GM's Campaign Against Aluminum

ksss wrote:

Sport45 wrote:

ksss wrote:

Bird Freak wrote:

WyoTraveler wrote:
I still wonder how aluminum will hold up. Corrosion, accidents etc. If I recall several years ago another industry went aluminum. Wiring in mobile homes. Lots of mobile homes burned down until they got it right. Aluminum won't rust but have you ever seen aluminum skirting on mobile homes in the AZ desert? It just disappears where it comes close to certain soils. Deteriates faster than rusted steel. Like to see the chassis in 5 years. Take a look at some of the first horse trails built with aluminum. Falling apart. A PU gets used off road where these harsh dirts etc. get up underneath. Not like a Corvet driving down highways. Maybe that is GMs plan. Wait and see. I only buy Fords but I'll wait and watch.

if you are waiting to see how they hold up just look at the older class 8 road tractors. When I was in trucking in the 70's and 80's all of our trucks had aluminum cabs and some frames. Never saw one to this day just fall a part or deteriorate like steel and they see more salt and abuse than our little trucks will ever see.

Cracked frames was a common problem with aluminum frames in over the road trucks. Aluminum has a place but it is not in frames, at least not on vehicles that work for a living.

So all those aluminum trailers we see are just one good bump away from breaking in half?

http://www.fontainetrailer.com/revolution_aluminum_flatbed_trailer.html

I am saying that the tractors had issues with cracked frames. There is a lot of difference between trailers and tractors.

I was the shop foreman in the 70's for Saunders leasing. We were Ryders competition with a huge fleet nation wide. I can tell you we had no more frame problems from aluminum than steel and no one is rougher on trucks than renters.