GM is going aluminum
According to an article in the Wall Street Journal Chevy and will GMC will going aluminum 4 years after Ford. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/gm-readying-aluminum-body-trucks-032223285.html It wil...
Forum Discussion
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There are some misunderstandings when it comes to aluminum.
For equal strength, equal weight is required. One material is not stronger per pound than another. Sort of. Advantages do depend on how one, or the other, is used.
Aluminum works best for panels, hulls and aircraft skin because it is less dense and sheets are thicker. Just like some noted, the extra thickness is resistant to flex. Most of the coming vehicular advantages rely strictly on this principle. The thinner and thinner high carbon steel panels now used on body panels are about at their "thin" limit. It is unlikely that the entire body (ala Jaguar) or automotive frame will ever be aluminumm because of rapidly diminishing returns on investment. Too expensive, too exotic. Offhand, someone mentioned using aluminum on 3/4 tons. This was already done on my 2000 Excursion 14 years ago; the rear hatch doors are aluminum.
The reduced weight will not improve highway mileage much at all. Reducing extra weight on highway travel only decreases rolling resistance by a negligible amount. Once something is rolling, wind is the enemy. Sure, uphills are harder, but following downhills recover much of the used energy; unless one must brake. But light weight will improve stop & go city mileage, thereby raising combined economy to meet new standards. That is the plan.
The repair of aluminum is slightly different, but a rather simple process. My guess is that Ford will supply white sheet information materials to any receptive body shops, maybe even hold low cost "coffee/donut" Rep seminars at nearby dealers. $10k sounds way out of line, maybe the cost of an entire sales region.
Autobody craft organizations are already on top of this. There should be very little welding on aluminum. The only differences are using adhesives and/or rivits, plus the correct etching and primers. Most body shops already use adhesives on steel rather than weld, and are familiar with new coating/gluing products. Expect body shop suppliers to jump into the new market with their own enthu$iastic training. After all, brittle high-carbon steel panels are already R&R'd (remove & replace) rather than hammered out. The new thin steels are almost spring steel temper and don't work-form well anyway. This transition should be a piece of cake, easier than learning fiberglass, clear-coat systems and plastic interior trim/urethane bumper repairs.
Wes
...
There are some misunderstandings when it comes to aluminum.
For equal strength, equal weight is required. One material is not stronger per pound than another. Sort of. Advantages do depend on how one, or the other, is used.
Aluminum works best for panels, hulls and aircraft skin because it is less dense and sheets are thicker. Just like some noted, the extra thickness is resistant to flex. Most of the coming vehicular advantages rely strictly on this principle. The thinner and thinner high carbon steel panels now used on body panels are about at their "thin" limit. It is unlikely that the entire body (ala Jaguar) or automotive frame will ever be aluminumm because of rapidly diminishing returns on investment. Too expensive, too exotic. Offhand, someone mentioned using aluminum on 3/4 tons. This was already done on my 2000 Excursion 14 years ago; the rear hatch doors are aluminum.
The reduced weight will not improve highway mileage much at all. Reducing extra weight on highway travel only decreases rolling resistance by a negligible amount. Once something is rolling, wind is the enemy. Sure, uphills are harder, but following downhills recover much of the used energy; unless one must brake. But light weight will improve stop & go city mileage, thereby raising combined economy to meet new standards. That is the plan.
The repair of aluminum is slightly different, but a rather simple process. My guess is that Ford will supply white sheet information materials to any receptive body shops, maybe even hold low cost "coffee/donut" Rep seminars at nearby dealers. $10k sounds way out of line, maybe the cost of an entire sales region.
Autobody craft organizations are already on top of this. There should be very little welding on aluminum. The only differences are using adhesives and/or rivits, plus the correct etching and primers. Most body shops already use adhesives on steel rather than weld, and are familiar with new coating/gluing products. Expect body shop suppliers to jump into the new market with their own enthu$iastic training. After all, brittle high-carbon steel panels are already R&R'd (remove & replace) rather than hammered out. The new thin steels are almost spring steel temper and don't work-form well anyway. This transition should be a piece of cake, easier than learning fiberglass, clear-coat systems and plastic interior trim/urethane bumper repairs.
Wes
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