2015 Ford F-150 First Drive: The big aluminum risk - SlashGear
The stakes are high when you're redesigning the best-selling vehicle in America, and you could've perhaps forgiven Ford for taking a low-key approach to the 2015 F-150. Instead, however, the new truck aims for a trio of improvements (and... Ambitious, then: read on to find out whether Ford's new star succeeds. Of course, the magic is in what you don't see, and that's Ford's use of aluminum. The 2015 F-150 is a truck of two halves: the frame is made of predominantly high-strength steel, bonded and riveted to the body and box which are made of high-strength, military-grade aluminum alloy. Ford argues that it's an approach in which you get the best of both worlds. The all-new frame uses 78-percent high-strength steel - 23-percent more than the old truck's frame - to make it stiffer and more resilient, but it also works with it more intelligently. Ford cooked up its own aluminum alloy recipe for the new F-150, but it shares more in common with aerospace and military components than it does kitchen foil. Source: www.slashgear.com
