Acela Truck Company is expanding its severe-service chassis lineup with Class 3-5 Ford F-Series and Ram 4x4 platforms equipped with its DuraLink suspension system. The modified chassis give specialty vehicle manufacturers and upfitters an alternative to installing suspension conversions themselves.

Designed for on- and off-highway use, the platforms target commercial, government, defense, emergency response, and other vocational applications.

The expansion builds on Acela’s background in specialty vehicles. In a previous Work Truck interview, Acela President David Ronsen described how his firefighting career and experience building wildland fire trucks shaped the company’s approach to vehicle design, including an emphasis on simple solutions and input from end users.

What the DuraLink Suspension Includes

According to Bill Davidson, vice president of sales at Acela Truck Company, DuraLink draws on suspension designs used in Baja racing trucks, adapted for severe-duty defense, emergency response, and vocational applications.

DuraLink incorporates a multi-rate four-link suspension design with Bilstein coil-over and racing-tuned shock absorbers. It also includes modified steering geometry and chassis control interfaces designed to address vehicle dynamics control, anti-lock braking, and speedometer calibration following chassis modifications.

Acela said the system is engineered to increase wheel travel, improve damping and rebound control, reduce steering feedback, and provide additional ride height and ground clearance for larger defense-rated tires. Super-single wheel and tire configurations are available with tires up to 42 inches.

The DuraLink-equipped chassis follow nearly two years of engineering and testing, according to Acela. The company said the chassis are also available with a five-year warranty.

Built for Upfitters

Acela is offering the modified chassis through a network of vehicle upfitters, modifiers, and body builders. The chassis arrive ready for a specialized body or equipment package, eliminating the need for upfitters to engineer or install their own suspension conversion.

According to Acela, this approach can reduce production time, specialized labor requirements, and engineering work.

The company said the platforms’ increased mobility may also support applications where conventional trucks have limited access. Depending on the application, they could provide an alternative to tracked vehicles while retaining the highway mobility of a wheeled platform.

Expanding the Severe-Duty Lineup

Alongside its Jeep Gladiator-based Breacher and Class 6-8 Monterra 4x4 and 6x6 platforms, the DuraLink-equipped Ford and Ram chassis expand Acela’s offerings across Classes 1-8, according to the company.

The addition follows two other launches covered by Work Truck in 2026. In March, Acela introduced the Dispatcher, a modified Jeep Gladiator offered with a flatbed or as a cab-chassis for custom upfits. In April, the company unveiled the Monterra II, a replacement for the original Monterra, with day cab, extended cab, and crew cab configurations and 4x4 and 6x6 drivetrain options.

Work Truck previously explored Acela’s original Monterra production process in 2024, documenting how military Light Medium Tactical Vehicles were inspected, disassembled, refurbished, and tested for commercial use. The process included a 300-point mechanical inspection and replacement of more than 600 parts during final assembly.