sgtpatiolantern

With fuel economy mandates getting tighter and tighter, I believe all manufacturers will be experimenting with different materials. The hoods on F150s are already aluminum. My 2001 Mustang had a fiberglass hood.

There are many strong, lightweight options besides aluminum, like carbon fibre. I would expect costs to rise as well. I think auto manufacturers have their work cut out for them. Consumers nowadays are rather finicky. We want vehicles with huge horsepower that get 200 mpg. Fuel economy figures are the best they have ever been, and we want more. Now, government wants to make it law.

I guess I'll be including the Ford Engineers in bedtime prayers! LOL!

TheWhiteBeast

Well, aluminum does corrode but instead of red, you get white. It can pit or bubble depending on the type of corrosion.

TwinTurboFx4

Ya but when e-coated,painted and clear coated the aluminum panels will significantly be better than steel, especially in winter climates because salt water does NOT corrode aluminum.

Techboss

Aluminum is harder to repair than steel, requiring some additional equipment for welding. Aluminum is also softer. Aluminum is stronger per pound than steel, but weaker dimensionally than steel. Aluminum corrodes, but I don't think it flakes off like rust and thus will last longer when not painted. Lastly, it costs more per pound than steel.

Reeds FX4

http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/20...aluminum-body/

Thoughts? 700 lbs lighter could do quite a bit of help for gas mileage and the bodies wouldn't rust. If they can figure out a way to make them close to the strength of steel that would be pretty impressive

Franny K

Aluminum corrodes, it generally gets an aluminum oxide layer perhaps a few atoms thick which becomes a barrier. Once you loose that phenomenon it can be more corrosion prone than lots of stuff. There is an electric way to look at whether it can corrode depending on how much charge is on it. Gold is noble and steel is closer to gold than aluminum though both are pretty removed.

There is a cycles to failure aspect of aluminum not really present in steel. To get the most weight reduction they would use heat treated alloys which at least in motorcycle frames are not supposed to be welded on.

Climb under your new f 150 and see if that fancy electric power steering unit has white powder corrosion like mine the day I drove it home from the dealer.

Let me also add steel is an alloy of Iron. Pure aluminum is very soft. There are a lot of articles some of which can be accessed via the link in the first post that state something about aluminum which is not true unless the alloy and temper is specified and pure aluminum is clearly excluded from statements.

fran

TwinTurboFx4

Because the ps unit is cast aluminum. Look at aluminum drive shafts..... No white powder.

fordka

I think it will oxidize and disinigrate faster in in the rust belt. Doesnt take long for alminum to start oxidizing

TwinTurboFx4

Ya doesnt take long for steel to rust either. Steel will rust faster than aluminum will oxidize.

MPETE

iTrader: (1)

have you seen how easy it is to bend a "steel" body panel on the last few generations of F150. wont take much to make the aluminum stronger. the big difference will be COST. Ford has dabbled in aluminum body panels on vehicles in the past including the 97-03 F150's.