Ford F-150 pickup truck buyers looking for more off-road capability can upgrade to a Raptor, but Ford has never offered an equivalent model for the larger F-Series Super Duty. The new-for-2020 Tremor package isn’t quite a Super Duty Raptor, but it does add more off-road ability to Ford’s heavy-duty pickup truck.
Instead of trying to be a bigger Raptor, the 2020 Ford F-Series Super Duty Tremor is designed to take on the Ram Power Wagon. Like the Power Wagon, the Tremor is an upgraded version of a heavy-duty truck, and was built to excel at slow, technical rock crawling.
Headlining the list of upgrades are 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac tires — which Ford claims are the largest tires offered on a production heavy-duty truck — mounted on matte black 18-inch wheels. The massive tires, along with a 2-inch front-end lift and shorter air dam, provide 10.8 inches of ground clearance, according to Ford. The automaker also claims the Super Duty Tremor can wade through up to 33 inches of water. Lower-profile running boards and skid plates from the Super Duty FX4 model provide protection when the Tremor encounters something harder than water.
Other upgrades include model-specific 1.7-inch twin tube dampers and progressive-rate springs, as well as locking rear and limited-slip front differentials. The front differential can automatically sense when a wheel is losing traction and use the brakes to shunt power to the other wheel, according to Ford. Like other Super Duty models, the Tremor gets the Trail Control system previously seen on the F-150 Raptor and Ranger. It basically acts as off-road cruise control, holding a set (low) speed on rough terrain. The Tremor also features multiple driving modes, including a rock-crawling mode.
The Tremor isn’t a stand-alone model like the Raptor. It’s a package that can be added to existing Super Duty trim levels, giving buyers more options. F-250 and F-350 XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum models can all get the Tremor treatment. The package is available with the 7.3-liter gasoline V8 or 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel V8. However, it’s only available with four-wheel drive, the four-door SuperCrew cab, and a single rear axle. F-250 models also require the high-capacity trailer tow package. Ford promises payload and towing ratings “similar to non-Tremor models,” and claims the Tremor will beat the Ram Power Wagon in both areas.
The Tremor package will be available when the 2020 Ford F-Series Super Duty launches later this year. Pricing will be announced closer to the launch date.
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