AUTOMOTIVE manufacturers have the best engineers in the world, capable of coming up with ingenious ways of making our cars faster, more efficient and safer using the latest technology. But sometimes their solutions are much more basic. For example, a surprising number of cars have factory-fitted concrete in the chassis.
Certain pick-up trucks were too frontheavy when unladen. This caused not only a very bouncy ride but also, more seriously, the rear wheels to lift when braking hard. In extreme conditions, you could tip these trucks onto their nose, especially if the cab’s occupants were sturdily built.
The answer was to fill the rear chassis rails with ballast to balance the weight and keep the back end down in a hard stop. Concrete was the cheapest and easiest material.
It…
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Autocar (Digital) - 1 Issue, November 8, 2023