Mike Levine has posted an analysis of engine configurations for General Motors pickup trucks, equipped with either gasoline, diesel or hybrid setups. Choosing the right power train can be confusing, especially when it comes to fuel efficiency and gas mileage. Click here to check out his report.
General Motors Corporation and Isuzu Motors Limited announced their new joint venture, GM-Isuzu Camiones Andinos de Colombia Ltda., today. The purpose of which is to strengthen their strategic partnership and expand their truck and bus sales in Colombia. The joint venture builds on the long-standing partnership that GM and Isuzu have enjoyed in the region by establishing a company that is dedicated to the marketing, sales, service and after-sales of commercial vehicles. The new partnership is the successful result of a 2007 agreement that studied the potential of a JV and will focus on strengthening the leadership that GM and Isuzu have built in this segment.
Transporting your toys from A to B is as easy as LGA. Let's Go Aero, manufacturer of innovative Gear Management Solutions, offers a variety of compact trailers ideal for your next sand dune, lakeside, mountain camp or winter resort excursion. LGA trailers - including the GearWagon 125, GearLodge Camper, Little Giant Sport Utility Trailer and LittleGiant Trailer Xpand - are perfectly suited for dirt bike, motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile and personal watercraft owners who don't want the hassle - or expense - of a large, dedicated toy hauler trailer.
The big shift is on at Ford Motor Company, as the automaker plans to more than double the number – to 1.4 million – of fuel-efficient, 6-speed automatic transmissions in its North American cars and trucks by the end of 2009. The advanced transmissions provide customers 4 to 6 percent improved fuel economy compared with typical 4- and 5-speed gearboxes, as well as better acceleration and a quieter and more refined driving experience.
Removing the heavy steel clutch fan from your 2003 to 2008 Cummins diesel equipped Dodge Ram, sounds like a strange way to make more horsepower and torque. Yet, Flex-A-Lite’s testing shows that significant performance can be gained this way, by reducing the load on the engine while improving on the cooling system for improved towing and fuel economy. – DrSpeed
The often overlooked transmission is proving to be a secret weapon for Ford Motor Company in the quest for improved fuel economy. “Transmission technology is playing a key role in bringing down fuel consumption,” said Craig Renneker, chief engineer for new automatic transmissions for Ford Powertrain Operations. “That’s why Ford is rolling out an industry-leading array of fuel-efficient, six-speed automatic transmissions on more than half of the North American product lineup, including the new 2009 Ford F-150.”
Producing 330 horsepower and 420 foot pounds of torque, the highly anticipated 2010 Ford 4.4 liter diesel engine has surfaced at last week's national dealer show, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Built for the F-150, Ford is stating that the engine is expected to be also available for the Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, Ford E-Series vans, and F-Series SuperDuty trucks.
To redesign the 2009 F-150, the Ford engineering team worked with its customer base to determine the needs and wants of today’s truck buyer. The 2009 F-150 gives Ford owners more choice and more options than before – with the ability to create 35 separate configurations – all delivered with Ford quality.
A hitch with the towing electrical connection built INSIDE the receiver? It's an innovation that would have others asking, "Why didn't I think of that?!" Valley, a towing industry leader for more than 60 years, did. New Integrated Trailer Wiring(tm) hitches from Valley are inventive and stylish. Advancements in manufacturing technology have allowed the towing electrical connection to be moved INSIDE the cross tube of the receiver, eliminating the need for unsightly brackets or to drape the harness outside the vehicle where it can be damaged by weather and road debris.
Back in October of last year, Chris and I were lucky enough to test drive the new 2008 Ford F-450 at an exclusive media event at Ford's proving grounds in Romeo, Michigan, just outside of Detroit. Although these heavy duty trucks were put to the test (and we were very happy with the results), we never had the chance to test them in the "real world".
When it comes to lifting a Ford F-450, you’ve got to make sure that the conversion kit can do the job right. Kelderman, known for quality engineered air ride suspension kits for light and medium duty trucks, has now developed both air and non-air lift kits for the 450 Ford Super Duty, giving the consumer more options than ever for this class 4 truck.
Anchored by three powerful, capable and durable work trucks, the 2008 Dodge Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs; the 2008 Dodge Sprinter, the market’s top-performing full-size van; and the all-new 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan cargo van, Dodge continues its commercial vehicle market offensive with a barrage of product enhancements that will deliver maximum uptime, capability and savings to commercial customers. Enhancements were announced this morning at the 2008 National Truck Equipment (NTEA) Work Truck Show in Atlanta.
Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords posted an installation article of a Roush, "RoushCharger" supercharger system on a 2004 Ford F-150. Boasting over 370 foot pounds of torque, the roots-style supercharger system from Roush helped meet their goal with more efficient towing power. The article is very detailed and provides a little bit of history behind the centrifugal versus roots style supercharging units, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.
The deep-throated roar of a big bore diesel engine wrapped in a sleek chrome grill announced the arrival today of the world's most innovative big-rig truck. Navistar International Corp. unveiled its International brand's new flagship product, the visually stunning and technologically advanced LoneStar, at the Chicago Auto Show.
To bolster its versatile and dynamic product line, enhance the company's bold and adventurous brand identity and further expand the growing line of products marketed by approximately 500 Suzuki dealers nationwide, American Suzuki Motor Corp. debuts its all-new 2009 Equator midsize pickup truck at this year's Chicago Auto Show. The introduction of the Equator marks Suzuki's first entry into the midsize pickup truck market and expands the company's offering of activity-oriented cars and trucks.
General Motors Corp. (GM) announced today an investment of $69 million in its DMAX plant in Moraine to manufacture a new Duramax 6.6-liter V-8 turbo diesel engine that will meet stringent emissions standards in 2010. DMAX Limited is a joint venture between GM and Isuzu Motors Limited and was established as a diesel engine company in 1998.
Yahoo Finance reported this morning that diesel engine manufacturer, Cummins Inc., have extended their agreement with Volvo Trucks North America, providing one of their engines to Volvo. The deal allows Volvo customers to select the 15-liter, Cummins ISX engine for the 2010 Volvo model.
Autoweek has published their review of the 2008 Nissan Frontier Nismo King Cab, stating "This is a nice piece to drive, solidly built, plenty of power, good steering feel and handling, given what it is, even a really nice ride for an off-roadable truck. The Nismo folks have gotten their sums right." Powered by a 260 horse power 4.0 liter V-6, this little pickup is guaranteed to handle the trails. Click Here to check out the review.
Ford Motor Company has announced their plans to invest in three South African plants, Silverton, Pretoria and an engine facility in Struandale, totalling a net worth of roughly R$1.5 Billion dollars. One of the investments will go towards an engine plant which will produce 180,000 next generation turbocharged common-rail Puma diesel engines, most for export, beginning in 2010. Could the next generation Puma diesel engine be the new diesel engine expected in 2010 for the newly re-designed 2009 F-150 ? We shall see.
Our friend, Mike Levine of Pickuptruck.com, got his hands on some photos of the 2009 Volkswagen Taro pickup truck and apparently spotted some of the "Volkswagens executives checking out the 2009 Ford F-150 during the 2008 Detroit Auto Show", which leads us to believe that they are developing their new truck as a competitor to the new 2009 F-150. Maybe we'll see this new pickup being tested this summer? It should be interesting.
Valley, an industry-leader in hitches and towing accessories for more than 60 years, offers a Class III/IV receiver hitch (#82123) to fit the new body style Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 1500. Valley's black powdercoat, all-steel hitch looks great and outfits the 2007-2008 Silverado/Sierra with up to 6,000 lbs. weight carrying and 10,000 lbs. weight distributing capacity*.
Motor Trend's Truck Trend Magazine had the opportunity to feature and showcase, the very popular Toyota Tundra dually diesel pickup truck that we blogged about from SEMA 2007. Packing an 8.0-liter turbo diesel inline-six cylinder engine that produces 305 horse power and 610 foot pounds of torque, Toyota has emphasized that this truck is not a concept and that it is truely a one-off project truck to fantasize about. If you like this truck as much as we do, then Click here for the Truck Trend feature and Click here for our SEMA coverage of the dually diesel.
Round 'em up and come 'n' get it! Only in Texas, would someone build a grill to resemble their gun. This gigantic 19 foot barbecue grill looks like a 1917 Double Action Colt-45 caliber pistol, straight out of the wild west.
General Motors Corp. has introduced a new, state-of-the-art 4.5L V-8 Duramax turbo-diesel that improves engine fuel efficiency by 25 percent, reduces CO2 emissions by 13 percent and cuts particulates and NOx emissions by at least 90 percent for North American light duty trucks and the HUMMER H2 built after 2009.
When the re-designed 2004 Ford F-150 hit dealer lots over 4 years ago, it came with a new 3 valve 5.4-liter V8 engine that produced a decent power band, but really needed to be woken up overall. Engineers at Edge Products in Ogden, Utah helped solve this issue, with the release of the Evolution Programmer. We've been anxious to get our hands on one of Edge's new programmers for Project Truckblog, and wanted to be able to test out their programming unit.
Gale Banks Engineering have released their Big Hoss intake manifold assemblies for the 2003 to 2007 Cummins diesel engines and 2001 to 2008 Duramax diesel engines platforms. Designed for high boost and flow, these upgraded manifolds are sure to help increase your powerband on your Dodge or Chevy diesel truck.
Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC has announced the availability of its Ride-Rite air helper springs for the new Toyota Tundra, both 2WD and 4WD. The Ride-Rite kit provides heavy duty support for Tundra owners to safely and comfortably tow heavy loads by using air pressure to adjust Firestone's air helper springs, compensating for varying load capacities and road conditions.
The Los Angeles Times have released a not-so-good review of the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, questioning whether or not the 2008 SUV should have received the Green Car Journal's "Green Car of the Year" award. With an estimated fuel economy of 21 miles per gallon in the city and 22 miles per gallon on the highway, is the $55,000 price tag ($8,000 dollar hybrid option) really worth it? See for yourself.
Ford is meeting the demand of their customers sooner than later, with changes in their 2008 and newer Super Duty trucks to help increase gas mileage, replacing the standard 3.73 gear ratio on F-250 and F-350 models, with a 3.55 gearing ratio. Towing capabilities will not drop for either trucks, and those equipped with the 3.55 gear ratio will be able to still tow the same load as their predecessor 3.73 trucks.
While walking around SEMA 2007 last November, I came across a revolutionary product that eliminates any rattle caused from your trailer hitch moving while towing, as seen in our SEMA video part 2. The product is called Quiet Hitch, and it works with any 2 inch hitch receiver. Constructed of ASTM A-500 and ASTM A36 steels, the Quiet Hitch supports a class 4 rating of 10,000 pounds and is available in 2, 4 or 6 inch drops. Read on for more details.
New from Valley is the ultramodern Odyssey II™ brake controller loaded with special features. The Odyssey II derives much of its technology from Valley’s original Odyssey™ controller, then goes beyond with an array of exciting enhancements, including a user preset button that allows drivers to save their brake controller settings (Load Level and Output Gain) to one of four memory positions (similar to saving station presets on a radio).
Editor's from Business Week have released a full review of Chevy's biggest and baddest truck, the 2007 Chevrolet Kodiak C4500. This tonka size truck weighs in at more than 10,000 pounds and is priced for around $80,000 USD. The truck is rated for a towing capacity of 16,000 pounds and is powered with a 6.6-liter, 330-horsepower Duramax diesel V-8 or an 8.1-liter, 325-horsepower gasoline V-8. The Duramax diesel option helps boost the Kodiak from 0 to 60 miles per hour in about 12 seconds, which is decent for a 10,000 pound vehicle. However, with the expensive price tag, does it hold up to Ford's F-650 Supercrewzer or International's CXT ?
Monster Bumpers have released their 2008 Stealth Bumper for all major truck makes and models. Applications include Chevy, Ford, Dodge, GMC, Hummer, Jeep, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Nissan or Toyota trucks. The Stealth Bumper features a black textured powdercoat finish, as well as holes that are cut out for auxillary lighting. Their bumpers are also winch ready. Check out the rest of their products on Truck Hownd.
In a three part series, Pickuptruck.com has released the final results of their Heavy Duty Shootout, where America's top trucks were put to the test, in various situations, to see who really built the top heavy duty truck. "The flat asphalt strips at Milan Dragway and Ford's Michigan Proving Grounds (MPG) were perfect for testing loaded and unloaded level acceleration, but where a heavy duty pickup truly earns its keep is how well it performs climbing hills hauling and towing." Click here to view the final results.
Air Lift Company announced the release of a new Super Duty air spring suspension kit for the 2007 Toyota Tundra, two-and four-wheel- drive models. This kit is one of Air Lift’s many no-drill applications featuring a bolt-on assembly easily installed between the vehicle’s frame and factory leaf springs. The single bellow design provides brute strength capable of handling big loads with full-time load support up to 3,000 pounds, improving safety and ride quality.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) announced that it has reached a definitive agreement for the company to sell its Allison Transmission (Allison) commercial and military business to The Carlyle Group (Carlyle) and Onex Corporation (Onex) for approximately $5.6 billion.
PickupTruck.com went to Michigan and put seven gas and diesel heavy duty pickups to the test. As part of one of their shootout, they took the group of mammoth trucks to Ford Motor Company's, Michigan Proving Grounds and performed vigorous tests. Check out the intense results.
"Toyota Tundra engineers and product managers are likely breathing a big sigh of relief after receiving the highest crash test rating of 'Good' from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In March there was much surprise that the Toyota Tundra only scored a four star safety rating in government crash tests," PickupTruck.com reports.
AdvertisingAge reports, "Toyota will be a Super Bowl advertiser again this year, Jim Lentz, exec VP of Toyota Motor Sales USA, told Advertising Age. Toyota will showcase its newly remodeled Tundra full-size pickup, he said."
So, you got a new truck and you're ready to accessorize. You have a motorcycle (that you tow). What do you do when you're not towing your "hog"? You put on your animated wheelie hog Hitch Critter, that's what you do. I'm really not kidding... this is for real. This bad ass pig does a wheelie and his headlamp lights up when the brakes are applied.
Trailer breakaway systems are becoming mandatory in more states each year. As a result, more aftermarket manufacturers are starting to offer trailer breakaway kits that contain all the components needed to automatically apply power to the trailer brakes in the event the trailer becomes separated from the tow vehicle. One of the newest products to come out is from Valley Industries.
It's been a while since we visited tractor pulling here at the ol' Truckblog, and to our surprise the boys runnin' the ATPA (that would be the American Tractor Pullers Association) have expanded to include trucks, thanks to our constant prodding.
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"Toyota Tundra engineers and product managers are likely breathing a big sigh of relief after receiving the highest crash test rating of 'Good' from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In March there was much surprise that the Toyota Tundra only scored a four star safety rating in government crash tests," PickupTruck.com reports.
AdvertisingAge reports, "Toyota will be a Super Bowl advertiser again this year, Jim Lentz, exec VP of Toyota Motor Sales USA, told Advertising Age. Toyota will showcase its newly remodeled Tundra full-size pickup, he said."
Remember the Ford Super Duty commercial where the mighty Ford dually pulled a massive Douglas DC4 airplane through an airport with ease?
