Ford aluminum truck beds are strong how?

[Sysop]

Myself personally, I have a Bedrug in mine. They're one of the best "bed mats" made IMO. I generally have a full bed of work tools, so the Bedrug is ideal to not only protect the bed, but my tools as well. I used their new "Boxlink" plates with some E-Track accessories to create what is for me, the ideal cargo management system. Anything I'm throwing or dumping from my loader to be hauled, goes into the dump trailer. The bed on it is about 3 or 4 times as thick as any truck bed and was only about a tenth of the cost...

 

[TomSeller]

With aluminum they call it corrosion, steel they call it rust, either way it is oxidation. Aluminum has more problems than just the bed bottom, it fatigues much faster than steel, it is more costly and difficult to repair, which as time goes on will result in higher insurance rates once their bean counters see what happens. There will be more cracking around bolts or rivets. Coastal areas will see more corrosion than most. Bottom line it's just not a good metal for trucks.

Right, and they certainly will never make wheels out of aluminum. They would never stand up.

 

[Fordman1981]

Right, and they certainly will never make wheels out of aluminum. They would never stand up.

Don't you think there is a slight difference in thickness of wheels and a body panel?

 

[farm boy00]

Right, and they certainly will never make wheels out of aluminum. They would never stand up.

Are you talking about rims?? If so then you are way out of the loop. Rims have been made out of aluminum for alot of years

 

[Sysop]

Don't you think there is a slight difference in thickness of wheels and a body panel?

Read up on Ford's process. They make the panels as thick as they need to be for whatever strength is needed in whatever part of the structure they're forming. Most of the panels are not a continuous thickness. Most are varied to provide the ideal balance of weight and strength.

Yes, rims are thicker. But his sarcastic remark was in reply to corrosion comments. Rims are constantly showered in whatever elements you are driving in and so far, I've not heard of any aluminum rims corroding beyond safe usability. I've seen many old steel wheels that have rusted through in less than ten years.

 

[Fordman1981]

Read up on Ford's process. They make the panels as thick as they need to be for whatever strength is needed in whatever part of the structure they're forming. Most of the panels are not a continuous thickness. Most are varied to provide the ideal balance of weight and strength. Yes, rims are thicker. But his sarcastic remark was in reply to corrosion comments. Rims are constantly showered in whatever elements you are driving in and so far, I've not heard of any aluminum rims corroding beyond safe usability. I've seen many old steel wheels that have rusted through in less than ten years.

Guess ford miscalculated on the thickness needed for the bed floor. The empty tool box punching a hole is just sad.

 

[ultrarunner]

I read that the model T had an aluminum hood.

Yes they do... at least my 3 have aluminum hoods...

 

[Sysop]

Guess ford miscalculated on the thickness needed for the bed floor. The empty tool box punching a hole is just sad.

I think they likely looked at their trade-ins, saw the average level of abuse, and built for that. Any sharp piece of steel, 28 pounds (they claimed), is going to puncture the bed. If you read into the actual tests performed, they performed each test multiple times, and there were even a couple instances the steel bed of the Chevy had an occasional tear. Granted not as large as the aluminum, but that is the difference of the materials. Each has it's benefits and drawbacks. Most folk talk with their wallets, and it seems they're saying they want the higher capacity towing and payload Ford offers.

QUOTE
With little more than a 28-pound toolbox, Chevy put 13 holes in a 2016 F-150's bed. In the same tests, the 2016 Silverado suffered two punctures.

Source:Chevy literally punches holes in the Ford F-15's aluminum bed

In other words, buying a chevy doesn't guarantee you can do the things they showed in the video and still have a usable truck in the end...

 

[Fordman1981]

I think they likely looked at their trade-ins, saw the average level of abuse, and built for that. Any sharp piece of steel, 28 pounds (they claimed), is going to puncture the bed. If you read into the actual tests performed, they performed each test multiple times, and there were even a couple instances the steel bed of the Chevy had an occasional tear. Granted not as large as the aluminum, but that is the difference of the materials. Each has it's benefits and drawbacks. Most folk talk with their wallets, and it seems they're saying they want the higher capacity towing and payload Ford offers. QUOTE With little more than a 28-pound toolbox, Chevy put 13 holes in a 2016 F-150's bed. In the same tests, the 2016 Silverado suffered two punctures. Source:Chevy literally punches holes in the Ford F-15's aluminum bed In other words, buying a chevy doesn't guarantee you can do the things they showed in the video and still have a usable truck in the end...

To me the the boosting of the half ton tow rating is idiotic. If I want 3/4 ton tow rating guess what I'll buy a 3/4 ton. GM or Ram could put 1500 on a class 8 truck and call it a half ton but that wouldn't be what the half ton is for. If I buy a half ton it would be for occasional towing and hauling with a smooth ride being the biggest consideration. You have to give up something the more payload and towing the stiffer the suspension and ride. Chevy and ram know that half ton owners want a light duty truck or they would be looking at the 3/4 and up trucks. Ford is just blurring the line of 1/2 and 3/4 for no good reason. This is a moot point for me as no half ton will do what I need but I have been kicking around the idea of getting a half ton for my wife. And before the peanut gallery says it'd be a status symbol think again we farm over 800 acres and she drives the 8000 R series tractors during planting and harvest and during harvest the tractor has usually around 40,000lbs of grain and that wait doesn't include the cart so she's not city girl driving a truck to look cool.

 

[aircommuter]

Many vehicles have alloy wheels as we all know. They escape most corrosion from road salt because they throw it off so it does not get a chance to build up as it may in body mounting points. Time will tell on that scenario. Here is some reading for you also. There is also a thing called stress corrosion, you might want to read up on that.
Aluminum repairs are pricier than steel