2015 Ford F-150 First Drive - Making History - Four Wheeler Network
Will the all-new ’15 Ford F-150 go down in ½-ton truck history as one of the most innovative and important trucks to roll off an assembly line. We recently had the opportunity to see and drive Ford’s all-new ½-ton pickup, and it’s loaded with fascinating features as well as several firsts. Aluminum alloys have been used in a variety of defense, aerospace, and transportation applications, and automotive manufacturers have been using aluminum alloy body panels, like hoods and tailgates, for years, so it’s not a rare, mysterious material. With that said, Ford has broken new ground by using it to this degree on a fullsize modern American pickup. One of the benefits of aluminum is weight savings, and Ford says that the aluminum alloy body and box shave hundreds of pounds from the ’15 F-150’s overall weight. Ford says up to 700 pounds and notes that’s the equivalent of 3 fullsize refrigerators, 20 concrete blocks, or 1 grizzly bear. Well, compared to bake-hardened 280 steel, Ford says that 6022 aluminum alloy is two times stronger. Ford also notes that the great strength-to-weight ratio of aluminum alloy allows for thicker body panels to resist dents and dings while shaving off pounds. Well, Ford says that advanced riveting and high-strength adhesives are used to form a continuous bond that joins multiple components to act as one long structure. Source: www.fourwheeler.com
