Pros & Cons of Repairing Steel vs. Aluminum pt. 2
The Pros and Cons: Aluminum.
With auto makers attempting to make cars lighter and more fuel efficient we are seeing more panels made out of aluminum than we ever have. This bleeds questions about the strength, durability, and reparability of these new panels.
Paintless Dent Repair technicians encounter both metal types daily. A qualified tech needs to be familiar with the property of both alloys in order to preform a proper repair start to finish. There are a fe key factors that dictate even how the tech approaches the repair process.
Aluminum.
Aluminum has been utilized is the auto industry for various parts due to its strength/weight ration. Parts such as the transmission, wheels, and even suspension parts are made with aluminum. With the robust nature and weight reduction, it grants the vehicle added fuel mileage and towing capacity. In todays scene we are seeing an increase in body panels being made with aluminum. Lets weigh the factors.
Pros
Aluminum is a rigid, strong allow. This is proven by the fact that some companies use control arms, uni-bodies, and transmissions that are made of aluminum.
Aluminum is much lighter than steel. In fact it is almost a 1/3 the weight of its iron counterpart. This means more bang per pound. Less weight translates to more horsepower torque applied to the wheels.
Does not rust. While aluminum does oxidize in its own way, it is much more resistant to weathering than steel is. Salt and moisture has their work cut out for them.
Aluminum body panels are quite resistant to dents and dings. The aluminum will flex a great deal before the panel allows an impression to become permanent.
While working with the metal, you can really put some power into the panel without sharp poke marks appearing, or sharp dimpling while tapping down that you would get with steel. This affords mass metal movement in short durations of time depending on the damage.
Cons
With its added resistance to dents and dings, when damage does occur it is often quite significant and does cost more than its steel version of that same damage.
Additionally with its inherent resistance, aluminum does not have near the same stamping memory steel has. The repair process is more of a wrestling match than just guiding the metal back into place.
Torn aluminum cannot be repaired. The affected panel has to be replaced. Torn aluminum is much more common than tore steel panels.