Is it my imagination or does the sheet metal seem thinner on these new trucks than the 2008 and older ones. That was one thing I thought was great with my 2008 FX4 is that the metal seemed very thick. You could barely bend it when you pushed on it. My new truck on the other hand feels like paper, I can easily push the sheet metal and you can see it bend quite a bit.

What's up Ford? Was this a cost cutback?

 

They need to cut weight and costs, so the metal gets thinner. This is the thinnest metal on a pickup I have ever had. I had an 07 chevy and it was way thicker than this thing, and I thought it was thin. I think if your took the paint off this thing you could see through it

 

Well my last vehicle was a 2002 Explorer and a 1994 Explorer before that. My 2011 definitely seems a lot flimsier than the 2002. I can see the door flex and oscillate from the force when I close it. My 1994 Explorer was solid as a rock, even more so than the 2002.

However, I guess it doesn't really bother me. If something is pushing on my sheet metal I'm already in trouble. A little heavier gauge sheet metal isn't going to help me much in a fender bender. If I hit something offroad it's my own fault anyway.

 

I just hope it bounces back!!!!!

 

This isn't just a Ford thing. I've heard many people complain about the 2007 and up GM trucks having ultra thin sheet metal.

(Link for the discussion on that)
So This Is Why The Sheet Metal Is So Thin Now - GM-Trucks.com

I guess all and all its not to bad...I mean I use to have an old 1990 F-150 and the sheet metal on that truck was SUPER thick. And I did like it that way...But I guess in the end its not all that important. I mean if something other than someone's hand touches your sheet metal ''your already in trouble'' as its already been stated.

My only concern is how will this new thinner sheet metal hold up to a mild hail storm? Or maybe door ding in the parking lot? I guess time will tell. But if your anything like me, your truck is your baby and you park it at the back of the parking lot ''away from everyone else'' and run for a parking garage anytime the news says anything about the possiblity of a hailstorm...Or maybe I'm just ****.

Interesting little fact, for those of you who know your Monster Truck History.

Back in the late 1980s when Monster Trucks started racing vs ''total exobitionism'' many of the drivers/owners learned that the newer...Well new that the time ''late 1980s early 1990s'' body styles of trucks were actually wrinkling under the stresses of landing when they took 10 or 15 feet of air and came crashing down. And keep in mind this was back in the day when Monster Trucks were still full bodied pickups and not the fiberglass buggies they are today. But anyway the thinner sheet metal on the newer trucks back then was wrinkling under the stresses of jumping and landing.

This does draw a little bit of concern as the Ford Raptor was designed for taking air and landing and what have you. I can't help but wonder if the thinner sheet metal will come back to bite them in the butt. I wonder if Raptors will start to show stress indentions in their sheet metal after a year or two of intended use.

 

As it's been explained to me, it's called "smart steel" or some buzz word like that. Supposedly it's more pliable, is more dent resistant and easier to repair. This steel went into use on the 2008 Superduty trucks. I have no link to validate this statement other than there are tons of the 2008+ trucks on the road and they look as normal as any other Ford truck.

My biggest concern is that Ford gets past the rusting issues of the '80-'96 models and the pre 2008 Superduy trucks. It seems that no one wants to get involved with rust repair.

 

I'm just throwing info out there. A couple things I found with a Google search.
Link from Detriot Bureau:
http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2011...up-to-700-lbs/

And some Ford literature attached via PDF (See below)

Most of the "lightweight steel" is in the framework/chasis at this point. I'm sure that we'll see other items used to reduce weight too. Isn't the hood and the rear lift gate on the Expedition already made of aluminum?

 

Im pretty sure the hoods on our trucks (04-08) are aluminum as well.

 

It does. I put a dent in my 2011 5 hours after I bought it. Now mind you I had my 2002 for 9 years, not a single dent or door ding. New truck 5 hours and bam! huge wind gust ripped the door out of my hand at the gas station and nailed a square trash can/windshield washer thingy. Put a golf ball sized dent in the middle of the door. Needless to say I wasn't happy. But, 20 minutes at the paintless dent repair and good as new. I can tell you my 02 metal did seem much thicker than the 11, still kinda disappointed about that.

 

In their quest to keep weight down, I believe that all mfrs are reducing sheet metal thickness and are generally moving toward "high strength steels" in areas where the thinner metal needs to be strong as well.

With smaller dents, paintless dent removal can work fine with these thinner steels, but in more major accidents, panels are most often replaced, not bumped out and bondo'd like in the old days. I'm sure that a part of this is the cost of bump shop labor, but also when they are really deformed, the thin steels just don't straighten out like the older thick stuff. I also think that the thinner steel will rust through more quickly (because it is thinner) if the galvanizing or other rustproofing type coatings are disturbed.

I'd prefer slightly thicker body steel, I think, but it's not like we have much of a choice. Just don't let kids climb on your hood or roof, watch where you park, etc...

George

ps that Detroit Bureau article, while decent, says that every 100 lbs added/removed from a vehicle changes the mileage by 1 mpg. This is like saying that a 1000 lb load will decrease mileage by 10 mpg(!?) I don't think so

 

Has anyone walked on the hood of their new truck (which i probably wouldn't recommend)? You can do this on the older ones and have no problem. Did it on the 83'. On the 91' i did it too clean of snow, hood didn't even know the difference.

 

Ha, I didn't read all the way through it honestly. That is pretty funny. If that's the case then I might as well remove the bed from my truck and run it like a chassis cab, right?

I don't mind the thinner sheet metal honestly. Like others have said, if it's going to take a decent hit, regardless of the thickness, it's going to need replacement most likely. The concern about hail, etc is a valid point though.

 

They most likely meant every 100 lbs is .1 mpg or 1000 would improve by 1mpg that sounds right

 

It does seem very thin. The first week after delivery I decided to wax the truck. The drivers door oil canned as the wax was being scrubbed off. The oil canning left a shallow vertical crease that is only noticable when sighting down the side of the truck. Never had this issue with any other vehicles.

 

Here is an example of how thin it is, my 15 year old son got in back of my supercab and he slammed the door hard. A couple of hours later I walked past that side of the truck and noticed that the skin on that door was bowed outward. Luckily when I pushed on it the metal snapped back to it's original shape.