$$$frumnuttin'

Not until 2018 is GM's version of Ford's new F150 due on the market...talk about asleep at the wheel!!! ....maybe it's bailout fallout, or whatever, but GM sure got caught with its tit in the wringer on this one. Kudos to Ford for stepping up to new ideas.

$$$frumnuttin'

wrong forum?

BluegrassMotorsport

using aluminum for body panels in vehicles that are produced in such large quantities is a huge risk. Aluminum is more expensive to produce and far more expensive to repair. Ford's economies of scale per F150 is bound to be very low, but it is still a risk raising their manufacturing costs so much. I think other manufactures are smart to wait and see how the market reacts to the material and see how much repair costs are once a few here and there are damaged.

Lighter weight is definitely a huge advantage when it comes to fuel economy. But I think Chevrolet have proven with their EcoTec 3 engines, and Dodge with their Ecodiesel engines, that weight savings aren't completely necessary to see impressive fuel economy gains.

JerriVette

Gm s trucks have with hydro formed steel frame rails been 300 lbs lighter than present ford trucks for years.

Gm is only starting to weigh more than their equivalent ford trucks starting next year....

Ford trucks are losing 700 lbs compared to their existing generation trucks which are presently250 to 300 lbs heavier then GM s trucks...

So fords new truck will weigh 400 lbs less than the gm trucks.

Gm is moving on nano steel technology more so than aluminum for weight reduction.

Image is everything so gm will have some aluminum to look as though they are "cool"

Let's face it...gm s Eco tech turbo four has been out for years and is better than fords ecoboost engine. Ford came out later....with their turbo engine and even though it makes less hp and t...it has a flashier catchier name...

Gm trucks have been lighter than ford trucks for many many years and the general didn't use expensive aluminum to get there....

Nano steel will in my opinion be the big winner for the future....

dmaxx3500

id rather have a steel body anyday

Jig A Low

by the time Ford adds the weight of the new "heated tailgate" it will be about where it's at now.

$$$frumnuttin'

a heated tailgate would be great this winter....parked outside during one of our heavy snow days, just hit a button and drain off your bed!

$$$frumnuttin'

good info...

Chevy Guy

So you are assuming aluminum bodies are the way all trucks should go or you are saying that because someone told you thats what you should be thinking?

WAwatchnut

Aluminum isn't really a new idea - Ford has just implemented it faster because it's one of the few benefits from their roughly $600M loss from buying Jaguar. Jaguar was on the cutting edge for production aluminum vehicles, and Ford was able to take away some learnings and is starting to apply them now.

What remains to be seen is how much more expensive/difficult repairing your truck will be when there's body damage (and how much more insurance premiums will be). Ford will be subsidizing part of dealers training and equipment costs (est - $50k per dealer), but what about independent shops? How much more limited will the options be for getting repairs done?

With ever increasing fuel economy requirements, weight savings is a key consideration for all manufacturers, and I'm glad to see Ford take the step, but I wouldn't knock GM for not being on the bleeding edge. GM's taken a more conservative approach, but the fact that the Silverado's efficiency numbers clobber the current F150's, even with the new aluminum body, Ford won't really be that much more advanced. They're just taking a very radical approach to catch up.

BSSN

No, they used flimsy C-channel frames. I used to work for a Ford dealer, and the cut-aways were always eye-opening. But maybe you used to work for GM and can shed light on the flip-side? Ford has used hydroformed rails since I worked there in the mid/early 2000's, and probably before that.