Ignore the detailers, Sprayway Glass Cleaner is the easiest way to clean the exterior of your Cybertruck

[Mal]

<snip>... wash it first to get particulate debris off of it before dragging junk across the soft steel ... <snip>

Across the what now?

Sigh. There's tomorrow's Electrek headline.

Followed by "SPACEX ROCKETS LIKELY MADE FROM SOFT STEEL, SAYS CARWASHING EXPERT".

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[carsly]

Across the what now?

Sigh. There's tomorrow's Electrek headline.

Followed by "SPACEX ROCKETS LIKELY MADE FROM SOFT STEEL, SAYS CARWASHING EXPERT".

Not sure about anyone else's truck, but the finish on mine is far more scratch resistant than any other vehicle I've ever owned.

And it's not even close.

 

[Mal]

Not sure about anyone else's truck, but the finish on mine is far more scratch resistant than any other vehicle I've ever owned.

I had to attend a meeting last night, and needed to park on the side of a narrow rural road. I was giggling when I parallel parked it against, and kinda into, the bushes. I love the raw stainless.

 

[bg002h]

Not sure about anyone else's truck, but the finish on mine is far more scratch resistant than any other vehicle I've ever owned.

And it's not even close.

Hardness generally goes with fragility with steel. CT isn’t a brittle fragile truck…it’s designed to be durable and flexible — that’s why it’s soft. Hardness is a different physical property and CT isn’t optimized for this on purpose. Maybe someone can use a durometer to measure the hardness…I bet it is well under 50.

Have you ever sharpened a knife by hand? Different steels are meant for different tasks and you can feel how much easier soft steels are to sharpen. These knives never shatter when you drop them and they are easy to resharpen.

Making a hard steel CT would be unwise from a crumple zone perspective and for trying to get a sanded finish on it.

 

[Kryptek]

whats the best windshield exterior and interior cleaner for no streaks?

 

[2me]

never tried it, say more?

Adams makes it,
good stuff.
Will cause water to bead just from using the shampoo.
and makes it easier to clean the following time.

 

[HaulingAss]

Across the what now?

Sigh. There's tomorrow's Electrek headline.

Followed by "SPACEX ROCKETS LIKELY MADE FROM SOFT STEEL, SAYS CARWASHING EXPERT".

Anyone who thinks the Cybertruck is made from soft steel needs to step up and name one vehicle that is made of a harder substance. I'm still waiting because, if such a vehicle exists, it's not in civilian use. Tesla didn't mess around when they developed this alloy (it's a slight modification of the alloy SpaceX uses for Starship).

But more to the point, it's cold rolled at very high surface pressure which realigns the microscopic grains within the metal, making it denser and increasing the surface hardness and damage resistance significantly. Because it has increased chromium levels from the stainless steel skin of Starship, it's probably even harder and more scratch resistant. Pure chromium is the third hardest element, after boron and carbon (diamond). It probably costs a bit more than the alloy used for Starship (due to the boosted chromium levels). According to Tesla, the chromium was boosted, not to make it more scratch resistant, but to increase resistance to crevice corrosion beyond what SpaceX requires on their rockets.

This extreme hardness is why it's very difficult to make a scratch with any depth to it. Normal scratches from driving a muddy Cybertruck through tree branches are so fine as to be quite superficial. They are visible because they reflect light differently, but they are barely there. Which is a good thing because it would be a real bitch to sand out a deep scratch (like a high-pressure scratch from a sharp and very hard piece of tool steel).

 

[HaulingAss]

Hardness generally goes with fragility with steel. CT isn’t a brittle fragile truck…it’s designed to be durable and flexible — that’s why it’s soft. Hardness is a different physical property and CT isn’t optimized for this on purpose. Maybe someone can use a durometer to measure the hardness…I bet it is well under 50.

I'm sorry, but if you are talking about a hardenss of 50 HRB (Rockwell B), that's just laughable. Also, a durometer is never used to measure the hardness of metals, only plastics and the like.

Your concern about crumple zones with a hard metal is also unfounded. The thickness of the stainless steel used in the Cybertruck is only 1.4 mm in the crumple zones and 1.8 mm in the door skins. Neither is thick enough to cause issues with the crumple zones because crumple zones are designed to protect against high energy impacts. The Cybertruck will crumple just fine in an impact strong enough to risk injuries.

Basically, the strength of stainless steel in an accident reduces the amount of other materials needed to absorb impact in a crash and protect the occupants, but it is not nearly strong enough to not require other energy absorbing structures for additional crash absorption.

 

[carsly]

I'm sorry, but if you are talking about a hardenss of 50 HRB (Rockwell B), that's just laughable. Also, a durometer is never used to measure the hardness of metals, only plastics and the like.

Your concern about crumple zones with a hard metal is also unfounded. The thickness of the stainless steel used in the Cybertruck is only 1.4 mm in the crumple zones and 1.8 mm in the door skins. Neither is thick enough to cause issues with the crumple zones because crumple zones are designed to protect against high energy impacts. The Cybertruck will crumple just fine in an impact strong enough to risk injuries.

Basically, the strength of stainless steel in an accident reduces the amount of other materials needed to absorb impact in a crash and protect the occupants, but it is not nearly strong enough to not require other energy absorbing structures for aditional crash absorption.

bingo. takes more energy to deform the HFS so less material is needed to be added in the crash structure

 

[bg002h]

Here’s a metal durometer:

https://www.pce-instruments.com/us/...ess-testing-durometer-pce-900-det_5838727.htm


This is durometry for big boys. The plastic stuff you reference is for kids…or people who have never heard the word before and google it and just read the first sentence of the first result: a Wikipedia article https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shore_durometer

 

[HaulingAss]

Here’s a metal durometer:

https://www.pce-instruments.com/us/...ess-testing-durometer-pce-900-det_5838727.htm


This is durometry for big boys. The plastic stuff you reference is for kids…or people who have never heard the word before and google it and just read the first sentence of the first result: a Wikipedia article https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shore_durometer

I presume you are a "big boy"? In your previous post you bet the hardness of the SS used in the Cybertruck is under 50? Perhaps you could tell us which hardness scale you are referring to?

And please tell us one vehicle that has a more scratch resistant outer surface than the Cybertruck (since it is so soft in your estimation). And since the discussion is about how scratch resistant it is (or isn't), maybe you could elaborate on how the hardness scale you refer to relates to scratch resistance?

It would be a big help to help us make sense of your previous comments.

 

[koolio]

Anyone use the DIY Detail products to clean theirs?

I watched their YT video where they wash and ceramic coating a CT. Looks like good products…I’m thinking of getting their products to wash, de-iron, and ceramic coat it.

 

[carsly]

Anyone use the DIY Detail products to clean theirs?

I watched their YT video where they wash and ceramic coating a CT. Looks like good products…I’m thinking of getting their products to wash, de-iron, and ceramic coat it.

Keep it simple, Sprayway. The rest is a waste of time and money IMHO. Cybertruck doesn’t need or want detailing products.

 

[koolio]

Keep it simple, Sprayway. The rest is a waste of time and money IMHO. Cybertruck doesn’t need or want detailing products.

I do have a couple of bottles of Sprayway and only used it to clean up one section (and it worked well). I've wondered about putting the ceramic coating on it, primarily to deal with bird poop.

You've given me something to think about...

 

[carsly]

I do have a couple of bottles of Sprayway and only used it to clean up one section (and it worked well). I've wondered about putting the ceramic coating on it, primarily to deal with bird poop.

You've given me something to think about...

I've spent 40 years detailing my cars. I've used every product you can think of and still regularly detail my painted vehicles with foam cannons, waterless wash, ceramic coatings, leather conditioners and the like.

But Cybertruck is different.

Cybertruck doesn't need foam cannons. It doesn't want SIO2 infused waxes or ceramic coatings (the stainless steel is harder than any coating you can apply). No real leather, though it feels like it, so no need for fancy conditioners and interior detailing sprays. I use armor all wipes on the interior, but honestly others use Kirkland signature baby wipes and its fine.

Break decades of habits, trust me. It was tough for me to absorb, but cleaning Cybertruck really is ridiculously simple. Wash and wipe clean or Sprayway and wipe clean. Then stop and walk away to admit the amazing machine.

If you spend more than 20 minutes from start to finish you're doing too much ;-)

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