How did they make the 2021 3.3L naturally aspirated f150 capable of pulling 8200lbs? That seems like a lot of wait for such a small engine.
I don't know the specifics of that truck's powertrain, but I'm willing to bet a different size rear end was put in the truck. You can get a smaller engine to move more weight by putting a taller final drive ratio in the differential. The old Ford Rangers had 3.55 gears in the rear end in standard trucks, and the heavier off-road 4×4s had 4.10 gears. All that means is if you spin the drive shaft 4.10 times, the output shafts from the differential will spin once.
The benefit in doing all of that is you get more torque to pull at the expense of your top end speed and MPG. My Ranger 4×4 tops out around 80 mph, and when it's going 60 MPH, the tachometer hangs around where the regular truck would be going close to 70. It's easy to play with the gearing in a differential, it's not easy to change gearing in a transmission. Everything needs redesigned.
