OT: new Ford F150 with all aluminum body panels

[Ralph]

Dodge 1500 light truck gets a 3 L diesel this year. Maybe close to 30 MPG highway rating. Is Motor Trend Truck of the year. Has IRS etc. Nice truck.

Ford may bring over a small diesel soon also.....but generally they don't think diesel is the future. Urea injection, Fed smog controls hurt economy and power. Same engine makes more power and has better fuel economy in Europe. Also.....the Eco Boost small gas engines with direct injection and turbo (with forged pistons and rods, steel cranks, and beefed up blocks) gets about 90% of the fuel economy of diesel, has about 90% of the low RPM TQ, has about the same engine life as a passenger vehicle diesel, uses fuel that costs about 90% of diesel, and an engine that costs way less to build. Anyway....that's their argument.

Me.....as a Ford shareholder......I would like to see a small diesel for the F150 to go along with the incredibly powerful diesel in the F 350 and up Power Stroke trucks.

[thirdgenbird]

Originally Posted by martl

Equipping such a truck with alloy panels is like crafting a ship anchor from carbon fiber.

I guess I'm not following. It makes perfect sense to equip a truck like this with aluminum. A 700lb weight reduction should make a very real impact on fuel milage. Even if it is only good for a few miles per gallon, the net effect on oil consumption will be very real. Ford sells boat loads of these trucks and many of them cover lots of fleet miles.

Originally Posted by goonster

Aluminum unibody, like on the A8, is still kind of exotic.

That it is. Aluminum unibodys force body shops to actually repair aluminum vs bolting on new parts. Wide use of aluminum in something like the f150 should help push it more mainstream. I'm kind of surprised Ford didn't make an alloy push on the new mustang. Maybe they did and it just didn't see the press coverage.

[goonster]

Originally Posted by thirdgenbird

I'm kind of surprised Ford didn't make an alloy push on the new mustang.

Woah, Nellie. Newfangled inde-ma-pendent rear suspension is mindblowing enough for Pony car buyers!

[martl]

Originally Posted by thirdgenbird

I guess I'm not following. It makes perfect sense to equip a truck like this with aluminum.

For my european eye that car is ridiculously oversized. It actually does not take a 3t truck to haul one or two persons and a bit of gear...

If it was half the size it is, it wolud (maybe) make sense to replace some parts with lighter material even if it was more engery to produce the parts in the first place (as aluminium is).

The way it is now, putting alloy parts on that knid of car is like putting lipstick on a 300lbs girl - won't make her a mannequin.

[dawgie]

I drove a Ford Ranger for more than 15 years and it had an aluminum hood. I was initially concerned that it might be more fragile, but it never got a dent and it certainly didn't rust. It was also much easier to raise the hood than if it had been made of steel due to the lighter weight.

[thirdgenbird]

Originally Posted by martl

For my european eye that car is ridiculously oversized. It actually does not take a 3t truck to haul one or two persons and a bit of gear...

If it was half the size it is, it wolud (maybe) make sense to replace some parts with lighter material even if it was more engery to produce the parts in the first place (as aluminium is).

The way it is now, putting alloy parts on that knid of car is like putting lipstick on a 300lbs girl - won't make her a mannequin.

Plenty of people are hauling way more than a few people and gear in these trucks. I know a lot of guys that have gotten rid of their 3/4 ton trucks and replaced them with these new half ton trucks. They will often haul four people and a large trailer that smaller trucks couldn't dream of handling safely. I'm all about small pickups, but there is no way I would put one in front of a stock trailer or large farm equipment. I've personally hauled loads that well exceeded what this f150 is capable of.

A 700lb weight reduction is still a 700lb weight reduction and a massive amount of oil barrels saved per year.

Saying aluminum on an f150 is a waste is more like saying the 300lb woman shouldn't bother loosing any weight because its a lost cause.

People using large trucks for the wrong reason is a problem, but the people than need a half ton truck shouldn't suffer because of it.

[AngryScientist]

i have to wonder if in 2014 the US market can still not support a small pick-up truck.

i think it's great that Ford is making headway in increasing fuel economy on their F150 line, and if they applied the same principals to a smaller truck, i would think phenomenal fuel economy would be well within reach for weekend warriors who want to haul their muddy mountain bikes to the trailhead and bring home a few sheets of ply wood or a refrigerator every now and then.

i used to own a small S-10, and it was an incredibly utilitarian truck. little 4-banger was slow, but adequate. that truck saw many many camping, fishing and cycling trips. hauled all sorts of home depot stuff to my house and was really perfect for an adventure crazed home owner.

i get that lots of folks really do need big trucks, but i refuse to believe the market can not support a smaller truck.

[FlashUNC]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

i have to wonder if in 2014 the US market can still not support a small pick-up truck.

i think it's great that Ford is making headway in increasing fuel economy on their F150 line, and if they applied the same principals to a smaller truck, i would think phenomenal fuel economy would be well within reach for weekend warriors who want to haul their muddy mountain bikes to the trailhead and bring home a few sheets of ply wood or a refrigerator every now and then.

i used to own a small S-10, and it was an incredibly utilitarian truck. little 4-banger was slow, but adequate. that truck saw many many camping, fishing and cycling trips. hauled all sorts of home depot stuff to my house and was really perfect for an adventure crazed home owner.

i get that lots of folks really do need big trucks, but i refuse to believe the market can not support a smaller truck.

I think the market spoke pretty clearly when the Ranger finally died off.

A lot of these truck buyers want the big truck so they can navigate that pile of leaves and that puddle on the way to their office job.

[GScot]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

...

i get that lots of folks really do need big trucks, but i refuse to believe the market can not support a smaller truck.

I think safety standards are the reason we can't have small truck. Ford held out as long as possible ending the Ranger a couple years ago.

[tele]

Chevy is bringing back the Colorado smaller pickup with a diesel soon?

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/201...-and-info-news

[soulspinner]

Originally Posted by Ralph

Dodge 1500 light truck gets a 3 L diesel this year. Maybe close to 30 MPG highway rating. Is Motor Trend Truck of the year. Has IRS etc. Nice truck.

Ford may bring over a small diesel soon also.....but generally they don't think diesel is the future. Urea injection, Fed smog controls hurt economy and power. Same engine makes more power and has better fuel economy in Europe. Also.....the Eco Boost small gas engines with direct injection and turbo (with forged pistons and rods, steel cranks, and beefed up blocks) gets about 90% of the fuel economy of diesel, has about 90% of the low RPM TQ, has about the same engine life as a passenger vehicle diesel, uses fuel that costs about 90% of diesel, and an engine that costs way less to build. Anyway....that's their argument.

Me.....as a Ford shareholder......I would like to see a small diesel for the F150 to go along with the incredibly powerful diesel in the F 350 and up Power Stroke trucks.

The eco boost will get squat next to any small high torque diesel pulling. Its all about pulling.

[Anarchist]

I think it's really impressive that Ford are "innovating" something that Land Rover started doing in 1948.

[bikinchris]

The USPS has had aluminum skinned vehicles for decades. But this is apparently a new alloy or something is being done differently than before.
I would also like to see the Ranger return with a small turbo diesel. I remember the last TD Ranger making well above 35mpg. That was in the 80's

[thirdgenbird]

Here is an interesting article for those interested.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-show...-ford-snuck-in

It looks like the 700lb weight savings if from the use of aluminum and the high strength steel frame.

[Ralph]

Originally Posted by soulspinner

The eco boost will get squat next to any small high torque diesel pulling. Its all about pulling.

The 2.7 Ecoboost is designed for economy. But the 3.5 V6 gas Eco Boost makes 420 Ft LBs TQ at 2500 RPM. Considering cost of fuel, cost of engine, etc....that compares very well with small diesel for much lower cost.