Source Hard Working Trucks By G. R. Whale

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An owner of a 2001 F-350 had new, heavier equipment and a trailer, and wanted to upgrade his pickup’s receiver hardware to accommodate the 8- to 10-ton load.

The forum specialist replied with a series of 9-ton hitch options for pickups, noting cab and chassis models may differ.

That’s zero to illegal in three sentences or less.

Why? Because the forum specialist’s advice is bad; neither the pickup owners nor the forum’s specialist mentioned the Ford’s maximum tow rating, which our 10-year-old information gives as best-case 14,400 pounds fifth-wheel/gooseneck and 12,500 conventional towing using a weight-distributing hitch.

Using a 9-ton hitch option on that particular pickup exceeds the F-350’s maximum towing capacity by more than 2 tons – and at worst by more than 6,000 pounds.

When you need a potent engine or a sturdy gearbox for your fantasy supercar, Ricardo should be your first call. This U.K.-based engineering firm has roots reaching back more than a century and branches that cover Europe, Russia, Asia, and the U.S. of A. Ricardo's expertise can be found across the industry. Among its recent projects is the HyBoost, a Ford Focus fitted with an electrically driven supercharger.

Ricardo built this HyBoost with two goals in mind: topping Toyota Prius fuel efficiency while skirting the cost, bulk, and weight of the Prius's two electric motor/generators and battery pack. The experiment is a timely one—every carmaker sees 2025's 54.5-mpg CAFE requirement looming, and most need help meeting it.

To create the HyBoost, Ricardo replaced the original 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with a 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder and augmented that engine's turbo with a Valeo electric supercharger. Two years ago we speculated that BMW might use an electric supercharger to sharpen throttle response at low engine speeds. While that has yet to come to fruition, Audi has one under the hood of its RS5 TDI concept car.

Source: Road and Track

Driver assistance systems

Over the past several years, driver assistance features have become commonplace. The functionality and convenience of these systems continue to help develop vehicle collision avoidance capabilities. By their very nature, driver assistance systems are designed to help detect, judge and react to anticipated collision scenarios.
Anti-lock braking system (ABS) is probably the best known driver assistance feature. ABS has evolved from simple lockup control only during braking to more advanced systems that control traction during acceleration, braking and cornering by braking wheels individually while integrating other vehicle operating factors such as engine power output.

Most new vehicles are equipped with ABS these days, but ABS is not a one-size-fits-all system. ABS can include a number of additional features, which are found on a number of Toyota vehicles:

• Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) -- modifies braking force at individual wheels to compensate both for changes in vehicle load (occupants and cargo) and to help increase braking efficiency during cornering.
• Brake Assist (BA) -- monitors the force with which the driver depresses the brake pedal and provides additional brake fluid pressure when the system detects an emergency stop.
• Traction Control (TRAC) -- helps reduce drive wheel spin during acceleration using ABS and control of engine power output.
• Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) -- helps prevent skidding or spinning while cornering by controlling ABS and engine power output to help keep the vehicle traveling in the steered direction, even if the driver enters a turn too fast or steers the vehicle too sharply for road conditions.
• Vehicle Dynamics Integration Management (VDIM) -- combines a range of vehicle stability control functions into a single, seamless process to help provide overall vehicle dynamic drive-ability.

SUVs and trucks, such as the Toyota Tundra and 4Runner, may be equipped with specialized ABS-based functions such as:

• Active TRAC (A-TRAC) -- During 4-wheel-drive operation on a snow-covered road or in rugged off-road conditions, A-TRAC controls engine output and brake fluid pressure so that the drive force is distributed to the wheels that have traction. This enhances drivability in extreme road conditions, an effect that is similar to a Limited Slip Differential (LSD). Off-road drivability is equivalent to having the center differential locked and a Limited Slip Differential on both front and rear axles.
• Auto Limited Slip Differential (Auto LSD) -- Auto LSD uses the TRAC system to achieve the capability of a Limited Slip Differential (LSD) when driving in 2WD mode. (On a 4WD vehicle, Auto LSD only operates when the vehicle is being driven in 2WD mode.) Because Auto LSD and Rear Differential Lock perform similar functions, vehicles may have one system or the other, but not both. While Auto LSD components are similar to those in the TRAC system, there are important differences.
• Downhill Assist Control (DAC) -- DAC allows the vehicle to descend a steep hill in a stable manner without the wheels locking. It does this by controlling hydraulic brake pressure at all four wheels, helping to maintain a constant, low vehicle speed.
• Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) -- The basic function of the HAC system is to help increase control on steep upgrades and stopping and starting on slippery surfaces. The HAC system is designed to help prevent the vehicle from rolling backward or slipping sideways during transition from a stopped position to climbing an upgrade.