Ford Ranger Super Duty’s muddy torture test

While bit of mud splashed on a 4x4 is a sign it’s been adventuring, Ford’s engineers have gone to the extreme by caking more than 600kg on the new Ranger Super Duty.

It was all about testing how the uprated new Ranger copes with the extreme environments it’s going to end up in for work or fun, be it a mine site or an extreme 4x4 trail.

Basically, Ford engineers drove a Super Duty through a specifically designed mud torture test – deep ruts, bog holes and sticky clay – at the You Yangs proving ground time-after-time and day-after-day.

A layer of mud would dry and then the engineers would go and do it again, adding another layer. Eventually, the Super Duty was lugging around more than 600kg of mud.

But it wasn’t only important how much mud was being carried but where it was permeating.

“Mud is one of a truck’s greatest enemies,” explained Rob Hugo, product excellence and human factors supervisor at Ford Australia.

“It can add significant weight, prevent airflow, and act as an insulator, causing components to heat up much quicker. It’s highly corrosive and can clog up fans and alternators, preventing them from running correctly.”

“Our mud-pack testing is a key part of our ‘Built Ford Tough’ validation. So, for the Ranger Super Duty, we knew we had to turn it up to 11. We packed more mud onto this vehicle during development than we ever have before.”

And the result of all this testing? Hugo said the Super Duty passed the testing successfully, in part because of upgrades made ahead of the examination that will be incorporated in the production vehicle.

“We strengthened the wheel arch liners and added mechanical fixings to ensure they could carry that weight. We added additional underbody shielding to protect components from the elements. We added additional shielding for things like the engine pulleys.

“It was the updates and improvements we’ve made to Ranger Super Duty that allows it to continue to operate in these harsh environments.”

The Ford Ranger Super Duty is scheduled to go on-sale in Australia early 2026.

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