Aluminum body Ford PU

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Originally Posted By: TiredTrucker
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Originally Posted By: CT8
Ford uses military grade aluminum!![What ever that grade is]


I laughed when I first heard that. Everyone knows the mil-spec means lowest bidder.


Yeah! We used to joke half heartedly when we were in the bush that our weapons and equipment were made by the lowest bidder. I just shake my head when folks use the mil-spec thing like it is the highest standard. Only those with no actual combat experience buy into that. How times have changed. 45 years ago no one wanted anything to do with military or mil-spec and we didn't even dare wear uniforms off base. Just a short haircut would give it away and one could suffer ridicule. Now, everyone seems enamored with anything that even looks like it has something to do with the military, and "mil-spec" is the latest fad du jour.

It's the Hollywood Heroes.
 
Originally Posted By: Delta
Originally Posted By: itguy08
Bodywork is expensive. You are paying for the art and skill of the guy doing the work.


Really?

Besides frame work (actually I've seen cases of frames being replaced rather then straitened back), most bodymen are like today's mechanics; parts changers. Dent in the door? New door, dent in the fender? New Fender. Even quarter panels are cut out and replaced.


You have a grave misunderstanding of that industry. The cars that come out of a "part changer" style body shop generally look like they were put together by children.
 
There is more to replacing a door or fender than just unbolting/ bolting. You'd have uneven lines everywhere.
 
Originally Posted By: TiredTrucker
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Originally Posted By: CT8
Ford uses military grade aluminum!![What ever that grade is]


I laughed when I first heard that. Everyone knows the mil-spec means lowest bidder.


Yeah! We used to joke half heartedly when we were in the bush that our weapons and equipment were made by the lowest bidder. I just shake my head when folks use the mil-spec thing like it is the highest standard. Only those with no actual combat experience buy into that. How times have changed. 45 years ago no one wanted anything to do with military or mil-spec and we didn't even dare wear uniforms off base. Just a short haircut would give it away and one could suffer ridicule. Now, everyone seems enamored with anything that even looks like it has something to do with the military, and "mil-spec" is the latest fad du jour.


Pretty much. I was too young to fight the Viet Cong, but even when I was in the service we weren't particularly looked up to and held in high esteem like they are now. Not that I think they shouldn't be, but how times have changed.
 
I wounder if any use stainless brake and fuel lines yet? I would rather have lines that don't rust and blow up than panels. Haven't looked at anything new in a long time.....
 
Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
Its simply different, steel these days is so thin I don't think the weight savings is really that large.

I mean if you scale a new GM and Ford truck the GM's run about the same weight. Ford was a porker before 15 so the aluminum let them get the weight down to where GM already was.

Now Ram is the porker.


On my Ram for example I don't really see where aluminum would gain them a whole lot. The hood is already aluminum, the motor and transmission are, as is the front suspension. Frankly I wouldn't want anymore weight taken out of the back... maybe just make the cab out of aluminum? The sheet metal is already pretty thin, the front fenders are fragile!
The 5.7 in the Ram trucks has only aluminum heads, the block is still cast iron.
 
Correct but I don't have a Hemi I have a Pentastar.


Interestingly the drive shaft is steel compared to aluminum on my 2005 Silverado. If the drive shaft on the Ram was aluminum you would have to travel all the way to the rear differential before finding cast iron and steel.
 
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Originally Posted By: oemjunk
I wounder if any use stainless brake and fuel lines yet? I would rather have lines that don't rust and blow up than panels. Haven't looked at anything new in a long time.....


No, the fuel lines and brake lines on my new 2015 F150 are not stainless steel. They appear to be regular steel with a black protective coating. At least they are coating them now, and not leaving them bare steel like on my older Silverado.
 
Well my vote is for the Ford then, at least they are making some what of an attempt. To bad you couldn't order the Dodge motor in Ford body with Chevy spark plugs.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
You can't heat up aluminum to bend it back like Steel. Aluminum is harder to work with.I prefer Steel over aluminum any day


I can understand a preference for steel. It's an awesome metal when done right.

However, aluminum can be easily formed via heat. In fact, it takes a much lower temperature to get aluminum into a plastic, easy to manipulate state. Aluminum will start to become plastic just above 500 deg F.

As an aircraft guy, I'd say that aluminum is easy to work with. And easy to understand.

This guy bends aluminum with heat, and he is easily able to make a nice bend by moving the point source of the heat. As aluminum transfers heat quickly, it's easy to form using this method.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZToSi4YppJM
 
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Originally Posted By: Trav
Originally Posted By: JetStar
Originally Posted By: CT8
Alodine treating before painting most grades of aluminum insures long term paint adhesion.


Yes Sir, That's what we do in Aerospace! The alodine alone will pass most corrosion tests.

Its kind of difficult to do in the shop after repairing the panel don't you think?



Etch and alodyne treatment is exceedingly easy to perform on a repair. Simply wipe or spray alodine on after the metal has been prepped. Then rinse it off about 30 seconds later. Allow it to air dry, or use a blow gun. Done!
 
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Originally Posted By: Cujet
Originally Posted By: Trav
Originally Posted By: JetStar
Originally Posted By: CT8
Alodine treating before painting most grades of aluminum insures long term paint adhesion.


Yes Sir, That's what we do in Aerospace! The alodine alone will pass most corrosion tests.

Its kind of difficult to do in the shop after repairing the panel don't you think?





Etch and alodyne treatment is exceedingly easy to perform on a repair. Simply wipe or spray alodine on after the metal has been prepped. Then rinse it off about 30 seconds later. Allow it to air dry, or use a blow gun. Done!


We spot repair all the time. Henkel even makes a felt tip pen for small spots. The process is very similar to performing a metal prep etch.
 
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Originally Posted By: Silverado12

Pretty much. I was too young to fight the Viet Cong, but even when I was in the service we weren't particularly looked up to and held in high esteem like they are now. Not that I think they shouldn't be, but how times have changed.


Yeah, I am glad that has changed. What's done is done and can't be undone. I think America, in general, learned it's lesson from that time and thankfully has wanted to make sure it didn't happen again.

But on point, I have not had the aversion to aluminum that some do. While it does have its own unique issues, in the final analysis I think the overall benefit is better than steel. Sure, we can all conjure up all kinds of scenarios to prove a particular point against aluminum, but done right, it holds up as well or better than steel and is significantly lighter thereby enabling more payload, a little more corrosion resistance, and in some cases, a little better fuel economy. Change is the only true constant in the universe and people's resistance to change is right behind it.
 
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Originally Posted By: CT8
Ford uses military grade aluminum!![What ever that grade is]


I laughed when I first heard that. Everyone knows the mil-spec means lowest bidder.
Milspec isn't the lowest grade it is a spec that the material has to meet.
 
Originally Posted By: CT8
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Originally Posted By: CT8
Ford uses military grade aluminum!![What ever that grade is]


I laughed when I first heard that. Everyone knows the mil-spec means lowest bidder.
Milspec isn't the lowest grade it is a spec that the material has to meet.


I know, but anything the government buys is from the lowest bidder for that spec.
 
Originally Posted By: Ethan1
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
The only downside we have seen so far is body repair. A shop needs proper equipment for working on the aluminium body panels and the repair costs tend to be significantly higher.



That's just people trying to rip you off. Why would it be any harder to bondo over aluminum?

Proper equipment? Please.

If I were a pickup guy, I'd be all over this. I wish they'd make the mustang all aluminum. Are you kidding me? Aluminum for the same price as steel. Its a gift.




LOLOLOL
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lol.gif
lol.gif


Pleeeeeeeeease buy an aluminum-intensive car and have it repaired by a shop that doesn't have an isolated aluminum repair area, a complete separate set of tools for working on aluminum panels, access to OEM workshop manuals, et cetera.

The manufacturer will probably fly in, pay you for a day's use of your car, and make a video to educate consumers on how a car can be destroyed by aluminum/steel cross-contamination and improper repair procedures.


GM and I-CAR drove the point home on the Corvette and its aluminum structure when it came out - but there's shady body shops as well. Audi touted aluminum space frames back in the late 1990s, the 1st gen Honda Insight and NSX were also aluminum-framed and bodied. Toyota flirted with the stuff in the 1990s, and they use aluminum hoods and hatches now.

A good bodyman/body shop will take care with Al cars - or should.
 
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Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
....................

I know, but anything the government buys is from the lowest bidder for that spec.


That is a partial myth of lowest bidder always getting a govt. contract. Many times contracts are given to bidders who were not the lowest but where able to meet the production rate and schedule required for the contract that the lowest bidder could not meet.
 
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