Sixty-five dollars. That is the gap, by our math, between an F-350 XL Tremor and an F-350 XLT Tremor on a crew cab 4x4 short box. The base prices are $3,910 apart. With Tremor on both, sixty-five.
Here is how it happens. On XL, Tremor drags two more packages along with it: STX Appearance and XL Driver Assist. Stack them up and the XL Tremor lands at $62,740 before destination. The XLT Tremor, with the nicer cab, lands at $62,805. Somebody at the dealer is about to buy the cheaper-looking one and pay almost the same money.
And that is only the first surprise. Way down the XL order sheet, past the vinyl bench and the steel wheels, sits one more line: XL Off-Road 35-Inch Tire Package, code 96S. It builds a truck with the same 35s, the same lift springs, the same locking rear differential, the same front limited-slip and the same skid plates as a Tremor. No decals. No leather. It looks like the truck a forestry crew parks at the trailhead, because that is who Ford built it for.
Why the Super Duty XL Off-Road 35-Inch Tire Package Matters Now
Ford previewed the package for arborists, forestry workers, mining engineers and utility crews who wanted bigger tires "in a clean work truck, without branded graphics or expensive interior content." The 2027 order guide calls it 96S. On Oct 8, 2026, Motor1 reported it at $2,995, built one on Ford's configurator for just over $60,000, and covered a buyer who drove one off a Nebraska lot for about $64,000.
In early October, Roush priced its 2027 Super Duty package at $21,399 above base vehicle MSRP. Three roads to 35s, all priced inside one month. Our take: the cheapest one is the most interesting.
The Honest Truth: Ford's Own Order Guide Lists Nearly the Same Off-Road Hardware
Open the 96S and Tremor (17Y) pages in Ford's 2027 order guide. Both list:
- 35-inch off-road tires, LT285/75R18, plus a matching full-size spare
- 4.30 electronic locking final drive with the 7.3L gas engine, 3.55 with the 6.7L High Output diesel
- Unique front springs for a ride height increase
- Rear electronic locking differential and front limited-slip differential
- Performance front and rear shocks
- Transfer case and fuel tank skid plates, and unique front air dams for approach angle
- Water fording vent tubes for the transfer case and axles
- Rock Crawl Mode, Trail Control and Trail Turn Assist
- Off-road running boards and the F-250 greater-than-10K GVWR package
What is different? Wheels (18-inch Sparkle Silver painted on 96S, 18-inch Ebony Black machined on Tremor), the decal, and where you are allowed to order it. That is the list.
A locking rear differential forces both rear wheels to turn together, so a lifted wheel cannot spin uselessly. A limited-slip front leans torque toward the tire with grip without locking solid. Both trucks get both.
Gearing is simple for 2027 because the menu shrank. The standard-output 6.7L and the 6.8L gas are listed as deleted, which leaves one diesel, the 6.7L High Output, and that is the only engine paired with 3.55. Want to see what 35s do to your effective ratio? Run it through our gear ratio calculator.
One trap in Ford's own marketing. The preview lists a 48-gallon tank for Tremor. The order guide puts that tank on the 176-inch wheelbase only, which means 8-foot bed trucks. A short-box Tremor gets the same 34-gallon tank as the 96S.
What You Get, and What You Give Up, With the $2,995 Package
The rules for 96S: XL trim, crew cab, 4x4, single rear wheel, the 6-3/4-foot box on the 160-inch wheelbase, the 10-speed TorqShift automatic, and the XL Driver Assist Package (96D). That package adds automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning and auto high beams. No 8-foot box, no dual rear wheels, no STX.
What you give up is the XL cabin. Vinyl, a smaller screen, fewer comforts. For a truck that works all week and climbs a forest road on Saturday, call that a feature. Vinyl hoses out.
Ford.com Build and Price (checked Oct 12, 2026) lists the 33-inch package (17Z) at $995 and the 35-inch package at $2,995. Our math: $2,000 more. The 33-inch package already has the rear locker, Rock Crawl, skid plates, fording vents and air dams, per the order guide. The extra $2,000 buys the 35s on 18-inch alloys with a matching full-size spare, the lift springs, the front limited-slip, performance shocks, Trail Control, Trail Turn Assist and off-road running boards. Comparing the two tire sizes? Our tire size calculator shows the change.
Our verdict: if you leave pavement, that $2,000 is the easiest line on the order sheet to justify.
Build it yourself (our math)
F-350 XL crew cab 4x4 short box with the $2,995 box. All prices from Ford.com Build and Price (Oct 12, 2026):
- F-350 XL crew cab 6-3/4-ft 4x4 base: $54,445
- XL Off-Road 35-Inch Tire Package (96S): $2,995
- XL Driver Assist Package (96D, required): $730
- Total before destination: $58,170
- Destination: $2,795
Add Motor1's $395 Neptune Blue and destination and the total is $61,360, close to the "just over $60,000" Motor1 reported. Price your own truck on Ford.com; base prices vary by configuration.
Why the F-350 and not the F-250? Both packages exclude the TorqShift-G transmission, which a dealer summary of Ford's price lists shows on F-250 gas trucks, so we priced the build Motor1 actually did. Check an F-250 build on Ford.com before you assume it qualifies.
When the Tremor Still Wins
You need an 8-foot bed. New for 2027, Tremor comes on crew cab 8-foot box trucks with the 176-inch wheelbase on XLT, Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum. The 96S is short box only. A camper settles this one.
You want a real cab. The 96S lives only on XL. XLT comfort or a Lariat interior on factory 35s means Tremor.
You want the 48-gallon tank. Only on the 176-inch wheelbase, which on an off-road package means a long-bed Tremor.
You want it to look like a Tremor. Fair. That is what the decals and black wheels are for.
Now the $65. On XL, Tremor requires the STX Appearance Package and XL Driver Assist. On Ford.com Build and Price (Oct 12, 2026), Tremor is $4,450 and STX is $3,115, so an XL Tremor costs about $4,570 more in packages than an XL with 96S (our math: $4,450 plus $3,115, minus $2,995; both need 96D). STX adds body-color bumpers, LED lamps and carpet. The order guide shows no extra locker, gear or skid hardware for that money.
Build it yourself: XL Tremor vs XLT Tremor (our math)
F-350 crew cab 6-3/4-ft 4x4, before destination. All prices from Ford.com Build and Price (Oct 12, 2026):
- XL Tremor: $54,445 base + $4,450 Tremor + $3,115 STX + $730 Driver Assist = $62,740
- XLT Tremor: $58,355 base + $4,450 Tremor = $62,805
- Difference: $65
If you want Tremor, skip the XL Tremor. Sixty-five dollars buys you into the XLT.
Where Roush Fits
Roush's own page lists the 2027 Roush Super Duty "starting at $21,399 above base vehicle MSRP" on select F-250 and F-350 configurations. Per Roush, that buys the Roush Performance Suspension System, 35-inch General Grabber A/TX tires (325/60R20) on 20-inch gloss black Roush wheels, slotted front and rear rotors, a DPF-back exhaust on diesels only, a shortened front air dam that Roush says raises approach angle to 25 degrees, fender flares with accent lighting, Diode Dynamics rear lighting, a lit grille, graphics, interior trim and a 3-year/36,000-mile limited warranty.
Roush lists no lockers, no skid plates, no gearing change and no power increase. Its 325/60R20 is a wider, lower-sidewall 35 than Ford's LT285/75R18. Inference: the shorter sidewall leaves less room to air down on rocks than the 18-inch setup.
So Roush is not a capability upgrade over a Tremor. It is a ride, brake and style package. Buy it because you want the truck everybody looks at, not because you want to go farther.
Super Duty XL Off-Road 35-Inch Tire Package vs Tremor vs Roush: Verdict Table
| XL Off-Road 35 (96S) | Tremor (17Y) | Roush Super Duty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,995 plus required $730 Driver Assist (Ford.com Build and Price, Oct 12, 2026) | $4,450 (Ford.com Build and Price, Oct 12, 2026); XL also needs $3,115 STX and Driver Assist | $21,399 above base MSRP (Roush, checked Oct 12, 2026) |
| Tires | LT285/75R18, full-size spare | LT285/75R18, full-size spare | 325/60R20 General Grabber A/TX |
| Rear locker / front LSD | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes | Not listed by Roush |
| Lift | Unique front springs | Unique front springs | Roush suspension |
| Skids, fording vents, crawl modes | Yes | Yes | Not listed by Roush |
| Trims and beds | XL crew cab, short box only | XL (with STX) through Platinum; 8-ft box on XLT and up | Select F-250 and F-350 |
| F-350 crew cab 4x4 short box note | $58,170 with 96D, before destination (our math) | XLT Tremor $65 over XL Tremor (our math) | Add $21,399 to the truck |
| Best for | Work truck that wheels | Long bed or nicer interior | Street presence, ride, brakes |
Honest Warts
Every price in our builds was checked on Ford.com Build and Price (Oct 12, 2026), but totals shift with cab, box, engine and options. Build your exact truck on Ford.com before you trust any total here, ours included.
The 96S is short box only, and the XL cab is basic. Dealers rarely stock work-spec trucks with retail options, so plan on ordering one or traveling, like the buyer who flew to Nebraska.
A one-ton on 35s is still a one-ton. It is big on a narrow trail no matter what box you check. Before you load a camper on any of them, run the door-jamb numbers through our payload calculator.
Who Should Buy Which
Buy the XL Off-Road 35 package if you want factory 35s, a locker and crawl modes on a crew cab short box, and you can live with an XL interior. Budget $3,725 for the two required packages, not $2,995.
Buy the Tremor if you need the 8-foot bed, the long-wheelbase 48-gallon tank, or an XLT-and-up interior. On an F-350 crew cab 4x4 short box, start at XLT, not XL.
Buy the Roush if you want the look, the brakes and Roush's suspension tuning, and $21,399 on top of the truck fits the budget.
The 2027 Super Duty XL Off-Road 35-Inch Tire Package is the cheapest factory 35-inch Super Duty: $2,995 plus the required $730 XL Driver Assist Package on an XL crew cab short box, with nearly the same off-road hardware as Tremor. Want Tremor anyway? On an F-350 crew cab 4x4 short box, the XLT Tremor is $65 over the XL Tremor (our math), so skip the XL. Roush adds $21,399 for style, brakes and ride.
On an F-350 crew cab 4x4 short box, sixty-five dollars is the price of the nicer cab.
Internal Links
- 33s vs 35s vs 37s: everything that changes
- Atturo Trail Blade on an F-250: towing test
- Payload calculator
Sources
- Ford, From The Road, "Super Duty Drivers Wanted More Off-Road Muscle. Our 2027 Lineup Has It.": https://www.fromtheroad.ford.com/us/en/articles/2026/2027-super-duty-answers-customer-requests
- Ford Division, 2027 Super Duty Pickup Order Guide, dated 05/08/26 (96S and 17Y package pages, fuel tank table, deleted engines); a dealer cites a 09/17/26 revision we could not obtain: https://www.ford-trucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2027-SD-order-guide_.pdf
- Ford.com Build and Price, 2027 F-350 crew cab 4x4 6-3/4-ft SRW: XL base $54,445, XLT base $58,355, XL Off-Road 33-Inch Tire Package $995, XL Off-Road 35-Inch Tire Package $2,995, XL Driver Assist $730, Tremor $4,450, STX Appearance $3,115, destination $2,795, checked Oct 12, 2026, ZIP 90001: https://www.ford.com/trucks/super-duty/
- Motor1, package report and configurator build, Oct 8, 2026: https://www.motor1.com/news/811227/ford-f350-xl-cheap-tremor-alternative/
- Roush Performance, 2027 Roush Super Duty, checked Oct 12, 2026: https://www.roushperformance.com/pages/2027-roush-super-duty
- Bowen Scarff Ford (secondary), dealer summary of Ford's 2027 price lists (price level 720) and the 09/17/26 order guide, updated Oct 8, 2026, checked Oct 12, 2026: https://www.bowenscarff.com/2027-ford-super-duty-f250-f350-f450/