Grades of Steel: How Many Types of Steel Alloys Are in Your Pickup Truck?

How many types of alloys are in your pickup truck? How about this 2017 Honda Ridgeline unibody pickup truck? This body-in-white demonstration vehicle shows many different types/grades of steel that go into its construction. This is a unique opportunity to look at the details and the complexity of the truck construction.

There are at a minimum seven grades of steel that make up the Honda Ridgeline. The different grades have unique tensile strengths and properties. For example, the orange section in the front of this demo is made of steel of relatively high strength, but it is also constructed and made to crumple and absorb crash impact energy. On the other hand, the silver section that makes up the passenger compartment (A, B, and C pillars) are made of a higher strength steel that is meant to be as rigid as possible. Then, the sheet metal of the body is made of a much lighter and thinner gauge of steel that is able to accept paint.

How are the different grades of steel made? Get the details in the video below.