Saw an episode of “How They Make It” about aluminum champaign buckets, and once again, they start with a round flat disc of aluminum.
Jake’s in Hawaii. If it’s 3AM in Boston, it’s noon in Honolulu.
Good news
Sounds like you’re not being penalized for the “newfangled” aluminum body
I put that in parentheses because aluminum has been in automotive use for decades, even for body panels.
I just saw a Chevy truck ad bragging loudly and proudly that they’re made of steel. It’ll be interesting to see if Ford’s experiment works out.
The F150 uses a steel frame, same as other trucks. It’s just the body and maybe the bed which are aluminum
Guys, correct me if I"m wrong
“I just saw a Chevy truck ad bragging loudly and proudly that they’re made of steel. It’ll be interesting to see if Ford’s experiment works out.”
Slaps forehead Oh, so THAT’S why they’ve been banging that drum! I just now made the connection!
DOH!
Don’t worry about it. I don’t know if its me or the new generation of ad agencies but for at least 25% of the ads out there, I have no idea what they are talking about or their product. If I’m part of their demographics, they have totally missed the target.
Db, you are correct. Chevy seems to be focusing on that body difference.
Being an old aircraft guy, I personally have no problem with aluminum as long as it’s properly designed. Major structures such as B52 bombers and 747s do quite well with all-aluminum. All the knowledge needed has long been well known. I preferred aluminum mountain bikes because it’s light and transmits force well. But it’s stiff, doesn’t absorb the energy as much as titanium or chromoly, so it rides harder. Ti rides the trails like a Lincoln, but I didn’t feel as connected to the trail. It absorbs too much. Chromo is a good balance between absorption and energy transfer, but it’s heavier.
But there’s a public perception that aluminum is weaker than steel, and when it comes to sales perception can overwhelm reality. I blame it on the absolutely abysmal job that primary and secondary schools do teaching physics and critical thinking. But that’s a pet peeve of mine, a different subject.
Probably 12 or so years ago, Chevy had a composite bed. You could bend it in with your knee and it’d pop right back out. I only seen a couple truck with that bed. If I remember correctly, Chevrolet was spelled across the whole tailgate on composit beds and it was in one of the lower corners of the tailgate on the steel bed. Seemed like a good idea, but must not have beef excepted by the masses. I don’t pay too much attention to what Chevy does. I’ve been a ford truck owner since 1980 with the exception of a gmc in 1995. That’s a horror story for a later date