Robot Driver Puts Ranger Super Duty Through Ford's Harshest Test
Ford does not believe in being gentle with its trucks. To prove the Ranger Super Duty can take punishment, the brand sends it straight to the harshest road it could find. Since it didn't meet their standards, Ford built their own. At Ford Australia's You Yangs Proving Ground in Victoria, there is a stretch of man-made hell called Silver Creek, and it is where the Ranger earned its stripes.
The Tough Test Track
Silver Creek is not your everyday 4x4 trail. Instead of a creek bed filled with smooth stones, Silver Creek has 300 randomly scattered bumps, each a different size and shape, purposefully designed to push the chassis' limits. Ford says "a single run on Silver Creek generates over 2000 suspension movements," and it especially targets "the durability of engine and body mounts, joints, and connectors". Everything from top to bottom gets pushed to its limit, and Ford claims the test is equivalent to 10 years' abuse from driving in harsh conditions.
Robot Takes The Wheel
Judging by the above video of the SIlver Creek test, it would not just take a toll on Ranger, but anyone behind the wheel too – yes, it's that rough. As a result, Ford programmed an autonomous robot to pilot the Superduty up and down the track. This mechanical daredevil ran the Ranger Super Duty over Silver Creek 24 hours a day, in rain, hail, and shine. racking up more than 2,000 suspension movements in a single pass. The aim was to push every mount, joint, and connector to their limits without mercy.
Built To Carry The Heavy Stuff
As if things were not difficult enough, the Ranger Super Duty faced Silver Creek while loaded to its maximum gross vehicle mass of 4,500 kg (9,921 lbs). The forces pounding through the truck in that state are brutal, far exceeding what most owners will ever put it through. And that is exactly the point. If it can survive Silver Creek fully loaded, it can survive just about anything an owner might throw at it. Although many don't want to admit it, this test proves the Built Ford Tough slogan isn't just a fruitless statement.
Robot Driver Puts Ranger Super Duty Through Ford's Harshest Test first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 10, 2025
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
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