2015 f150

[Huskinhano]

Anybody see the press clip at the Detroit auto show? The 2015 F150's body is going to be made from Mil spec aluminum. Not part but the whole body. It's going to weigh about 750 pounds less and Ford says a 20% in fuel economy. Yeah, I'm sure it's going to lighten your wallet quite a bit too.

[Supersport350]

I will be there this saturday and will take plenty of pics at the show. Looks to be a lot of cool shit to check out this year. I'm about as anti-import as it gets, but I will admit, I am very curious about this Kia sports car concept they got. The early pics I've seen look nice. I'm really looking forward to the show this year.

[SuperBuickGuy]

kudos to Ford, aluminum has problems, but the difference in fuel economy kind of helps distract from the aluminum issues. However, "mil-spec"? really? you mean "low bidder" and "specifications no one else uses"? I didn't realize obsolescence and unreasonably high-cost were advertising terms.

I had a Land Rover discovery 2, body is aluminum - motor has 100 hp less than my H3, and would probably outrun the H3 in a race.. that said, I use the highly scientific "how hard is it to pull on my trailer" analysis to test all of these theories so there could be a correction factor in play that I dunno

[silver_bullet]

try popping dents out of aluminum...

[milner351]

The thickness of the aluminum is significantly thicker than the outgoing trucks steel sheet metal and is actually harder to dent - significantly harder to dent.

Of course the durability of said body panels will be up for debate for several years, but the fact is the truck is in the ballpark of 700 pounds lighter than the equivalent outgoing truck matched by configuration. They didn't down size the brakes, etc from the outgoing so that translates into more payload, towing, etc.
20% fuel economy? where'd that come from? I'll believe it when I see it.

I haven't driven one yet.

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

20% better fuel economy, from dropping 750 pounds.. ya right..

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

best part will be finding a body shop that can repair it

[RockJustRock]

The Acura/Honda NSX didn't take much criticism for Aluminum body panels. A tenuous connection, I know. I worry about perception as much as reality though. I suspect millions of haters are composing beer can wisecracks as I type this.

[Beagle]

Good gawd... how do we repair it? How about don't wreck the thing. It's a truck, oooh, it's got a dent. I usually try to hit something coming out of the dealer parking lot so I can get over the fresh paint and start treating it like a truck. I don't get too worried about a truck, but I can see where the new pricetags might make somebody get all concerned over a dent. City trucks... meh.

I do not see 20% fuel in just the 750 pounds though. By that rationale, my old F150 should get 20% better mileage than last year's truck? I drove a Shortbed regular cab 2012 with the 3.7... 300 hp aint what it used to be, and you could feel it flattening the pavement. I would not be surprised if it tipped the scale at 5000. Dropping that down to 4250 would make it on par with my '95.

On the other hand, it sure rides nicer than my '95. I bet the 20% is from an improved intake package. I didn't check, is it GDI?


OH - hey - your backyard body shops need to do a little reading on galvanic reactions before slapping steel bolts in that aluminum panel.

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

Good gawd... how do we repair it? How about don't wreck the thing. It's a truck, oooh, it's got a dent. I usually try to hit something coming out of the dealer parking lot so I can get over the fresh paint and start treating it like a truck. I don't get too worried about a truck, but I can see where the new pricetags might make somebody get all concerned over a dent. City trucks... meh.

I do not see 20% fuel in just the 750 pounds though. By that rationale, my old F150 should get 20% better mileage than last year's truck? I drove a Shortbed regular cab 2012 with the 3.7... 300 hp aint what it used to be, and you could feel it flattening the pavement. I would not be surprised if it tipped the scale at 5000. Dropping that down to 4250 would make it on par with my '95.

On the other hand, it sure rides nicer than my '95. I bet the 20% is from an improved intake package. I didn't check, is it GDI?


OH - hey - your backyard body shops need to do a little reading on galvanic reactions before slapping steel bolts in that aluminum panel.

well as seen as ford crew cab's are 50k plus.. it maybe a truck but it's still a huge investment.. and not everyone beats them when they work them.. I can see a contractor not caring as it's going to get used daily in a way that kill the body.. but for the people that don't get to write off the trucks use as a business expense.. a 50k-62k truck you want to keep nice.. at least most like to take care of their stuff.. You think the salt bath the rust belt does a number to the steel, what un till it gets a hold of untreated alum.. the truck will turn to dust.. guess you won't see many new fords launching boats.. I can see the what me care,when a truck was a well truck.. today pickups are not trucks.. they are overgrown linc & caddy's wrapped in a pickup body.. it's comical to even try to find a reg cab pickup on a dealers lot anymore..

[DanStokes]

My guess is that much of the body will b glued together as it's usually faster and cheaper to bond aluminum than weld it. So repairs will likely be done by bonding as well - no big deal. Fillers have to be matched to the aluminum as the expansion rates of the current fillers (Bondo, etc.) will be incorrect.

On the corrosion front, we'll hope Ford is plating or otherwise protecting the structure - this ain't their first rodeo. And the Americans have learned that their rep takes a HUGE hit when they build water-soluable vehicles (remember the Vega?). Pretty sure they will learn from past mistakes.

That said, I wouldn't buy a first-year vehicle as a matter of policy. It takes a while for everything to get shaken down in real world usage.

Dan

[TheSilverBuick]

Is it just the F-150's or will the 250 and 350 also have the aluminum body?

I'd be curious to see how the bodies hold up to damage and vibration seen here at the mine.

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

My guess is that much of the body will b glued together as it's usually faster and cheaper to bond aluminum than weld it. So repairs will likely be done by bonding as well - no big deal. Fillers have to be matched to the aluminum as the expansion rates of the current fillers (Bondo, etc.) will be incorrect.

On the corrosion front, we'll hope Ford is plating or otherwise protecting the structure - this ain't their first rodeo. And the Americans have learned that their rep takes a HUGE hit when they build water-soluable vehicles (remember the Vega?). Pretty sure they will learn from past mistakes.

That said, I wouldn't buy a first-year vehicle as a matter of policy. It takes a while for everything to get shaken down in real world usage.

Dan

problems start with crumble zones, and after wreck repair strength.. it's bad enough that the spots with high strength steel, can't be repaired, must replace with new.. (i.e. no straightning of panel). I'm thinking the alum. will fare no better in this regards, with panel replacement being the only way to fix these correctly.. making them easily totaled . as I can see both panels at the bond ripping as the bond is most likely stronger than the material it's bonding..

[38P]

Ford has no choice but to cut weight in order to meet the skyrocketing fuel economy standards taking effect over the next decade. GM and Ram will have to do it eventually, too.

Of course, they could have built something like GM did for 2014 . . . idles on two cylinders . . . and if it idles on any more, it might burst into flames. http://spectrum.ieee.org/riskfactor/...duce-fire-risk

Aluminum has been common place in more expensive vehicles (Class 8 trucks, luxury cars, sports cars, aircraft). But for such a price-sensitive, mass market work vehicle to go aluminum is certainly a risk.

I suspect body men will learn how to work with it (and increase their prices accordingly). One advantage is that the aluminum is painted, so some of the old "drill, pop, and fill" techniques will surely see a comeback . . . .

I'm more interested to see the "take rate" on a 165 C.I.D. (2.7 liter) truck engine (even if it is crazy-stoked with turbochargers, multiple camshafts and direct injection).

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

Ford has no choice but to cut weight in order to meet the skyrocketing fuel economy standards taking effect over the next decade. GM and Ram will have to do it eventually, too.

Of course, they could have built something like GM did for 2014 . . . idles on two cylinders . . . and if it idles on any more, it might burst into flames. http://spectrum.ieee.org/riskfactor/...duce-fire-risk

Aluminum has been common place in more expensive vehicles (Class 8 trucks, luxury cars, sports cars, aircraft). But for such a price-sensitive, mass market work vehicle to go aluminum is certainly a risk.

I suspect body men will learn how to work with it (and increase their prices accordingly). One advantage is that the aluminum is painted, so some of the old "drill, pop, and fill" techniques will surely see a comeback . . . .

I'm more interested to see the "take rate" on a 165 C.I.D. (2.7 liter) truck engine (even if it is crazy-stoked with turbochargers, multiple camshafts and direct injection).

bullcrap.. there is no good reason that light duty trucks are as huge as they have become..