They start salting in October and finish at the end of May some years.
Plus there are many thousands of town dirt/gravel roads that hold the salt all year long..during summer rains the mud/mix get's up there and does it's job...

 

Back into this fray: There are a LOT of issues, both pro and con, but the final analysis really is: Once they (ANYONE) goes to aluminum, you can bet a lot that they won't be going back to steel anytime soon. Re-tooling and other issues (like saving face) will mean that the commitment is in place. They will just have to resolve issues or convince us they aren't really issues, like we are living today with the corrosion.

I believe, for better or worse, aluminum is going to be the future. The next step will be new technologies in plastics and carbon fiber for cabs; hoods; doors etc. It is interesting to see how GM and RAM are still not embracing aluminum the way Ford is. They may either leap frog to the next technology or phase aluminum in a piece at a time to save face, but steel, in its current technology, is on its way out for bodies.

 

GM is starting to back pedal -2017/8? - according to recent article within the past month on Jalopnik. FCA - who know what they'll do. I'm too lazy to look for the article but this is the web site:Jalopnik - Drive Free or Die

 

Where/how would your frame come in contact with Mercury?

 

Another point, the frames are NOT aluminum.

 

Why does this thread exist then?

 

Because the bodies are aluminium...

 

Somebody better tell Misky6.0 because he/she thinks they are Aluminum!

 

I wonder where that came from? LOL.

 

This is where that came from.....page 1.

 

Yes, but what made him think Ford was making the frame out of aluminum. Ford never said that.

 

I hope it works great for Ford.
However I've seen that corrosion on aluminum in the aviation industry is a huge problem. Also my buddies tailgate on his expedition has corrosion on it once again after ford has fixed it under warranty.
I voted wait and see.
I love Ford trucks

 

So where is Ford getting its aluminum now that Alcoa is closing its largest plant?

Alcoa smelter closure to bring U.S. aluminum output to post-WWII levels | Reuters

 

Article addresses that here:


The closure could provide a boost to the premium, as Alcoa plans to keep its rolling mill open and demand from the U.S. automotive industry grows.

 

I'm on the fence between getting a '16 and '17, and plan to add a headache rack because my 2001 F250 was totaled from a head on collision with a texting Accord driver. I had a bed full of lumber that luckily didn't come into the cab but it was a serious wakeup call. The lumber bent the rear of the cab and rear seat, but luckily it was an extended cab with nobody in the back seat. So my question:

Will adding a steel rack be a corrosion problem with the aluminum bed?

I guess I could buy or make one of aluminum but not sure those are available.