Photo: Ford
In the world of full-size pickup trucks, the Blue Oval’s thirteenth-generation F-Series holds a special place right there at the top. Why, you ask? One of the main reasons is that it shed up to 700 lbs (317.5 kilos) over the twelfth-generation light-duty workhorse.
I am sure you are all acquainted with FoMoCo’s diet for the 2015 Ford F-150. Aluminum-alloys is the name of the game here. See those steering knuckles in the photo above? Each knuckle that equips the 2015 model year is 11.55 pounds (5.21 kilograms) lighter than its forerunner. Needless to say it, but aluminum-alloy bits and pieces made this possible.
Weight saving was an important aspect for the engineers tasked with making the 2015 F-150 possible. As an added bonus, the adoption of aluminum-alloy fenders makes the light-duty pickup truck virtually rustproof. Believe it or not, the Ford Motor Company's engineers employed acidified sprays during the 2015 F-150’s corrosion resistance testing.
Other elements that help with weight shedding come in the form of a 35-pound (15.8 kg) lighter rear axle and a 26.9-pound (12.2 kg) lighter electronic parking brake. If you thought that only aluminum-alloy is to thank for the diet, me and you are both wrong and in for quite a surprise.
As it happens, the front seat system of the 2015 Ford F-150 is up to 31.7 lbs (14.3 kilos) lighter over the 2014 Ford F-150, while the rear seats are up to 14.7 lbs (6.6 kilos) lighter. Last but not least, even the instrument panel’s surface materials and subsystem have been engineered to save up to 2.5 lbs (1.13 kilograms).
Weight saving was an important aspect for the engineers tasked with making the 2015 F-150 possible. As an added bonus, the adoption of aluminum-alloy fenders makes the light-duty pickup truck virtually rustproof. Believe it or not, the Ford Motor Company's engineers employed acidified sprays during the 2015 F-150’s corrosion resistance testing.
Other elements that help with weight shedding come in the form of a 35-pound (15.8 kg) lighter rear axle and a 26.9-pound (12.2 kg) lighter electronic parking brake. If you thought that only aluminum-alloy is to thank for the diet, me and you are both wrong and in for quite a surprise.
As it happens, the front seat system of the 2015 Ford F-150 is up to 31.7 lbs (14.3 kilos) lighter over the 2014 Ford F-150, while the rear seats are up to 14.7 lbs (6.6 kilos) lighter. Last but not least, even the instrument panel’s surface materials and subsystem have been engineered to save up to 2.5 lbs (1.13 kilograms).
Google News