New Chin Spoiler, Axles Give Select ‘08 Ford Super Duty Models 1.5 MPG Boost

When it comes to fuel economy on 3/4- and 1-ton pickups, it’s hard to make giant improvements - so every little step counts. Hence the rolling changes made to the latest build of Ford’s 2008 Super Duty pickups. PickupTruck.com reports that by moving to a standard higher-ratio rear axles and extending the chin spoiler by 100 mm, select F-250 and F-350 pickups can see up to an extra 1.5 mpg in their fuel economy.

The largest change lies in the rear-axle swap. For each truck, the standard axle ratio has been moved up a notch. For instance, trucks previously equipped with 3.73 differentials at no cost now come with 3.55 gears; those previously equipped with 4.10 gearing now come with 3.73 ratios. Another bonus: all diesel models now come standard with a limited-slip differential.

Ford expects no change in the trucks’ towing ability with the new gears, and for the most part, there’s just as much change in the fuel economy. The only anticipated improvement comes if you order a single-rear-wheel F-250 or F-350 with either the 5.4-liter V-8 or the 6.4-liter PowerStroke turbo-diesel V-8. Both expect to see the 1.5-mpg improvement, while improvement on other models is negligible, at best.

+ PickupTruck.com: Job 3 Super Duties Get Fuel Economy Improvements