F Series Going Back To SteelI have a feeling that the switch to aluminum on the F series cost Ford quite a bit of money. Aluminum is substantially more expensive than steel, you have to use more of it to get comparable strength, all those rivets and glue, and a bit more labor to get it all lined up right. For the consumer the benefits are not too clear. I think aluminum made the F-150 lighter, but didn't do much for the Super Duty. The weigh close to what the GM and Ram HD's weigh and don't have any substantial advantage in fuel economy, towing capacity, or payload (in fact certain Super Duty configurations have laughably low payloads). The aluminum bodies are a bit more prone to damage and are more expensive to repair. The aluminum bodies might not corrode as easily (ask again in 5 years) but these days I think more trucks are taken off the road due to frame and suspension corrosion than body. In any event typically more of a problem for the second or third owner and in much of the country body rust isn't a factor anyway. So to sum it up as far as I am concerned the aluminum body wouldn't keep me from buying a new Super Duty, nor would it by itself make me want a Super Duty more than competitive steel bodied trucks.Wed, 06 Jan 2021 05:52:33 +0000
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