Editor at Large: Ford’s 2011 F-150s Come with a Six-Speed Transmission as Standard

More gears give professionals in trucks more options. Whether you’re towing a mini excavator down a steep mountain grade, plowing snow in a Wisconsin whiteout or hauling supplies and crews over an unpaved jobsite, having an expansive transmission in your work truck allows you to travel faster, smoother and safer, while producing more power and better fuel economy.

These were some of the conversations going back and forth between a Ford engineer and myself, as we hauled 6,700-lb trailers down the back roads of Fort Worth, Texas. In late September, Ford Motor Co. invited editors, writers and truck and trailer aficionados down to the Lone Star State to test drive their 2011 F-150 trucks, fitted with four new gas engines and now-standard six-speed transmissions. The mixing and matching of these Ford powertrains is aimed at giving buyers bigger options when it comes to efficiency and power, depending on which engine you choose. 

“The F-150 has a diverse set of customers, so we don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach when matching the transmission to the engine,” said Bryant Grytzelius, 6R80 transmission engineering manager. “With the 3.7-liter engine, for example, that particular transmission has fewer clutch plates compared with the other engines. Everything is sized accordingly for optimum driveability, performance and fuel economy.”

This new six-speed automatic transmission is now standard for each of the four new engines for the 2011 Ford F-150, and Ford is the only manufacturer to offer a six-speed automatic transmission as standard throughout the lineup. The revamped 6R80 transmission provides smoother operation and better fuel economy. It also includes SelectShift Automatic capability, progressive range select and manual mode, allowing customers the convenience of an automatic transmission for routine operation combined with the ability to select and lock gears.

It’s a familiar transmission (with several improvements) that manages the power produced by the all-new engine lineup of the 2011 Ford F-150s. The diverse group of engines, which ranges from a 3.7-liter V6 with advanced valvetrain timing to a 6.2-liter V8, will be mated to the 6R80 six-speed. This tried-and-true gearbox has been upgraded to bring available customer conveniences such as SelectShift capability, which automatically shifts during routine operation and also allows complete manual control.

Also included are progressive range select and manual functions. With progressive range select, a toggle on the shift lever allows the customer to reduce the range of available gears while in drive. When the customer “taps” down into range select mode, the new available 4.2-in. LCD screen shows the available gears and highlights the current gear state. This feature allows the driver to limit use of upper gears when heavily loaded or while towing on grades. For full manual function, customers also can pull the shift lever into “M” for manual mode and use the same toggle switch to select the gear desired. The display will show the selected gear, and the control system will lock the torque converter and hold that gear for a full manual transmission feel.

The 6R80’s tow/haul mode has been recalibrated to provide better control when hauling a heavy load or towing a trailer, especially when going down grades. The improved system, now integrated into the powertrain control module, uses an array of sophisticated electronic sensors to better predict the driver’s need for a downshift to provide engine braking and enhanced control. A further refinement for 2011 is the addition of a one-way clutch, which allows for smoother 1-2 and 2-1 shifts, faster downshifts and helps improve fuel economy.

Ford says the 6R80 has been through 150,000 equivalent miles of testing cycles that reflect the most extreme-use customers, and the box itself is rated up to 7,000 rpm and the fluid is filled for life. The proof is in the test drive; hauling around the Texas countryside was a breeze. The new six-speed tranny (plus great technologies like tow/haul and progressive range select) took away the white-knuckle experience of hauling heavy loads (even while dodging semis doing 70 mph on badly paved Texas highways). Grytzelius sums it up.

“The increased capability and functionality of the transmission, backed by exhaustive testing, will help ensure this next F-150 will deliver everything our customers need and more,” he said. Maybe even a little more. – Keith Gribbins, Managing Editor, Compact Equipment.