Gerstenslager Demonstrates Flare for Chrysler
By Eric Mayne
WardsAuto.com, Dec 23, 2009 12:18 PM
YPSILANTI, MI – How do you achieve a fender stamping with a draw deeper than Warren Buffet’s pockets?
That challenge would drive most engineers around the bend. But Chrysler Group LLC solved the dilemma with help from The Gerstenslager Co. in Ohio.
The redesigned-for-’10 Ram heavy-duty pickup features rear fender flares that have a 19-in. (48.3-cm) draw when the truck is equipped a dual axle.
It is believed to be the deepest draw of any conventional panel in the industry, while the single-piece stamping also is said to be the largest Class A surface Chrysler produces. The auto maker has not confirmed this analytically.
“We had to work with U.S. Steel (Corp.) to get the right steel,” says Mike Cairns, director-pickup truck product planning.
The auto maker settled on a grade akin to SAE J2329 Grade 4.
“There are so many different grades of steel,” he adds. “They got it dialed into the right kind of steel that has the right ductility and strength to make the stamping work.”
The next task was to find a stamping facility to accommodate the part’s complexity, let alone its size.
Enter Worthington Industries’ Gerstanslager division, with its unique dual-action press.
Just how how big is it? “Big,” Cairns tells Ward’s. “Really big.”
As in 550 tons (498 t) with a 21-in. (53-cm.) stroke.
The result is dramatic styling that punctuates the new Ram’s aggressive stance.
Joe Dehner, head of Ram and Dodge design, playfully suggests he sought to make life difficult for his engineering colleagues. But he notes the challenge was exacerbated by the 6-ft. (1.8-m ) shorter bed length available on the Ram 2500/3500.
“The big trick wasn’t so much the 8-ft. (2.4-m) beds,” Dehner tells Ward’s. “We had a lot more space to work with.”
Recently named Motor Trend Truck of the Year, the Ram Heavy Duty is available for the first time in crew-cab configurations.
Dually models, when equipped with the optional 6.7L Cummins turbodiesel inline 6-cyl. engine, affords a gross combined weight rating of 24,500 lbs. (11,113 kg), up from 24,000 lbs. (10,886 kg).
Reprinted with permission from WardsAuto.com.
