Beware Of Aluminum Ford Trucks

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Chuckman

Chuckman

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The fleet manager for a local power company just warned me that the new Aluminum Ford trucks have a major design flaw. It seems that the bolts holding the body to the frame are made of a much harder metal than the body. After driving on rough roads for a while, the bolts start to ream out the aluminum, and the body starts coming loose from the frame.
 
Good to know! Not that I could afford a new truck anyway. But when there a year or two old maybe.
 
Easy fix put steel inserts in..was looking at the '16..maybe i'll keep my '10 F150 a little longer..great truck:D:D
 
I have a hard time believing Ford would mount body of there truck without a rubber mount. Just a bolt thru the frame and the aluminum body? right.
 
Real world testing is how this stuff shows up.
Since Ford is the biggest Fleet supplier out there, they should be able to get fixes in place quickly from the feedback.

I/m sure they still use a rubber bushing to mount the body to the frame, but I can see rough dirt roads putting the chassis flex to the test.
 
those aluminum trucks have other issue as well. Try to get body work done on one.
 
Yeah and the sky is falling too...that's what a cousin of a friends husbands nephew said the other day so it must be a fact to be spread on the internet....sigh...
 
we just got 2 at work and we a lot of back road dirt driving servicing hydroelectric plants and by I tell ya there they are terrible at going sideways over washboarded dirt roads, boy the first thing ya know your broadways , very scary
 
Mopar Tim said:
I have a hard time believing Ford would mount body of there truck without a rubber mount. Just a bolt thru the frame and the aluminum body? right.
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I hear "body" in reference to the truck, I hear, "cab" and "box."

If it's the box, then it's understandable. No one uses a rubber mount on the box.
 
As for body work, yes it can be harder & more expensive to get it done.
It has to go to a certified repair shop with the proper tooling.
Means going to a Ford dealer for repair, as few independent body shops are certified.

I'm sure there will be some independent shops that will give it a go, but beware down the road when their work begins to come apart.
Anything can be made nice to get it thru the auction ring.

Also, insurance rate for these trucks are higher.
 
mikedevore said:
As for body work, yes it can be harder & more expensive to get it done.
It has to go to a certified repair shop with the proper tooling.
Means going to a Ford dealer for repair, as few independent body shops are certified.

I'm sure there will be some independent shops that will give it a go, but beware down the road when their work begins to come apart.
Anything can be made nice to get it thru the auction ring.

Also, insurance rate for these trucks are higher.
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I do know that you cannot use any body tools, hammers, Dolly's, body spoons etc, that were or are used for normal sheet metal, as it causes cross contamination from using sheet metal vs aluminum.
I have heard of a very large body shop, that just purchased all of the proper tools to work with these aluminum panels. I could not even imagine the cost to buy this stuff.
 
I saw these trucks being built at the River Rouge plant in Detroit with my sons fifth grade field trip. Most of the body components are glued together.
 
Minercar said:
I saw these trucks being built at the River Rouge plant in Detroit with my sons fifth grade field trip. Most of the body components are glued together.
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^^^^^ that is a industry standard these days for all new automobiles ^^^^^^ believe it or not, it is incredibly strong.
 
Anyone that has ever had an aluminum cattle trailer knows, aluminum cracks easier than steel also.
 
acpat said:
^^^^^ that is a industry standard these days for all new automobiles ^^^^^^ believe it or not, it is incredibly strong.
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Maybe so, but I'd rather have the 20 or so steel bolts that hold each fender on my 66 valiant.
 
I think they re gonna have some paint issues down the road. I paint everyday and I ve seen a lot of newer vehicles come in that have aluminum panels and the paint s blistering because of corrosion. Ford lift gates and hoods seem to be the worst. But hey....look at the rust through on the steel panels of everything else. Just trading one evil for another. If I had a dollar for every ram Silverado and f series truck with gaping holes in the wheel wells I d buy an alumatruck
 
Well I have a 2015 ford f150 fx4 that I bought back in November and I am a timber buyer for a very large company. I make my living driving down logging roads and rough woods roads, so far so good. I average driving around 30 thousand miles per year I will keep an eye on my body to frame bolts. This truck has the 5.0 coyote engine in it and it will get up and go! Hope it stays together!!!
 
Also too, all we have so far is a stupid internet rumor.
 
Minercar said:
I saw these trucks being built at the River Rouge plant in Detroit with my sons fifth grade field trip. Most of the body components are glued together.
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All of the Plymouth Prowlers were glued and riveted together; 19 years ago. I know of many that have exceeded 100k miles without issues related to construction. Very little steel in a Prowler, none on the body or frame. So it’s not really a new concept, just coming out on a larger scale. Honestly I don;t get it on a truck. If you carry loads the weight savings means nothing anyhow. And aluminum still corrodes so that should be interesting in the snow belt.
 
Finding someone to do proper repairs to the aluminum body is something I would be concerned about at this time. 'Proper repair' procedures include a dedicated work area and dedicated tools. I'd guess it will take some time for a lot of dealerships to be able to provide this, let alone independent shops.

I read on one forum (maybe this one) where a guy who worked at a Ford dealer said his shop had spent $80k in upgrades but weren't done yet. A lot of independents can't justify that kind of outlay.

I will say if a young person was considering getting into the auto body repair business getting certified in aluminum repairs would be a very smart move.

I know of one instance where someone took a damage aluminum Ford to a dealer to get it repaired. The dealer said that they figured double hours for aluminum. If it would be a 10 hr repair for steel, they would figure 20 hrs to repair the aluminum. They also said they charged double the labor rate, $120 per hr for aluminum instead of $60 per hr for steel.

I would think this would level out some as repairs became more common.
Dallas
 
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