Steel vs Aluminum F150
05-01-2017, 07:25 PM
#21
Senior Member
Or a video where you walk into an insurance agent's office to ask for policy pricing for both trucks.
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oldguy1946 (12-19-2017)
05-01-2017, 08:32 PM
#22
Or it could feel faster because it is lighter and makes 365hp/420tq compared to the 2010 310hp/365tq. But certainly it's only the gears, right?
2 ecoboost trucks, one with 3.15 gears and one with 3.55 (or 3.31, 3.73, 4.10, take your pick), the 3.15 will accelerate the slowest of the bunch all else being equal. It will be turning the least rpm at highway speed and get the best highway mileage, but the steeper gears have a mechanical advantage in getting the truck moving.
2 ecoboost trucks, one with 3.15 gears and one with 3.55 (or 3.31, 3.73, 4.10, take your pick), the 3.15 will accelerate the slowest of the bunch all else being equal. It will be turning the least rpm at highway speed and get the best highway mileage, but the steeper gears have a mechanical advantage in getting the truck moving.
AHA, I think that is where the confusion lies. I wasn't referring to acceleration, but the perception of speed. Without a clock to time you, all you have is the buttometer. Whenever I discuss this it isn't about which truck can accelerate faster, but which one is faster.
With all else being equal, at a GIVEN RPM, the 3.15 geared truck will be faster. So what do you see on your dash that stands out the most when accelerating? The Tach, When it shoots up to 3600 RPM the speedometer shows how fast you are going, but what you don't know is just how fast in time you are accelerating. In the 3.15 truck at 3600 RPM at 1:1 and 31.46" tires(the 20" stock) the speed will be somewhere around 107 MPH, and the 3.55 geared truck with same tires, RPM and trans at 1:1 will be doing about 94 MPH.
Perception of speed, and that's what makes the taller geared truck feel faster. It holds the gears longer so you get more pull in each gear.
From a dead stop the shorter geared truck will move quicker 0-60, no doubt about that, but it will hit its peak sooner, and thats where the taller geared truck will pass it as it still has RPM's left in the power band.
Hope this clears up what I have been trying to say about the taller gearing. I hope a 5* tune on my new truck can give it the giddy up my 14 had. I really miss how it can just get up and go.
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Bigcat1185 (12-22-2017)
05-02-2017, 08:26 AM
#24
Senior Member
Originally Posted by acdii
AHA, I think that is where the confusion lies. I wasn't referring to acceleration, but the perception of speed. Without a clock to time you, all you have is the buttometer. Whenever I discuss this it isn't about which truck can accelerate faster, but which one is faster.
With all else being equal, at a GIVEN RPM, the 3.15 geared truck will be faster. So what do you see on your dash that stands out the most when accelerating? The Tach, When it shoots up to 3600 RPM the speedometer shows how fast you are going, but what you don't know is just how fast in time you are accelerating. In the 3.15 truck at 3600 RPM at 1:1 and 31.46" tires(the 20" stock) the speed will be somewhere around 107 MPH, and the 3.55 geared truck with same tires, RPM and trans at 1:1 will be doing about 94 MPH.
Perception of speed, and that's what makes the taller geared truck feel faster. It holds the gears longer so you get more pull in each gear.
From a dead stop the shorter geared truck will move quicker 0-60, no doubt about that, but it will hit its peak sooner, and thats where the taller geared truck will pass it as it still has RPM's left in the power band.
Hope this clears up what I have been trying to say about the taller gearing. I hope a 5* tune on my new truck can give it the giddy up my 14 had. I really miss how it can just get up and go.
With all else being equal, at a GIVEN RPM, the 3.15 geared truck will be faster. So what do you see on your dash that stands out the most when accelerating? The Tach, When it shoots up to 3600 RPM the speedometer shows how fast you are going, but what you don't know is just how fast in time you are accelerating. In the 3.15 truck at 3600 RPM at 1:1 and 31.46" tires(the 20" stock) the speed will be somewhere around 107 MPH, and the 3.55 geared truck with same tires, RPM and trans at 1:1 will be doing about 94 MPH.
Perception of speed, and that's what makes the taller geared truck feel faster. It holds the gears longer so you get more pull in each gear.
From a dead stop the shorter geared truck will move quicker 0-60, no doubt about that, but it will hit its peak sooner, and thats where the taller geared truck will pass it as it still has RPM's left in the power band.
Hope this clears up what I have been trying to say about the taller gearing. I hope a 5* tune on my new truck can give it the giddy up my 14 had. I really miss how it can just get up and go.
If you idea of "faster" means that at any given rpm the 3.15 geared truck will be moving at a higher speed, then no one can deny that, but you are probably the only person on this forum or in the automotive world in general that would use that metric to determine which vehicle is "faster". Unless of course you're out on the salt flats trying to set a land speed record, but you wouldn't be in an f150 at that point.
05-02-2017, 11:06 AM
#25
Senior Member
I've also heard from reputable long-standing shops in my area that they either won't work on them or they charge a much higher rate to work on them.
So it's not an urban myth. It's also been reported in mainstream media.
05-02-2017, 11:10 AM
#26
Must have been "fake news".
I'm kidding but I couldn't resist. I don't even trust the media to give me a weather report even still.
Shops will charge more for working with aluminum but these trucks are so much safer than previous generations they can lower insurance costs in other areas. I haven't noticed any higher overall costs for the aluminum truck vs the steel truck.
I'm kidding but I couldn't resist. I don't even trust the media to give me a weather report even still.
Shops will charge more for working with aluminum but these trucks are so much safer than previous generations they can lower insurance costs in other areas. I haven't noticed any higher overall costs for the aluminum truck vs the steel truck.
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Flyboygsxr (05-04-2017)
12-19-2017, 04:07 PM
#28
Adam
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speeddemon0712 (12-19-2017)
12-20-2017, 08:05 AM
#29
Senior Member
Hate to say it but 3.31 gears will make a truck feel faster than one with 3.55 gears. If you think the 3.31 gears are quick, try one with 3.15 gears! 
My ex 2014, may she rest in pieces, had 3.15 gears and made my 2016 with 3.55 gears a dog.
My ex 2014, may she rest in pieces, had 3.15 gears and made my 2016 with 3.55 gears a dog.
12-21-2017, 12:38 AM
#30
