Aluminum body on the next F-150?!?!?

[Aidan]

The body will still see a good bit of flex on a truck like the raptor. Aluminum is very sting but doesn't handle repetitive flexing very well. It's also harder to paint.


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While it's true aluminum doesn't have an endurance limit like steel does there are still plenty of vehicles and applications that use aluminum as a structural material and still realize weight savings.

 

[6.2]

It's all about how its structured. I can see it working 100%

 

[EternalChampion]

Edit:
Diesel engines are the answer. My 04 Cummins was getting about 18 mpg pushing a 7500 lb truck on 35" tires and putting out around 500 hp. You could fairly easily tune a diesel to get similar or better mileage with reasonable amounts of power and modern emmisions. It's a bummer they're so heavy though.[/QUOTE]

More aluminum?

Guess its time to buy some ALCOA stock.

 

[6.2]

Diesels are all fine and dandy..... Before the government decided to say they need all this shit like urea.

 

[Humvee21]

Sounds cool

 

[Donk74]

My expert, VERY bias opinion (BS & MS in metallurgical engineering with 15 year in the industry) is by your F150 before they start make them out of pop cans.

1st shouldn't weld thin Al, it severely degrades the properties. Even in heavier section its not always good to weld Al. The pre production Prowlers had welded Al frames and when the ass ends started to fall off after about 10K miles Chrysler decided maybe they needed to redesign the frame and joints. With the right equipment the HAZ (bad spot) can be minimize but no body shop is going to be able to afford the equipment at least for a while. Best joining method for most Al alloys is either rivets or glue.

2nd To cut 700 lbs out of an F150 body and still have it structurally sound the body skin will have to be so thin if you fart on it it will dent! Also when comparing Al and steel sheet the Al wont spring back like steel will.

3rd as someone already mentioned getting paint to stick to Al can be a bitch.

4th not sure if the corrosion will be better or not. Mixing Iron (frame, current 6.2 engine block...) and Al can cause galvanic corrosion. Throw the fact that both the body and frame are the ground for the trucks electrical system and now you have something akin to sacrificial anode.

Well I could ramble more but I have to wake up early and drive to Silver Lake!!!

 

[mmp]

All Aluminum Raptor for 2014?

Did anyone here read about this today on the Wall Street Journal? The question I'm asking myself is whether these changes will apply to the 2014 Raptor.

Ford Plans New F-150 Pickup Truck With Aluminum Body - WSJ.com

 

[Droid]

Did anyone here read about this today on the Wall Street Journal? The question I'm asking myself is whether these changes will apply to the 2014 Raptor.

Ford Plans New F-150 Pickup Truck With Aluminum Body - WSJ.com

If 2014 is the next-generation F-150, then I bet there won't be a 2014 Raptor. If they make a Raptor version of the next generation, it'll likely be a 2015 or 2016. Most all vehicle manufacturers won't make a specialty version for a year or two after debuting an all-new vehicle.

I don't have any inside info, it just seems to be an (understandable) industry trend.

 

[Stingray23]

I HIGHLY doubt Ford is going into this blindly. Think about it, are they really gonna risk having the top selling vehicle in the world come crashing down because of a new material they are considering? I dont think so. Something tells me they've done their homework, and if it works out for the best, then its another game changer. Dont be surprised if the new 2015 mustang will be aluminum as well.

 

[ruffstuff]

Aren't Audi bodies aluminum?