Chevrolet Silverado Goes Head-to-Head with Ford and Ram Trucks Part 2

Real-world evaluations vs. Ford and Dodge heavy-duty diesel pickups

Twist ditch simulation: In one of the most dramatic tests, Silverado 3500HD and Ford F-350 trucks were loaded with 3,000 pounds of payload and driven over a set of ramps designed to simulate a worksite situation like an irrigation ditch. With its stiffer, fully-boxed, high-strength steel frame and independent front suspension, the Silverado handled the test with ease. The F-350 twisted to the point where the tailgate jammed shut, then buckled from the strain. Next, Chevy ran a similar test with three-quarter-ton trucks and pointers to measure misalignment between the cab and bed. Misalignment for the Silverado 2500HD: 0.25 inch; for the F-250 Super Duty: 1.1 inch.

Passing Performance: Introduces Howie Long, a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, and Rick Spina, global vehicle line executive for full size trucks, who host the videos. The test pits a Chevy Silverado 2500HD with the Duramax diesel and Allison transmission against comparably equipped Ford and Dodge pickups. The trucks, towing a trailer loaded with 9,750 pounds of brick pavers, accelerate from 30 to 55 mph at sea level on a test track at Inyokern Airport in Inyokern, California. Silverado 2500HD beats the Ford, 1,020 feet to 1,174 feet, and outperforms the Dodge by more than 1,800 feet. For a more dramatic demonstration, the test was repeated with one-ton trucks and a 16,500-pound trailer at an elevation of more than 6,000 feet on a road outside of Bishop, California. To add a little visual interest – this is video, after all – the trucks had to pass a slow-moving semi and complete the pass before they reached a slower moving snow plow in the left lane. If they couldn’t complete the pass safely, drivers had to brake and pull back in behind the semi. Silverado 3500HD was the only truck to complete the pass, and it did so with room to spare.

Brake Fade: To measure brake fade under extreme conditions, such as a long mountain downgrade, AMCI took the Silverado 3500HD and Ford F-350 Super-Duty, loaded them with 3,000 pounds of payload, and did ten back-to-back stops from 70 mph. When the brakes were cooled down between runs, braking performance was comparable. However, when the cool-down periods were eliminated, the Silverado retained its full braking power, while the brakes on the F-350 faded noticeably

Exhaust Braking Performance: Exhaust braking systems are useful for maintaining speed on downgrades, saving wear-and tear on the service brakes – and on the driver. So to test the exhaust brakes, Chevy went back to the mountains outside of Bishop with a Silverado 3500HD and a Ford F-350 Super Duty, each towing the 16,500-pound trailer. Trucks started down a 7-percent grade at 50 mph. The exhaust brake was set, and speed measured after the trucks had travelled 2,000 feet. At the end of the distance, the exhaust brake on the Silverado had slowed the truck and trailer to 44 mph. The Super Duty had actually accelerated to 56 mph.