F-450 crew-cab cab-chassis measures 176.2 inches, while the equivalent F-350 spans only 172.4 inches. When an 8-foot box is adapted to the commercial chassis, there's a 4-inch gap behind the cab that has to be bridged with an obvious filler panel.
Ford solves both problems at once by making the F-450 Super Duty pickup in-house. For the back half of the frame, F-350-dimensioned rails bring the frame-spacing, bed mounts and wheelbase along with them. An 8-foot pickup box drops straight on, and the unsightly cab-gap is history.
Load handling redefined
Up front, the F-450 is all commercial grade. The 4x2 and 4x4 alike employ a radius-arm suspension setup to locate what Ford calls a "wide-frame monobeam," a very wide solid axle with coil springs. This design not only affords massive load-carrying capacity but also 45 degrees of steering lock.
As a result, the F-450 pickup has a tighter turning radius than comparable F-350 and -250 designs, some 51.5 feet versus 56.5 feet. During a side-by-side parking lot comparison between the two, the benefit is immediately apparent.
As expected, the components underpinning it all are mighty rugged. The F-450's commercial-grade 225/70R19.5F Continental tires are unsympathetically stiff and need to be run in the neighborhood of 80 psi. In order to regain the lost ride comfort, the progressive, multistage rear-leaf springs are 8 inches longer and have been carefully tuned to combine a reasonably comfortable ride with good load-carrying capacity.
It all adds up. The F-450 pickup, sold only with dual rear wheels, can pull up to 24,500 pounds with a gooseneck or fifth-wheel hitch, or 16,000 pounds with a conventional setup. An equivalent F-350 (a leader in towing capacity in its own class) manages 18,800 pounds and 15,000 pounds, respectively. Meanwhile, the F-450 shares the F-350's 6,000-pound payload.
After driving an F-450 pickup with and without a trailer, we're sure that while the unladen ride is better than it might otherwise be with a true commercial cab-chassis, it's still not ideally suited to daily driving. Considering the F-450's towing capability, this is totally understandable.
A magical transformation results when a 20,000-pound fifth-wheel trailer is clamped on, as was the case during our test-drive in Nevada. Not only does the truck's laden horizon remain parallel to the real one, the ride smoothes out and body motions are quite subdued.
Diff'rent power strokes
Motivating so much truck and so much payload takes some serious grunt. To that end, Ford has thoroughly reworked the PowerStroke V8 diesel. In fact, the camshaft is the only carryover part from the previous version.
A larger bore results in a displacement increase from 6.0 to 6.4 liters, and a forged crankshaft now spins in larger bearing journals and is connected to sturdier connecting rods. Four-valve cylinder heads sandwich multilayer steel head gaskets.
For this new V8, Ford employs common-rail direct injection and Piezo-electric injectors. Because the fuel is administered in up to five metered spurts per combustion cycle rather than all at once, reliability is improved, air emissions are reduced and the engine even runs quieter.
Twin-sequential turbochargers deliver 42 psi of boost. At low rpm, the smaller variable-geometry turbo spins up quickly to help with getaways from a stop. In the midrange of the V8's power band, a larger fixed-geometry unit joins in, eventually taking over at the top end of the power band. The exhaust exits through a flow-tuned particulate filter that screens out almost 97 percent of the diesel particulate emissions.
Deep breather
As a result, the 6.4-liter V8 delivers 350 horsepower at 3,000 rpm and a massive 650 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm. While this is an impressive improvement over the 6.0-liter V8's 325 hp and 570 lb-ft, it merely levels the playing field. Chevy's 6.6-liter Duramax diesel V8 makes 360 ponies and 650 lb-ft of torque. And it's mated to a six-speed automatic, while the Ford's F-450 still has a five-speed automatic.
After we drove the F-450 for several runs up a sinuous 5-to-6-percent grade climbing out of Laughlin, Nevada, it was clear that the 20,000-pound load we were dragging wasn't leaving our mount breathless. Unencumbered, Ford claims a 1.0-second improvement in zero-to-60-mph time for the F-450 over last year's PowerStroke F-350. Based on our 2006 Heavy-Duty Truck Comparison Test, this performance suggests the F-450 will get to 60 mph in about 8.5 seconds, much like our Silverado 3500 Duramax.
But there's more to towing 24,500 pounds than horsepower and torque. Commercial suspension aside, the F-450 pickup trumps the Chevy by employing 4.88:1 final-drive ratio.
A large-capacity cooling system keeps the big diesel happy in its work. There are no fewer than six heat exchangers and a radiator that's 33 percent larger than last year. To ensure good airflow to the radiator, a new nose for the bodywork accommodates a grille with lots of openings, while the front bumper has been repositioned to ensure it doesn't obstruct airflow.
More options to choose from
The F-450 is not only massive on the outside but also massive (in design spirit, anyway) on the inside. A brand-new interior features a dash that carries lots of heavy-duty design themes, although it looks a bit overstated. On the plus side, the controls on the center stack are familiar and work well. And there are useful storage compartments everywhere.
For the first time, the new F-450 pickup cabin can be appointed with the full array of regular F-Series Super Duty options. It wasn't previously possible to get a cab-chassis conversion with factory-installed goodies like rear-seat entertainment, an auxiliary audio input jack and, of course, the King Ranch trim package. Now your ultracapable tow rig can be well-appointed, too.
If you don't need the towing capacity of the F-450 chassis, the F-250 and F-350 benefit from the same revamped interior and exterior styling, and both can be equipped with the new 6.4-liter PowerStroke diesel engine.
But if you're considering retirement in a three-axle fifth-wheel travel trailer with dual-sliders and granite counter tops, and want a leather-lined tow implement with all the trimmings to yank it about, the new 2008 Ford F-450 Super Duty pickup is the one to look at hard.
With 24,500 pounds of towing capacity, the 2008 Ford F-450 might well be the only factory-built, heavy-duty choice that you have.
Used 2008 Ford F-450 Super Duty listings and inventory:
Shop Edmunds' used car, SUV, and truck listings of over 6 million pre-owned vehicles to find a cheap used and certified pre-owned (CPO) 2008 Ford F-450 Super Dutys for sale near Ashburn VA. There are currently 18 used and CPO 2008 F-450 Super Dutys listed for sale in your area, with list prices as low as 29,995 and mileage as low as 24,358. Simply research the type of used car, SUV, or truck you're interested in and then select a vehicle from our massive database to find cheap pre-owned vehicles for sale near you. Once you have identified a used vehicle you're interested in, check the Carfax and Autocheck vehicle history reports, read dealer reviews, and find out what other owners paid for the used 2008 Ford F-450 Super Duty. Then select Edmunds' special offers, perks, deals, and incentives to contact the dealer of your choice and save up to 300 on a used or CPO 2008 F-450 Super Duty available from one of 2,630 dealerships in your area.
What's a good price on a used 2008 Ford F-450 Super Duty ?
Save up to $300 on one of 7 used 2008 Ford F-450 Super Dutys for sale at dealerships within 25 miles of Ashburn, Virginia with prices as low as $29995 as of Apr 26, 2018, based on data from 6 dealers and 13 consumer-driven dealer ratings ranging from 1 to 5 out of 5 stars.
Price comparisons for used 2008 Ford F-450 Super Duty trim styles:
The used 2008 Ford F-450 Super Duty Lariat is priced around $31997 with average odometer reading of 78105 miles.
Shop with Edmunds for perks and special offers on used cars, trucks, and SUVs near Ashburn, Virginia. Doing so could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars. Edmunds also provides consumer-driven dealership sales and service reviews to help you make informed decisions about what cars to buy and where to buy them.
What options are available on the 2008 Ford F-450 Super Duty?
Available Ford F-450 Super Duty 2008 Submodel Types: Crew Cab
Available Ford F-450 Super Duty 2008 Trims: Platinum, Lariat, King Ranch, XL, XLT, Limited
Exterior Colors: Shadow Black, White Gold Metallic, White Platinum Metallic Tri-Coat, Black Clearcoat, Ingot Silver Metallic, Magnetic Metallic, Oxford White, Blue Jeans Metallic, Bronze Fire Metallic, Dark Blue Pearl Clearcoat Metallic, Dark Shadow Grey Clearcoat Metallic, Oxford White Clearcoat, Oxford White Clearcoat/Pale Adobe Metallic, Race Red, Ruby Red Metallic Tinted Clear Coat/Pale Adobe Metallic (Late Availability), Silver Clearcoat Metallic, Sterling Grey Clearcoat Metallic, Tuxedo Black Clearcoat Metallic
Interior Colors: Black premium leather, Black leather, Tan, Medium Earth Gray cloth, Medium Stone, Black Monotone leather
Popular Features: Post-collision safety system, Alarm, Back-up camera, Bluetooth, USB Inputs, Parking sensors, Stability Control, Navigation, Cooled Seats, Heated seats, Remote Start, Keyless Entry/Start, Blind Spot Monitoring, Upgraded Headlights, 10,000lb+ Towing Capacity, 8ft Bed, AWD/4WD, Crew Cab, Fold Flat Rear Seats, Rear Bench Seats, Towing Hitch, Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel, Auto Climate Control, Aux Audio Inputs, Electronic Folding Mirrors, Leather Seats, Multi-Zone Climate Control, Power Driver Seat, Trip Computer, Mobile Internet, Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Pre-collision safety system, Sunroof/Moonroof, Tire Pressure Warning, 360-degree camera
Engine/Mechanics: 8 cylinders
Transmission: AUTOMATIC, MANUAL
Fuel Types: diesel
Drivetrains: four wheel drive
Used 2008 Ford F-450 Super Duty Overview
The used 2008 Ford F-450 Super Duty is offered in the following submodels: Crew Cab. Available styles include Lariat 4dr Crew Cab 4WD LB DRW (6.4L 8cyl Turbodiesel 6M), XL 4dr Crew Cab 4WD LB DRW (6.4L 8cyl Turbodiesel 6M), and XLT 4dr Crew Cab 4WD LB DRW (6.4L 8cyl Turbodiesel 6M). Pre-owned F-450 Super Duty models are available with a 0-liter diesel engine, with output up to 0 hp, depending on engine type. The used 2008 F-450 Super Duty comes with four wheel drive. Available transmissions include: 6-speed manual.
