All Entries Tagged With: "steel vs aluminum"

2015 Ford F-150 – The Aluminum Gamble

At the 2014 North American International Auto Show, Ford will unveil the 2015 Ford F-150 (Tim will be there btw). It is becoming one of the most anticipated product reveals in years and it is also a big gamble. Ford plans on using aluminum on a scale that has so far been unprecedented. Will it pay off?

Ford is planning a big gamble on their 2015 pickup. Will it pay off?

After-Market Truck Wheels – Materials and Methods Explained

When choosing a wheel for your truck, sometimes the number of different options can seem overwhelming. Not only are there many different designs and brands to choose from, but the way the wheels are manufactured, and the material used, are important as well. This article deals with common materials and manufacturing methods – we’ll have something on wheel finishes a little later.

Here’s a break-down of common wheel materials and manufacturing methods:

Steel wheels are great for trucks because they're cheap and strong.

Steel wheels are the most basic and inexpensive type of rims available. Steel wheels are usually stamped out by a press in two different pieces and then welded together. This makes them easy to repair, which isn’t usually a major concern because steel is a very strong material. Of course, steel is also very heavy. The large un-sprung weight of steel wheels can have a significant negative impact on suspension performance, not to mention acceleration and fuel mileage.