F-150-gmc Sierra

[Silverado Steve]

Aluminum cannot be repaired to original condition like steel. Aluminum isn't more resistant to dents than steel, rather aluminum channels the impact and disperses it over more of an area than steel. I had this conversation with the body shop owner that fixed my truck this week. I should of taken some pics of the damage, but the dent covered 21 inches and cost 2100 to repair, now according to the body shop owner, had that been the F150 I was driving this week, the damage would of been well over $4K. Notice in the video you posted where the dents and creases ended up. So the real question is would you rather have material that disperses the damage to a larger area, thus costing more to repair or absorbing the impact?

http://www.edmunds.com/ford/f-150/2015/long-term-road-test/2015-ford-f-150-aluminum-body-repairs-part-3-with-video.html

 

 

Believe me, the f150 is much more resilient over our thin steel trucks. While repair may not be as easy, we are learning and soon we will have it dialed in. There will be much more aluminum in cars from here on out.

 

[HondaHawkGT]

I think this is a good comparison video for the steel vs aluminum debate:

 

 

[Silverado Steve]

The inevitable factor is more and more cars will be made from aluminum, and with that costs will go down. But for right now, I don't want to be the Guinea pig for costs as body shops adapt to fixing more aluminum cars vs steel.

[Imcrazy]

I'll stick with steel for now although the additional available payload and fuel savings that the lighter body offers is appealing.

[bboyce536]

Aluminum cannot be repaired to original condition like steel. Aluminum isn't more resistant to dents than steel, rather aluminum channels the impact and disperses it over more of an area than steel. I had this conversation with the body shop owner that fixed my truck this week. I should of taken some pics of the damage, but the dent covered 21 inches and cost 2100 to repair, now according to the body shop owner, had that been the F150 I was driving this week, the damage would of been well over $4K. Notice in the video you posted where the dents and creases ended up. So the real question is would you rather have material that disperses the damage to a larger area, thus costing more to repair or absorbing the impact?

http://www.edmunds.com/ford/f-150/2015/long-term-road-test/2015-ford-f-150-aluminum-body-repairs-part-3-with-video.html

 

 

I understand your argument and I agree, but my point in that video was how well it did. I agree it disperses energy but how well would the silverado have done with a sledgehammer? My bet is it would have pierced the bed. I thought for impact that is impressive, mainly resisting dings. If were talking heavy impact, well yes game over. Repair costs are a major downfall.

[Silverado Steve]

There is probably some truth in that our trucks use thinner sheets of steel to save weight, where the ford with aluminum uses thicker panels. When you compare the wight of both trucks, the f150 doesn't weigh that much less than the GM twins. A sledgehammer to the side of a truck isn't a realistic test of what a real life owner will experience in a normal mishap. The video that HondaHawkGT posted is pretty telling in how aluminum reacts in an accident with a stationary object.

 

 

I understand your argument and I agree, but my point in that video was how well it did. I agree it disperses energy but how well would the silverado have done with a sledgehammer? My bet is it would have pierced the bed. I thought for impact that is impressive, mainly resisting dings. If were talking heavy impact, well yes game over. Repair costs are a major downfall.

[HondaHawkGT]

I understand your argument and I agree, but my point in that video was how well it did. I agree it disperses energy but how well would the silverado have done with a sledgehammer? My bet is it would have pierced the bed. I thought for impact that is impressive, mainly resisting dings. If were talking heavy impact, well yes game over. Repair costs are a major downfall.

 

I'd be $100 a sledgehammer wouldn't go through. The strength of steel sheet metal varies greatly with the alloy and any cold working that's done when shaping the body panels. GM went with high strength and ultra-high strength steel for most of the body on the K2xx trucks. The bed is also cold-rolled for better impact strength. Those two factors combine to make a steel panel that seems thin but is actually quite strong.

 

"Even the pickup bed benefits from tougher steels. The 2014 Silverado 1500 features a roll-formed steel pickup box, which is lighter, stronger and more durable than traditional stamped steel boxes used by major competitors."

 

http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/home.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2013/Jan/0110_silverado-hhs.html

[oneandzero]

LOL its kinda funny reading the steel vs aluminum stuff. Fact is, there is limited aluminum supply and GM was too late so had no choice but to stick with steel. Aluminum is coming and the supply is being built.

 

https://www.aleris.com/case-studies/aleris-breaks-ground-on-350-million-automotive-expansion-in-lewisport-kentucky/

 

Aleris BTW is one of the suppliers for F150

[Ridersfan]

I read once that GM invested heavily in the aluminum supply chain to drive up fords costs, lol

[oneandzero]

I read once that GM invested heavily in the aluminum supply chain to drive up fords costs, lol

LOL. Probably around the same time they filled for bankruptcy.

[4x4Pete]

Aluminum corrodes worse than steel it just disappears. Typical Ford.

[oneandzero]

Aluminum corrodes worse than steel it just disappears. Typical Ford.

Just looked under my supposed new Sierra. Frame rust dunno maybe I should say typical GM lol

[15 Z71]

I have had Chevy trucks since I have been driving and just got my first GMC 6 months ago. I do love it,never even crossed my mind to even go look at a ford. I was raised with a dad who was nothing but GM.

[HondaHawkGT]

LOL its kinda funny reading the steel vs aluminum stuff. Fact is, there is limited aluminum supply and GM was too late so had no choice but to stick with steel. Aluminum is coming and the supply is being built.

 

https://www.aleris.com/case-studies/aleris-breaks-ground-on-350-million-automotive-expansion-in-lewisport-kentucky/

 

Aleris BTW is one of the suppliers for F150

GM wasn't too late for anything. They've been developing the manufacturing process slowly to make sure they don't have the problems Ford has had with aluminum. Society of Automotive Engineers article from 2012 on GM aluminum body panel research:

 

http://articles.sae.org/11408/

 

The 2015 Ford guys have found plenty of areas Ford needs to work on, from doors/other body panels that simply aren't the correct shape to the same paint adhesion issues the aluminum hoods on pre-2015's had. We have yet to see if Ford has adequately controlled any potential galvanic corrosion between the aluminum body panels and the steel components.

[oneandzero]

GM wasn't too late for anything. They've been developing the manufacturing process slowly to make sure they don't have the problems Ford has had with aluminum. Society of Automotive Engineers article from 2012 on GM aluminum body panel research:

This developing the process might be the reason GM wouldn't sign any contracts with aluminum supply when other manufactures had. Hey I can understand them being careful, but this was a race. Ford has been developing all aluminum for years so is likely why they took the first step thus beating others to the supply table.

Anyway point I was trying to make is an aluminum GM pickup is likely coming but not possible until aluminum supply is built. Aleris along with others are building it.