ground clearance FORD SUPER DUTY 2023 Owners Manual

FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE
PRECAUTIONS
WARNING: Vehicles with a highercenter of gravity (utility and four-wheeldrive vehicles) handle differently thanvehicles with a lower center of gravity(passenger cars). Avoid sharp turns,excessive speed and abrupt steering inthese vehicles. Failure to drive cautiouslyincreases the risk of losing control of yourvehicle, vehicle rollover, personal injuryand death.
WARNING: Do not becomeoverconfident in the ability of four-wheeldrive vehicles. Although a four-wheeldrive vehicle may accelerate better thana two-wheel drive vehicle in low tractionsituations, it won't stop any faster thantwo-wheel drive vehicles. Always driveat a safe speed.
Truck and utility vehicles can differ fromsome other vehicles. Your vehicle could behigher to allow it to travel over roughterrain without getting stuck or damagingunderbody components. The differencesthat make your vehicle so versatile alsomake it handle differently than an ordinarypassenger car. Always maintain steeringwheel control, especially in rough terrain.Since sudden changes in terrain can resultin abrupt steering wheel motion, make sureyou grip the steering wheel from theoutside. Do not grip the spokes. Drivecautiously to avoid vehicle damage fromconcealed objects such as rocks andstumps. Drive slower in strong crosswindswhich can affect the normal steeringcharacteristics of your vehicle. Beextremely careful when driving onpavement made slippery by loose sand,water, gravel, snow or ice.
Note:Your vehicle may come with a frontair dam that can become damaged (due toreduced ground clearance) when taking yourvehicle off-road. This air dam can be takenoff by removing 15 bolts.
Parking
WARNING: If the parking brake isfully released, but the brake warninglamp remains illuminated, the brakesmay not be working properly. Have yourvehicle checked as soon as possible.
WARNING: Apply the parkingbrake, shift into park (P), switch theignition off and remove the key beforeyou leave your vehicle. Failure to followthis instruction could result in personalinjury or death.
On some four-wheel drive vehicles, whenthe transfer case is in the neutral (N)position, the engine and transmissiondisconnects from the rest of the driveline.Therefore, your vehicle is free to roll evenif the automatic transmission is in park (P).Do not leave the vehicle unattended withthe transfer case in the neutral (N)position. Always set the parking brake fullyand turn off the ignition when leaving yourvehicle.
FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE
LIMITATIONS
Do not use four-wheel drive high orfour-wheel drive low mode on dry, hardsurface roads. Doing so can produceexcessive noise, increase tire wear and candamage drive components. Four-wheeldrive high or four-wheel drive low modesare intended for consistently slippery orloose surfaces. Use of four low mode onthese surfaces could produce some noise,such as occasional clunks, but should not
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OFF-ROAD DRIVING
WHAT IS OFF-ROAD DRIVING
Off-road driving is driving your vehicle onunsurfaced roads or trails, made from dirt,rocks, sand and mud.
BASIC OFF-ROAD DRIVINGTECHNIQUES
Off-road Driving Hints
Before taking your vehicle off-roading, abasic vehicle inspection should be done tomake sure that the vehicle is in top workingcondition. It is always recommended thatat least two vehicles are used whileoff-roading. The buddy system helps makesure that help is close at hand should avehicle become stuck or damaged. It is alsowise to take supplies such as a first aid kit,supply of water, tow strap, cell or satellitephone with you any time an off-roadexcursion is planned.
1.Grip the steering wheel with thumbson the outside of the rim. This willreduce the risk of injury due to abruptsteering wheel motions that occurwhen negotiating rough terrain.
2.Throttle, brake and steering inputsshould be made in a smooth andcontrolled manner. Sudden inputs tothe controls can cause loss of tractionor upset the vehicle, especially whileon loose terrain or while crossingobstacles such as rocks or logs.
3.Look ahead on your route notingupcoming obstacles, or any otherfactors which may indicate a changein available traction, and adjust thevehicle speed and route accordingly.
4.When driving off-road, if the front orrear suspension is bottoming outand/or excessive contact with theskid-plates is encountered, reducevehicle speed to avoid potentialdamage to the vehicle.
5.When with other vehicles, it isrecommended that communication isused, and the lead vehicle notify othervehicles of obstacles that could causepotential vehicle damage.
6.Always keep available groundclearance in mind and pick a route thatminimizes the risk of catching theunderside of the vehicle on an obstacle.
7.When negotiating low speed obstacles,applying light brake pressure inconjunction with the throttle will helpprevent the vehicle from jerking andwill allow you to negotiate the obstaclein a more controlled manner. Using 4Lwill also help with this.
8.Off-roading requires a high degree ofconcentration. Even if your local lawdoes not prohibit alcohol use whiledriving off-road, Ford stronglyrecommends against drinking if youplan to off-road.
Crossing Obstacles
•Review the path ahead beforeattempting to cross any obstacle. It isbest if the obstacle is reviewed fromoutside the vehicle so that there is agood understanding of terrain conditionboth in front of and behind theobstacle.
•Approach obstacles slowly.
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Maximum WadingCapabilityModel
22 in (560 mm)1Vehicles withoutTremor or XL Off-Road Packages
30 in (762 mm)XL Off-RoadPackage
33 in (838 mm)Tremor Package
1 Bottom of the doors.
When you are driving through water do notexceed 4 mph (7 km/h).
Never stop or shut a vehicle off whencrossing deep water unless your vehicleingested water into the engine air intake.If the engine stalls, do not attempt torestart it. Keep the doors fully closed duringa water crossing.
Extra care must be taken crossing any typeof water. Do not drive into water unlessnecessary. Only drive through areas thatare designated and approved. Determineexit points that are downstream of yourentry point to allow for drifting. If there areother vehicles ahead, wait until they haveleft the water. Unsettled water can makea safe passage more challenging.
High currents even in shallow water canwash the dirt out from around your tires orpush your vehicle across slippery rocks orsurfaces. Never attempt to cross flowingwater that is deeper than your vehicle'sground clearance. Even in low currents yourvehicle's body surface area can be pusheddownstream and out of control. Do notcross any body of water that is fast flowingand rising, wait for the flow rate to reduce.
Vehicles used to traverse water regularlyshould be periodically inspected for signsof water ingestion in all of the vehicle'sfluids. If water is found inside your vehiclefluids, service your vehicle or see anauthorized dealer.
After driving through water and as soon asit is safe to do so, check the brakes, horn,lights, and steering wheel to make sureeverything is still in working order.
AFTER DRIVING YOUR VEHICLEOFF-ROAD
WARNING: After off-road use,before returning to the road, check thewheels and tires for damage. Off-roaduse may cause damage to your wheelsand tires that can lead to tire failure, lossof vehicle control, serious injury or death.
WARNING: Always re-inflate tiresto recommended tire pressures beforethe vehicle is operated on-road. Therecommended pressure is located on thetire label or safety certification label,located on the B-pillar, inside the driver'sdoor.
Driving off-road places more stress on yourvehicle than most on-road driving. Afterdriving off-road check for damage to yourvehicle and, if necessary, have your vehiclefixed as soon as possible.
Inspect the underbody of your vehicle bychecking tires, body structure, steering,suspension, and exhaust system fordamage.
Check the radiator for mud and debris andclean as needed.
Remove accumulations of plants or brush.These things could be a fire hazard or hidedamage to the fuel lines, brake hoses, andpropeller shafts.
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CHANGING A FLAT TIRE
If you get a flat tire when driving, do notapply the brake heavily. Instead, graduallydecrease your speed. Hold the steeringwheel firmly and slowly move to a safeplace on the side of the road.
Have a flat serviced by an authorizeddealer to prevent damage to the systemsensors. See Tire Pressure MonitoringSystem Precautions (page 502).Replacethe spare tire with a road tire as soon aspossible. During repairing or replacing theflat tire, have the authorized dealer inspectthe system sensor for damage.
Note:The use of tire sealant may damageyour tire pressure monitoring system andshould only be used in roadsideemergencies.
Note:The tire pressure monitoring systemindicator light illuminates when the sparetire is in use. To restore the full function ofthe monitoring system, all road wheelsequipped with tire pressure monitoringsensors must be mounted on this vehicle.
Dissimilar Spare Wheel and TireAssembly Information
WARNING: Failure to follow theseguidelines could result in an increasedrisk of loss of vehicle control, injury ordeath.
If you have a dissimilar spare wheel andtire, then it is intended for temporary useonly. This means that if you need to use it,you should replace it as soon as possiblewith a road wheel and tire assembly thatis the same size and type as the road tiresand wheels that were originally providedby Ford. If the dissimilar spare tire or wheelis damaged, it should be replaced ratherthan repaired.
A dissimilar spare wheel and tire assemblyis defined as a spare wheel and tireassembly that is different in brand, size orappearance from the road tires andwheels.
Full-size dissimilar spare
When driving with the full-size dissimilarspare wheel and tire assembly, do not:
•Exceed 70 mph (113 km/h).
•Use more than one dissimilar sparewheel and tire assembly at a time.
•Use snow chains on the end of thevehicle with the dissimilar spare wheeland tire assembly.
•Engage any four-wheel drive mode.See Four-Wheel Drive Limitations(page 239).
When driving with the full-size dissimilarspare wheel and tire assembly, 4WDfunctionality may be limited. You mayexperience the following:
•Additional noise from the transfer caseor other drive components.
•Difficulty shifting out of a mechanicallylocked 4WD mode.
When driving with the full-size dissimilarspare wheel and tire assembly, it isrecommended that you do not:
•Engage 4WD High or 4WD Low, ifequipped, other than to get your vehicleunstuck. .
The usage of a full-size dissimilar sparewheel and tire assembly can lead toimpairment of the following:
•Handling, stability and brakingperformance.
•Comfort and noise.
•Ground clearance and parking at curbs.
•Winter weather driving capability.
•Wet weather driving capability.
•Four-wheel drive capability.
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