^ Everything is a compromise. You simply can't carry large weight *and* have it ride great all the time. Especially without going to air. Which I'm slightly surprised they didn't on the PW, it's offered on pretty much all their other trucks as an option...
Kinda sad that we live in an age where steel bumpers are a marketable option on a truck.
Still love the e-disconnecting sway bars.
Sounds like pretty decent suspension movement from it, and since it's using the same coils they use on everything else in the fleet, it would be easy to option out for heavier coils in the rear to gain payload capacity if required. That number really is woefully low for a 3/4 ton truck.
That "power hop" damper sounds like what Ford did on the Explorers in the 90-00s. I feel it's unnecessary, but whatever, if it doesn't effect suspension movement, who cares.
Not really sold on the "Articulink" thing. Sounds like one more place to quickly develop play in an already notoriously weak front end. Ford has been using this style radius arm for damn near a decade on their SD trucks with great success, and Dodge has started to recently as well. I see this as over complicating something for no real appreciable gain.
I also can't believe that we're even talking about twin-tube shocks at all anymore, never mind in a brand-new OE application. Of course they didn't use them. They're old, outdated technology. Sounds like they're probably using a factory tuned Billy 4600 series.
E-lockers are fantastic, and I think it's awesome they stuff them in both ends of the PW and the Rubi. I wonder if they left a loop-hole to defeat the 4-hi only engagement. Ford offers theirs so it can be engaged in any drive (2wd-4lo), as long as you're going slow enough. They didn't initially, but the newer trucks all allow it. I think Toyota has done the same now too. They should've offered that in the PW also. There are a lot of situations a locker will get you out of without having to engage the front axle.
Underbelly protection looks decent from factory, but they left it pretty close at the back of that cross-member. You won't be gaining much droop travel over stock without having to modify it, though I can't see the target audience needing that, this thing seems pretty legit out ofthe box.
Manual transfer case? Manual transfer case. Nice.
33"s from factory, I'm sure they'll take a 35" stock. Nice for an extra couple inches of clearance, and filling out the wells a bit more. Duratracs have mixed reviews, I personally have had good experiences. Cool to see them being used as an OE tire.
She's pretty long already at 149", but I'm surprised they didn't offer it with a long-box option. Though, with the reduced payload, and already long OAL, I can see why they might not have wanted to. Just wondering how that will effect their ability to hit their target audience. A lot of guys want an 8' bed, landbarge status or not. Personally, I can't justify driving a truck that huge when I can just drop my tailgate for the odd time I need to carry something 8' long, and a quad and hunting gear will fit in the back of a short-box truck anyway.
Overall I'm pretty impressed with the PW, always have been. It would be cool to see the boys in blue offer up a tarted up SD to compete. Plus, I think we could offer it with the Powerstroke in it (gas and diesel rad-stacks are very similar in size)....
For those late to the Power Wagon party, here is some thoughts from a guy who owns an 08' G-56 PW, lol 