WhistlinDiesel Cybertruck Durability Torture Test #1 (vs F-150)

[spikebuffy]

Is that s epoxy bond?

Is this real?
Really?
Are you serious?

This part of the video left a bad taste in my mouth. It just looks like it was slapped on there. I'm guessing that's why people were having an issue with the front portion flopping around. The air probably scooped it right up.

Sponsored

 

[tmeyer3]

Summary:
Ford breaks drive shaft IMMEDIATELY at drop off, they fix it, moving on. No biggie.

Cybertruck breaks after being jumped, blown up, dropped on it's Hitch, and nose dived. They don't know how to fix it: Ford wins. (??????)

The criticisms about tearing off plastic trim pieces and facea can he safely skipped. And the fact they skip the Ford being mob rushed.

Fun watch though. I imagine if anyone has the views and cash to just blow up cars for views, it's going to be entertaining. My first video from this guy, entertaining! Meaningful review? Not so sure.

 

[Known-Background]

Look at how they've twisted that other viral video! People are spreading this nonsense everywhere. Any vehicle would get damaged if subjected to that kind of abuse. If I kick the side mirror, of course it’s going to break! If I donkey kick the door, naturally it’s going to get damaged. But here they are, acting shocked when things break after deliberately trying to break them! Unfortunately, this will probably make headline news. Now, everyone I meet in the parking lot will ask if my door falls off when I close it or if the car splits in half when towing. (Note: I posted just the video here to avoid adding to their influence or profits.)

 

[Deleted member 17810]

This part of the video left a bad taste in my mouth. It just looks like it was slapped on there. I'm guessing that's why people were having an issue with the front portion flopping around. The air probably scooped it right up.

They either hid the part where there are bolts, or this is from one of the builds that doesn't have it.

 

[m_jorge]

After watching the video a couple of times I'm left with the following impressions:

1. The video would have been more informative if the testers learned how to operate their vehicles before testing.
   1. not knowing how to charge
   2. not doing software updates prior
   3. Not using Baja mode...
2. The F150 broke its drive shaft on the very 1st test. I think this is a common problem with conventional vehicle design when off-roading in very rocky terrain. I don't know how common, but in 30 years of elk hunting in MT, ID, Co, and WY, between my dad & I, we've managed to destroy the drive shafts on 5 separate vehicles. It is one of the reasons I was initially excited for EVs.
   1. Two times in Nissan PUs, twice with Fords, and once with a Subaru Outback (On a kayaking trip. If you've ever driven into the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on the Colorado river, you know what I mean)
   2. With one of the Fords, both the driveshaft to the rear diff and the shifting cable came detached about 100miles into a Mtn road. We were in low range 4WD in 1st gear when it happened. Luckily the front wheels still worked (at a top speed of about 5mph) so we were able to drive it out.
   3. If you'd ever seen my dad drive when trying to get ahead of a heard of elk at a full run, you'd think that the tests WhistlinDiesel subjects both trucks too were actually fairly tame.
3. Yes it is shocking that the trailer hitch broke off, but is anyone surprised after all the abuse. I just hope that Tesla notices (hint hint) and eventually beefs up the hitch connections.
4. Build Quality. Not enough people here seem upset over the double stacked washers & duct tape, about trim being stuck on with double sided tape that flies off in traffic. Sticking pedals. Etc... Tesla REALLY needs to up their Quality inspections.
5. Weight. When the Cybertruck got stuck in the mud while the F150 made it across (the 1st time) it made me realize that when going thru deep mud or snow the extra couple of thousand pounds of mass is really going to make you sink in deep.
   1. Although I also wonder if the CT was in BAJA mode with locked axels whether it would have fared better.

In conclusion, a very entertaining video that unearthed a few nuggets of information. I think that if Tesla ever gets their quality game up to speed they are on track to making the a great truck. But they need to quit with the low quality fixes to normal vehicle issues. In all honesty, I wish they would halt production at the end of the Foundation series, take everything they've learned, and do a redesign to fix the majority of issues.

 

[GnarlyDudeLive]

In conclusion, a very entertaining video that unearthed a few nuggets of information. I think that if Tesla ever gets their quality game up to speed they are on track to making the a great truck. But they need to quit with the low quality fixes to normal vehicle issues. In all honesty, I wish they would halt production at the end of the Foundation series, take everything they've learned, and do a redesign to fix the majority of issues.

...and retrofix all of us FS CT's with said upgrades.

 

[Known-Background]

This is why the hitch ripped off.

 

[StainlessVoyager]

I hope he buys another CT and does a second test. Title states test 1 so there should be others.

 

[Cyberhugo1]

When he pulled the Cybertruck off the concrete culverts, it dropped 5 ft and the hitch landed right on that concrete cross beam holding the culverts from rolling. Pretty sure that’s what broke it. Then the kinetic pull.

That's exactly what I saw, I think most people didn't.
It fractured at that moment and when it pulled hard it broke.

 

[TickTock]

I think the most legitimate concern about this video is the door panels coming off with a hard slam. I'd like to see that door slamming test of some other doors on other vehicles. But the doors shouldn't become non-functional after one hard slam.

Well, he *did* do the same test on the LIghtning with the same result.

 

[TickTock]

Or just replace the casting. Don't see a need to mod or redesign anything to account for a 1 in a million use case, which really isn't a use case, just a stunt. Reinforcing one thing just moves the failure point somewhere else. Maybe that somewhere else is even more expensive to fix and would completely disable the vehicle.

I agree the scenario put forth in this video is nothing we need to be worried about. However, the brittleness of the casting *is* a concern. Having driven many miles towing a 10,000lb airstream over bumpy washboard roads I know just how much abuse this very real-world scenario puts on a receiver. Lots of very strong percussive impact applying not only shear and tension, but also torque vectors (weight distributing hitch). Once a crack starts my fear is it will only be a matter of time before it fails. Good(?) news is, the range is such that I doubt I will be using the CT for that particular application.

 

[Crissa]

The F150 broke its drive shaft on the very 1st test. I think this is a common problem with conventional vehicle design when off-roading in very rocky terrain. I don't know how common, but in 30 years....

I don't know either, but when in university spelunking club the guys with the jeeps and cherokees would regularly lose to a broken drive shaft in about half the outings. I swear they spent so much time welding those trucks back together!

Does look like there is an opportunity to improve the robustness of the hitch. It appears to have snapped right at the connection point of the forged steel receiver to the casting. Perhaps extending a forged bar into the space between the walls of the casting and adding more anchor points there would allow it to withstand much more abuse.

?

He definitely totaled the truck many times over in the video but I think the receiver failure was repairable. Casting only broke at the connection point. Not "in half." A good TIG welder and maybe some extra reinforcement plates can get it back in service stronger than it was new.

There's supposed to be points you can cut it back to and bolt on replacements. At least, that's what Tesla has said.

Add do that, the castings are designed to breakway at sections.

Exactly. Working as intended under rough use.

All metal will sheer and fail eventually, it's about designing it to fail in the right way.

-Crissa

 

[TyPope]

The frame snapping is shocking to me... I guess there really is no replacement for the steel body-on-frame design

Now I really am starting to consider the Silverado EV, with its frame design being another checkbox. I'm RN1151XXXX for a FS Cyberbeast so I still have time to decide

It's coming down to a choice between the Cyberbeast's looks+performance versus an actual EV truck

The frame didn't snap from pulling. It broke the split second after this picture:

After the frame was cracked/broken when dropping the weight of the truck onto it from that height, it didn't take much force to pull apart the remaining pieces holding the bumper and hitch receiver apart.

Sponsored