Why Dodge & Ram Still Use Iron Engine Blocks In Some Vehicles

The first Iron Age flickered retired a millennium aliases 2 ago, but its automotive balanced is still going strong. Well, if not strong, it's astatine slightest still going. Dodge, Ram, and different automakers still characteristic robust blocks arsenic nan foundations for their engines — contempt a increasing inclination toward putting much aluminum successful today's cars and trucks.

Aluminum really began being utilized successful nan car manufacture arsenic acold backmost arsenic 1899, erstwhile Heinrich Durkopp showed an aluminum-bodied sports car astatine nan Berlin Motor Show. And it's been utilized successful galore different ways complete nan years arsenic well. Remember erstwhile Ford started making a large woody astir aluminum being applicable for a motortruck bed?

But relying connected aluminum for motor blocks really took disconnected erstwhile nan 1961 Buick Special went connected waste pinch a 215-cubic-inch V8. The Special had aluminum not conscionable for nan block, but for nan heads and intake manifold, too. The extremity was redeeming weight, and replacing robust pinch aluminum successful nan artifact gets nan occupation done: Automakers tin trim really dense an motor is by immoderate 40% by utilizing it. The results tin see amended ratio and performance, too, because nan centrifugal isn't pushing astir arsenic galore pounds. And yet, iron's high spot and debased costs present advantages that still clasp up today.

Generally speaking, robust blocks are stronger than their aluminum counterparts, letting them clasp up amended to soul pressures and present much horsepower. Iron is besides a batch cheaper than aluminum: High-grade robust ore will group you backmost astir $105 per metric ton. The aforesaid magnitude of aluminum is presently supra $2,600, an summation of much than 5% since nan opening of June. With nary signs of tariffs ending, and aluminum truthful basal to truthful galore car parts, it's nary wonderment cars are astir to get a heap much expensive.

Of course, robust does person immoderate flaws, starting pinch that antecedently mentioned weight problem that comes from nan truth robust being astir 2.9 times arsenic dense arsenic aluminum — meaning that a fixed chunk of aluminum weighs 2.9 times little than nan same-sized portion of iron. Aluminum is besides overmuch little prone to corrosion than iron.

Something other to support successful mind is that immoderate caller motor blocks are made from compacted graphite robust (CGI). This is robust mixed pinch graphite, on pinch immoderate different elements, to create an engine-block worldly that tin beryllium lighter than formed robust while delivering amended capacity than aluminum. It seems for illustration nan verdict is still retired connected this stuff, since Cummins, which had been providing CGI diesel engines for HD Ram trucks, is reportedly switching backmost to a accepted robust artifact successful nan early for a much refined driving experience. The artifact remains CGI for 2025, though.

The heavy-duty Rams connection that CGI-blocked Cummins motor successful nan shape of a 6.7-liter turbocharged inline-6 turbo diesel, and, connected nan state side, a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 pinch a cast-iron block. For Ford SuperDuty trucks, cast-iron blocks are recovered successful nan 7.3-liter and 6.8-liter V8 state engines, while a brace of turbocharged 6.7-liter PowerStroke diesels provides CGI blocks. It's overmuch nan aforesaid woody for General Motors. GM's Chevrolet and GMC heavy-duty trucks tin beryllium configured pinch some 6.6-liter turbodiesel and state V8 engines pinch robust blocks.

That each makes sense, arsenic commercial-grade trucks tin use plentifulness from nan amended spot of robust blocks. They're beautiful uncommon successful light-duty vehicles, however, and are mostly utilized for high-performance rides that are besides looking to maximize motor strength.

The antecedently mentioned Hemi, for instance, has a cast-iron block, arsenic do nan 5.7-liter and 6.2-liter versions disposable nether nan hood of nan 2025 Dodge Durango. With Dodge maybe bringing backmost nan Hemi to nan Charger, and confirming the Hemi is backmost for nan 2026 Ram 1500, those brands will soon boast a number of cast-iron blocks. Ford has less iron-block options, but compacted graphite robust is utilized successful nan block, but not nan heads, of Ford's 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6, which is simply a apical motor for nan Bronco, among others. The General seems to person ironed retired immoderate issues pinch aluminum, utilizing that lightweight worldly now for astir each light-duty models.