So what's the latest? Is Ford any closer to a release date? What's the projected price range for the trucks? Yes, I realize this has been beaten to death all over the internet, but it's almost August, and inquiring minds want to know.

 

All I'm hearing is late 2014. My dealer said the other day around December they should be rolling in.

 

There is a link on the Ford site that indicates aluminum metal forming is causing a delay in production start date.

Having been a metalist for 40 years, can appreciate the difficulity in forming the truck body parts from aluminum and more difficult than forming steel parts.

If high strength heat treated aluminum is cold formed, the material may crack.
High strength steel does not have as much chance of cracking during the cold forming operation.

Usually the lower strength un heat treated aluminum alloy is formed, then the formed material is heat treated to proper high strength properties.

When metal is permanently deformed to a shape there is a so called spring back from the initial amount of forming deformation back to the final shape. This the elastic portion of the total deformation.

When heating the final shape to heat treat thermal gradients develop in the materials.

These thermal gradients create a state of stress in the metal and if sufficiently large enough, the metal will permanenly deform, again. The final heat treated shape is then not the desired shape. The level of thermal gradient is dependent on the geometry of the part. The higher the thermal gradient, the higher th stress.

From the Ford site showing the shape of the aluminum body, it appears there are some rather complex formed shapes.

 

F150
Dearborn Plant

Orderbook opens 16 Jul 2014

SOP 20 Oct 2014

according to

Ford Trucks: Build-out and Start-Up Dates

and several others.

 

I won`t be ordering but can`t wait to test drive.....I`ll hit all my local dealers up for a free spin

 

I mailed Mike Levine at Ford and got the answer that SOON the orderbooks will be open. The information from Ford Trucks: Build-out and Start-Up Dates

is not really correct. SOON.

I think that the information about hp and mpg will be released at that time.

 

Can't weld aluminum. The body panels are GLUED or riveted together. I don't know if I want to own a pickup that's "GLUED" together.
( I think you already knew that but you purposely failed to mention that )

 

Glue joints are as strong, if not stronger that spot welds. Its been proven to be strong enough for semi trucks, so there is no reason it cant be used on a pick up truck. Did you make an account just to bash the new f-150 that hasn't even been released yet?

 

Now Mike Levine is twittering that "There's 2015 F-150 news coming this week."

He knows

 

Just interviewed for a job that may include a company truck. Pretty sure that company buys fords. Wonder if they'd buy me a 2015 Lariat EcoBoost? I guess we'll see. . . . .

Who's got guesses for when the order book will open and when they'll show up on Canadian dealer lots?

 

Good luck on that!

 

I also drive a Ford company truck. Currently a 2010 F-150 supercab with the 4.8v. I was due for a new truck last winter due to mileage. But have managed to hold the company off on replacement until the 2015's come out. With they would hurry up. Currently at 172,000 on the 2010.