{"id":856,"date":"2025-07-13T09:03:07","date_gmt":"2025-07-13T09:03:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=856"},"modified":"2025-07-13T09:03:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T09:03:07","slug":"why-dodge-ram-still-use-iron-engine-blocks-in-some-vehicles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=856","title":{"rendered":"Why Dodge & Ram Still Use Iron Engine Blocks In Some Vehicles"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first Iron Age flickered out a millennium or two ago, but its automotive equivalent is still going strong. Well, if not strong, it’s at least still going. Dodge, Ram, and other automakers still feature iron blocks as the foundations for their engines \u2014 despite a growing trend toward putting more aluminum in today’s cars and trucks.<\/p>\n

Aluminum actually began being used in the auto industry as far back as 1899, when Heinrich Durkopp showed an aluminum-bodied sports car at the Berlin Motor Show. And it’s been used in many other ways over the years as well. Remember when Ford started making a big deal about\u00a0aluminum being practical for a truck bed<\/a>?<\/p>\n

But relying on aluminum for engine blocks really took off when the 1961 Buick Special went on sale with a 215-cubic-inch V8. The Special had aluminum not just for the block, but for the heads and intake manifold, too. The goal was saving weight, and replacing iron with aluminum in the block gets the job done: Automakers can reduce how heavy an engine is by some 40% by using it. The results can include better efficiency and performance, too, because the motor isn’t pushing around as many pounds. And yet, iron’s high strength and low cost deliver advantages that still hold up today.<\/p>\n

Read more:\u00a0These Are The Most Annoying Things About Your Cars<\/a><\/p>\n

The Benefits Of Iron Blocks Compared To Aluminum<\/h2>\n
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