Newsflash:

Yesterday's Super Duty is Today's Light Duty - Ford Trucks

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Nice article - short and sweet.

In 5 - 10 years or so, I can look for used, properly equipped F150s to replace my primary tow/haul truck.

I have a pair of mismatched SuperDutys - both former fleet vehicles - that offered a wonderful amount of utility for a very affordable price.

The article does point out that if one is looking to buy a new SuperDuty, that an F150 may do the job. Nice payload capacity for a "half ton" class truck!

 

Thanks for the props!

I'm still amazed at times by the capabilities of trucks these days.

 

Also, and I forgot to mention this in my first reply, those new now F-150s (and soon Super Dutys) will be made of aluminum and rust-free. Always an added bonus in the previously-loved marketplace.

 

I hope they don't make aluminum frames.

 

My 95 F350 has the specs that can be had in a new F150. I don't need another F350.
But this one doesn't want to wear out! Maybe in a few more years.

Amazing progress though.




20 years old and still rockin' 1995 4x4 crew. 7.5L

 

NICEBUILT LIKE A TANK

 

The frame appears that it will be made of steel and weld box frame like the 2015 F150's.

 

The aluminum is not corrosion free, Aluminum corrodes terribly when exposed to road salt. We will have to see how Fords special Military grade aluminum holds up along with the coatings used on it. There also is the problem of electrolysis where dissimilar metals coming into contact start the corrosion process. Although with all the research Ford did to get these trucks right, I'm pretty sure that was addressed.

 

yea it passes 7 yrs and than starts to fall apart just in time to buy a new design model
I've seen the effects of AL corrosion, I'd rather deal with rust but..
I'm curious to see how well these will hold up in the rust belts and while I played devils advocate with my 7 yr comment. I do hope they fare better than what I said.

 

I have some disconcerting news for those of you that think like I initially did about the new 2015 F-150. How strong and corrosion resistant the new aluminum body is. I'm all for aluminum being used in the body. My 98' has a factory aluminum hood and not a spec of corrosion on it after 16.5 years. The F250's & 350's will be using it next year or the year after. Unfortunately in Fords haste or more likely under pressure from the Obama EPA to get better milage Ford went with a much thinner frame (if you can call it that) even though it's made from higher strength steel. Here is an excerpt from another thread I posted on:

I'll tell you one thing, I just went to a local dealer and looked at some new Ford trucks again, particularly at the frame this time and I was shocked at what I saw. The new F150 uses 1/16th think high strength steel in a welded boxed-in formation. I checked several places and was really let down after observing this. I then went and looked at some new F250 SuperDuties and checked those frames. What did I find, WOW a full 1/4" think frame in a C-formation, 4 times thicker that the new F150. Although the box design and high strength steel makes the new F150 frame strong when new, I'd hate to see what some years down the road exposed to road-salt would do to it especially if you were plowing with one. I think it will collapse once rust takes hold with such a thin metal frame and in accidents, trying to straighten it would be something else. With the money they are getting for these trucks I can't see why they would stoop to such potentially weak underpinnings. Actually I can, it's the Obama controlled EPA putting pressure on the auto companies to get better milage, but at what cost??? I won't buy a truck for milage sake if it's not a truck anymore! It may be alright for some of you south westerners as rust isn't much of an issue. They are beautiful trucks inside and out, but this area really puts me off. My next truck will now be an F250 with a 6.2L gas engine. I just can't see putting out $50,000 for a truck with a sheet metal frame. It will be interesting to see how they hold up in the coming years, at least in the rust belt.

On another note I also stopped at a Toyota dealership to look at some RAV4's my brother is interest in for the Minneapolis weather. While there, I happened to see something strange piled up next to the building. Upon closer inspection I walked over there to see what it was and low and behold a neatly piled stack of brand new truck frames, at least 20 of them. The guy who mowed our lawn a few years ago had a T-100 and showed up one day with an entire new frame that Toyota installed at no cost and a few more trips back to replace all the suspension components to at no cost. Looking it up at that time (2013), I found numerous pictures an forums full of extremely rusted out Toyota truck frames for almost a decade of Tacoma's, T-100's, and Tundra's. After reading more about it, WOW did they have problems with all those trucks recalling all of them for a decade for brand new fully warranteed frames and suspension components due to corrosion from road salt. That cost them up the wasuu. The local Toyota dealership up here only has one or two new Tundras in stock at any given time. They just don't sell and you don't see many on the road. People are pretty loyal to the three American brands; Ford, GM, and Fiat/Ram...ha. I've got to go look a their frames (GM & Ram) next, just for comparison. I'll still always be a Ford guy!

 

Update: I stopped at the local GM dealership to check their trucks out and found the 3/4 ton 2500's to have a frame 1/8 of an inch thick in a C-Frame design,, same with the 1500's half ton. I then saw one of the new Colorado's and looked at it's frame. It's only 1/16 on an inch thick and in a C-Frame design. Unbelievable! I was really shocked to see this. The GM's all had some kind of light tar like coating on them to inhibit corrosion. Next , I'll stop at the Ram dealership and again at Toyota to see what their truck frames are made of. I'll say it again: " I won't buy a truck for milage sake if it's not a truck anymore" That F-Superduty frame really impressed me, WOW. I urge all of you concerned to go look for your selves, you won't believe it! Now, I'd like to see the frames on an Aluminum body Ford be made of 1/8" boxed 409 Stainless Steel, then you'd really have something rust free for the most part that would last for decades and could still be recycled in the end.

 

I actually own a 93 toyoata truck that the frame is rotting away from.
Misses the frame recall by one year. Very sad since the body is still good. At least I didn't pay for it., since it was given to me through a death in the family.

 

Peterbilt and KW have been building trucks with aluminum for years.

 

I did stop again and do some more checking. The new Colorado (correction) does have a boxed frame, not a "C" frame although it is only 1/16th of an inch thick. I looked at the Fiat-Ram, and found they had 1/8" thick frames on their 1500's and very slightly thicker on their 2500's maybe 5/32nds. They did have a 4500 series truck there with no bed to be set up as needed commercially, it did have a full 1/4" thick frame while the Fords F250 & F350 both had 1/4" thick frames I haven't seen a F450 or higher so I can't add there frames thicknesses to the tally yet. Haven'y gotten close to a Tundra yet, dealers don't keep many in-stock as their sales are very weak up here and generally across the US compared to US made trucks.

On another note, those big rig Semi's may be strong looking, but after watching a couple episodes of "Highway Through Hell" on the Weather channel. I can't believe how those big rigs twist up like a plate of spaghetti noodles when they flip over and the cab's on most if not all those big rigs are made of Fiberglass or composite material that disintegrates in these accidents. Admittedly they are carrying many thousands of pounds/tons of cargo. I wouldn't feel safe at all in one of those rigs in an accident I'll tell you. You can thank the EPA for that.