2015 Ford F-150

[Chris]

I was wondering what you guys think about the new upcoming 2015 Ford F-150.

As you probably know, the body is made of mostly aluminum.

They're also going to have a 2.7L ECO Boost V6 engine that puts out 325 Horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque.

And just over the last few days, I read that it will have a max cargo capacity with the V8 of 3300 LBS, compared to GM and Ram 1500's which most models are less than 2000 LBS.

Ford have certainly moved the bar a lot higher it would seem. It will be interesting to see how the new model holds up.

-Chris

 

[RNGRDVE]

I like it from a technology standpoint and trying to be innovative. I hate it from a Body Shop standpoint as aluminum repair is nothing like sheet metal. If it gains popularity with auto makers it will be expensive for the shops. The welder for doing aluminum is a huge investment that will take a lot of jobs to recoup the money. I was contacted by Ford to become a authorized F150 repair shop and passed due to the startup cost of equipment.

 

[ezstriper]

Talking to friend of mine who is a GM for several large body shop chain, saying going to be very expensive for any body repair, no dent repair total panel and sometimes multiple panels must be replaced even for small amount of damage, also must be repaired at certified aluminum shops. So when insurance co. figure this out, rates will not be cheap on them...

 

[RNGRDVE]

Here's one of the many articles I've read about this subject.

http://www.autonews.com/article/201...oup-1-body-shops-prep-for-the-age-of-aluminum#

 

[nathan]

I grew up a ford fan but since 2004 I am no longer a fan. The higher towing capacity is only going let people pull things that the truck is "rated" for but is to big for it. at the end of the day it is a half ton truck that has lost a lot of weight. which is were the increased towing capacity comes from. and personally I owned a 97 f150 with a v6 and I never wanted it to be turbo charged. I wanted a V8. I always ask when towing anything can it pull it and most importantly can it stop it.

 

[JW]

Search YouTube for Ecoboost engine troubles. EGR gasses are fouling the back side of the valves and causing engine issues. I'd consider one, but only the V8.

 

[Jimway]

"There is no replacement for displacement" (From the Book of Jim) Stated from the drivers side window of a mid 90's Ford pickup with slightly North of 500 cubic inches.

 

[jjg]

Talking to friend of mine who is a GM for several large body shop chain, saying going to be very expensive for any body repair, no dent repair total panel and sometimes multiple panels must be replaced even for small amount of damage, also must be repaired at certified aluminum shops. So when insurance co. figure this out, rates will not be cheap on them...

For at least a decade vehicles have been designed to absorb impact therefore most body damage is replace instead of repair. Ford has been using aluminum in their hoods and roofs for years. The hood & roof of my 2000 ranger is aluminum and I had some hail damage repaired by a dent removal shop about 5 years ago and the result was perfect. Had a minor deer strike on my pass side front fender about 8 years ago which is steel and that was a total replacement which was suprising to me because the damage was not nearly as vast as the hail damage.

 

[jmshipp]

The aluminum body panels have been around for a while... jaguar, land rover, and a few others have been using it for years. The company that makes the aluminum is one of my largest customers... Novelis. The plant is in Oswego, NY and it is really cool how they figured out the annealing process to get it to take paint. Coating and corrosion prevention have always been the biggest issues with using aluminum. You figure one of the baddest cars ever made, the shelby cobra, was aluminum and they were putting those out in the mid sixties. So the attempts have been there in the past.

I think you are going to see a whole lot more companies going to it. With all of the EPA regs on mileage changing over the next few years they are going to have to make some changes. Weight savings is the easiest way to do it. Ford just jumped out in front simply because they did not want the regs to outpace development on their cash cow. The F150 is not just the best selling truck out there. It is one of the best selling autos period. I was blown away when I saw the numbers.

I know very little about body work these days. But when I got hit last year, all they did was bolt on a new bumper cover and trunk lid. I think the parts might have even shown up already painted. So if that's the case, seems like they could do the same with the aluminum panels?

 

[karzrus]

I'm not a Ford guy.

There are some really cool pros and some not so good cons to the new body.

One thing not mentioned so far is aluminum does not rust like steel. A rock chip will never turn into the mess it does over a few salty winters like on a steel panel. I think that is a big plus.

But the fact that aluminum once bent too far(work hardened) can't be unbent without cracking is a bit of a bad deal. Aluminum (an element) is more scarce then steel(coal based) and more expensive because of that, also the energy level to process it is larger so the panels will cost $ and most likely be thin. Dent resistance as bad as it is on newer steel truck panels is likely to be a little worse on the aluminum ones. Instead of someone just keying the paint on your truck cause you pissed them off, they could cut right through it with a good hunting knife. Carrie Underwoods "cheating song" could get a whole new verse.

A work friend just picked up a 2014 Ford F150 with an ecoboost and nearly fully loaded(he might be missing one or two options). He loves everything about it, and thinks it has way more power then his 2008 V8 Ford F150 trade in, but he paid $53,000 for the truck. Wow, that is allot of money for a 1/2ton non-diesel truck. What are the 2015 aluminum ones going to cost?

Personally I think 1/2 tons and pulling boats and trailers, even light ones like I've got is a mistake. I won't go back to 1/2 ton with their light duty car transmissions/axels/bearing and diffs. Maybe if the new small diesel 1/2 ton motors prove reliable and they put a full floating truck rear end and true HD transmission in them.

 

[JT Patroni]

Back in the early 70's when I had my welding/fab shop we did a lot of work on the aluminium fenders, doors and hoods on English vehicles like the Rolls and Bentley's. We would do the primary straightening, welding and smoothing of the parts and the body shop would do the final dolly work to get it ready for paint. It was remarkable to watch those craftsmen do the finish prep without the use of plastic filler material.

As for the F-150 or any other vehicle that will be made with an aluminium body, we best hope they don't try to use it for the frames. The RV industry will never survive that change.

 

[john lamon]

No opinion on the aluminum body but I sure like the ecoboost, I've towed lots of heavy loads with it with no issues, pulls hard with any load and better than any V8 gasser I've ever had, and no rough down shifting like most V8's with a load, it just pulls whatever you throw at it, feels like a deisel going up a hill to me, you either like them or you don't, everyone has their own opinion.

On a side note I have pulled a dump trailer with 10,000 lbs many times and as far as stopping goes as long as you have good working brakes on the trailer there is no issue, never tried one with no brakes before...

 

[RNGRDVE]

For at least a decade vehicles have been designed to absorb impact therefore most body damage is replace instead of repair.

Had a minor deer strike on my pass side front fender about 8 years ago which is steel and that was a total replacement which was suprising to me because the damage was not nearly as vast as the hail damage.

We repair 54% vs replace 46% of panels in our shop. That spread used to be a lot higher. Some of the reason for replacement even when repair is poss is cost. Body parts are pretty cheap for highly used parts like fenders, bumper covers and hoods. Had your bedside had similar damage it probably would have been replaced.

 

[RNGRDVE]

One thing not mentioned so far is aluminum does not rust like steel. A rock chip will never turn into the mess it does over a few salty winters like on a steel panel. I think that is a big plus. .

Aluminum doesn't rust but it does corrode. A rock chip will expose the aluminum and it will start to corrode, after awhile that corrosion will spread and the surrounding paint will start to lift. You can scrape the paint off an area like that and will see the corrosion. We have repaired and replaced hoods for this issue depending on what the customer wants to do. Chevy Ventures are good for this happening along the front edge of the hood without having outside paint damage from rocks, I think over time the grille mounted to the hood probably rubs through the paint allowing the process to start.

 

[JW]

Ford mechanic vids

2.0 ecoboost: http://youtu.be/nK2eXdaydqI

3.5 ecoboost: http://youtu.be/fze1x9GJJ3E

 

[ezstriper]

Aluminum doesn't rust but it does corrode. A rock chip will expose the aluminum and it will start to corrode, after awhile that corrosion will spread and the surrounding paint will start to lift. You can scrape the paint off an area like that and will see the corrosion. We have repaired and replaced hoods for this issue depending on what the customer wants to do. Chevy Ventures are good for this happening along the front edge of the hood without having outside paint damage from rocks, I think over time the grille mounted to the hood probably rubs through the paint allowing the process to start.

Exactly...have seen many aluminum body panels(all brands) with the paint all bubbled up due to corrosion, all it takes is a dislike from another metal(bolt etc) to start it...just looked a newer body style mustang the other day, they were complaining the wide stripes were bubbling...was not the stripes, was paint under from corrosion and saw nothing that started it ???

 

[RNGRDVE]

I have a mustang gt hood sitting in the shop that has corrosion in multiple places. Gave the owner quote to repair with no warranty or replace with warranty. He choose the more expensive replace option.

 

[merc245]

They can have my V-8, when they pull my cold dead body from the wreckage!

 

[karzrus]

Aluminum doesn't rust but it does corrode. A rock chip will expose the aluminum and it will start to corrode, after awhile that corrosion will spread and the surrounding paint will start to lift. You can scrape the paint off an area like that and will see the corrosion. We have repaired and replaced hoods for this issue depending on what the customer wants to do. Chevy Ventures are good for this happening along the front edge of the hood without having outside paint damage from rocks, I think over time the grille mounted to the hood probably rubs through the paint allowing the process to start.

OK, I am wrong and one more reason to avoid the 2015.

My understanding is chemically when Aluminum oxidizes it forms a blackish coating on the outside surface that resists further oxidation. But I did not know that it would travel under the paint and cause problems similar to steel.

Hmm, are these issues happing on airplanes too? I wonder what the airlines do with their paint.

 

[JW]

We are fixing corrosion on corporate aircraft all the time. The worst are aircraft kept near a coast. Salt air loves to feed on aluminum. Aluminum corrosion is white powder, with black mixed in for fun. Aluminum and steel seem to be in a close race to see which one corrodes away first up here in the snow belt. I'm thinking a properly galvanized and painted steel panel will resist corrosion longer than painted aluminum.