2015 F150 Tow Test vs. Dodge and Chevy

[roadhunter]

From my experiences with aluminum auto panels and parts, I think there is no need to worry about them any more than anything else. I think a lot of the costs associated with "learning the process" of using aluminum parts have been paid for by the "premium" vehicles that have used aluminum in the past.

I was just asking for a link to read about it. From my experience you can't always trust internet posters.

I'm definitely not "worried" about aluminum in any way. Not sure why anybody really would. Between the increased costs, difficulty painting, difficulty repairing, electrolosys between dissimilar metals, etc it offers some challenges that steel does not. It's actually pretty cool how they are using materials that in the past were use primarily on high end imports and now we are seeing them on pickups and suv's. Would have been nice to see aluminum dually fenders instead of the cheap fiberglass that was used for years to cut weight. Probably won't be long until he have carbon fiber pickups that only weigh 3,500 pounds and can tow 40k!

 

[jejeosborne]

That makes more sense than the folks who said using aluminum panels only costs a few hundred dollars more then steel panels.

My comment was to be interpreted as total truck cost didn't increase greatly with the addition of aluminum which is what many believed was going to happen with this change. Obviously other cost have been cut to achieve this due to higher cost aluminum. Point sinply being, negligible price increase for major improvements to weight and materials. I am sure it saddened the other manufactures to not see a larger cost in finished product.

 

[Sysop]

Bingo! Remember, Ford used to own Jaguar, which uses a lot of aluminum, and Ford gained a lot of knowledge from Jaguar before shipping them off to someone else.

The LS (as well as the retro styled TBird from the early 2000s) was based on the Jag S-Type. Very unique cars compared to other Ford stuff.

 

[crazyal]

As a pilot I get a kick out of complaining about aluminum. You have no problems getting in a plane doing 530 mph through turbulence, the rigors of take off and landing, and the extreme pressures put on these airframes 10 hours a day 7 days a week but freak out when non critical body panels are made of it. Airplanes are 95% aluminum including the "chassis" if you will and have been for 100 years with no issues.

Chris

Which would you rather be in when it comes to a sudden stop because it hit something? A plane or a car? Personally the only issue I see with aluminum and an accident is that steel is flexible. It can be bent then straightened without losing it's strength. Aluminum doesn't like being bent. That means for safety reasons cars and trucks that have been in an accident need to have every weaken panel replaced. If a body shop cuts corners or fails to realize that a panel is no longer structurally sound the vehicle will not protect the occupants correctly. As it is backyard and discount body shops doing sub par work is an issue.

 

[roadhunter]

My comment was to be interpreted as total truck cost didn't increase greatly with the addition of aluminum which is what many believed was going to happen with this change. Obviously other cost have been cut to achieve this due to higher cost aluminum. Point sinply being, negligible price increase for major improvements to weight and materials. I am sure it saddened the other manufactures to not see a larger cost in finished product.

My comment was a response to crazyal, not to you. But you are repeating the same thing he said about cutting costs in other areas to offset the costs of aluminum parts.

If it didn't' cost any extra to build cars out of aluminum they would have all started doing this years ago. It does cost more so that is why in the beginning primarily high end import cars used aluminum. Same reason we don't see more carbon fiber vehicles today.

 

[k0ua]

As a pilot I get a kick out of complaining about aluminum. You have no problems getting in a plane doing 530 mph through turbulence, the rigors of take off and landing, and the extreme pressures put on these airframes 10 hours a day 7 days a week but freak out when non critical body panels are made of it. Airplanes are 95% aluminum including the "chassis" if you will and have been for 100 years with no issues.

Chris

Yes, but aluminum aircraft were considered way more sturdy than their predecessors the sticks, glue, canvas and spit models. It is ALL relative.

 

[crazyal]

That makes more sense than the folks who said using aluminum panels only costs a few hundred dollars more then steel panels.

Ford will make it up when people start to repair their vehicles (body work). For the most part the only companies that will supply repair panels for the F150 will be Ford. People can say what ever they want about the cost of a new vehicle. The real price check will be in the difference between the cost of a steel fender and an aluminum fender. Right now a steel hood on a Chevy 1500 is almost half the cost of an aluminum hood on a F150. Not quite apples to apples comparison but it's close. Aftermarket companies will have to do the same engineering that Ford has done to ensure they can make a product that will fit correctly.

 

[fordmantpw]

Don't forget that aluminum recycles so much easier than F150. There is a LOT of cost savings to be gained in that alone, not just for Ford for initial production, but also in repair. Just recycle the old panel instead of scrapping it as you would with a steel one.

 

[jejeosborne]

Which would you rather be in when it comes to a sudden stop because it hit something? A plane or a car? Personally the only issue I see with aluminum and an accident is that steel is flexible. It can be bent then straightened without losing it's strength. Aluminum doesn't like being bent. That means for safety reasons cars and trucks that have been in an accident need to have every weaken panel replaced. If a body shop cuts corners or fails to realize that a panel is no longer structurally sound the vehicle will not protect the occupants correctly. As it is backyard and discount body shops doing sub par work is an issue.

I want to be in the vehicle that will absorb the impact over the longest length of time so it could be made of either. As far as the panels being weaker after being bent, it would probably depend on the makeup of the alloys used. Hardness, brittleness, elasticity, etc of each.

 

[TomSeller]

I hope they never try to make aluminum alloy wheels, they will never sell.