Thought this was interesting....

Exclusive: Next-Generation Ford F-150 Delayed By Nearly Three Months Due To Aluminum Issues | The Truth About Cars

Looks like a slight delay in production at a minimum.

 

So.... 2014 trucks get thinner frames and 2015 gets a lot of aluminum. 10 years from now I can see my 2012 Ecoboost Max Tow being considered one of the best F150's ever made and holding value quite well. I'm fine with that.

 

Well boys, go get those 2013's & 2014's while you still can.

 

I'm not impressed with the frame business on non tow models. Will the sales staff even have the knowledge to tell a prospective buyer that he can't tow with a particular truck because it's not rated?

Why don't they just bring the world Ranger to North America and leave the F-150 alone?

It's looking my 2011 will be a keeper.

 

Definitely going to be keeping my '13 for the long haul, I already have a list of things I don't care for on the next gen.
1) Aluminum being used extensively, but at what cost?
2) I'm not a fan of the speculated headlight design '13+ is perfection, with the HID's
3) The new side mirror design looks bonkers, I will take my '13 Super Duty, Dumbo style thank you.
4) I am not happy, the round HAVC vents are being replaced for a more dated rectangle look.

I'm sure the new motors will deliver, if its anything like '09 the first engines will be carryover. Then after three years they will give it a cleaner facelift, and roll out improved engines to spike sales etc...

 

If the frame on the 14 and up trucks are going to be thinner steel, then that means that ford will have to use either high strength or ultra high strength steel. Which would mean that they would not sacrifice any strength. However frame replacement either by sections or full frame after a collision will greatly increase. Which would also most likely increase our monthly premiums. The use of aluminum is no big deal. Nor is it new technology. He** the frames on the 06 and newer zo6 and zr1 vettes and I would suspect the 14 vettes are aluminum. Entire vehicle bodies in the past were made of aluminum as well. Again the biggest issue will be in the repair industry. I know I was a bodyman until recently. When I was laid off due to slow period in the shop I was working in. You see now in order to properly repair aluminum panels shops and technicians are going to have to have dedicated work areas, frame machines, and tools. Not to mention special dyes needed to check structural repairs such as welds and frame rails as well as structural body panels for cracks before, during, and after repairs and pulls are completed. Technicians are being required to invest in stainless steel hammers, dollies, files and wire brushes. As well as separate sanders both power and manual and kept in separate tool boxes from their ordinary tools. So as result of that and many other reason I am now looking at switching careers. But enough about that and back to the subject at hand. Supposedly the aluminum that is going to be used will not only be lighter then the steel it's replacing it will also be stronger. By that I mean they are claiming that it'll be harder to dent. But we'll have to see about that. And corrosion won't be any different then what we are used to now. (provided the repairs that will be performed will be done correctly. Besides the radiator core supports on the '04-'08 f150's were magnesium. As well as many sub frames on late model cars. And those can't be repaired. They must be replaced.

 

I'll be keeping my 2008 F-150 for a very long time. Thank you.

 

As I see it, Ford did us all a favor. They guaranteed high value on the 2013 and older units for anyone who has educated themselves on truck evolution.

 

I think my 2012 max tow 6.2L will be a real keeper

Aluminum body panels and thin frames may be great for grocery getters but for a working, I'm pretty happy with my "old school" heavy half.

 

That's awesome.

Every time a new model is being discussed you can bet the bank that owners of the current model will talk about the virtues of their current truck and claim that they'd NEVER want one of the new ones. You see it in the SD forum as well as ones for just about every other car or truck out there. And six months after the introduction it seems that half of the naysayers have already put one in their driveway.

Why don't we see what this thing can do before trash talking the thing? One gauge thinner isn't going to make or break anything, and what's so wrong with an aluminum body other than cost? Lighter body means MORE payload. What if the 2015+ trucks have a higher payload than the current gen? Will everyone still be talking trash about it?

 

Ford has a history where "new" takes years to debug.

 

Aluminum has been used for years and I don't think that's the real issue here.

As for frame thickness, the article alludes that in order to get a truck rated to tow, you must purchase a truck with a heavier frame.

It's not like now where you option a truck for max tow, otherwise you have a standard rated truck but nothing is different in the frame.

The thinner frames will certainly be more than rugged enough for the weekend warrior like myself to haul lumber, mulch, topsoil, etc.

I see a great deal of animosity brewing when a person bought a truck expecting to be able to pull an RV and is told by the RV dealer that his truck isn't rated.

 

Let's not forget who the REAL culprits are for this. And it's not really Ford. It's the federal government. And their issuing of the impending CAFE standards that all auto companies are facing and struggling to meet. The tactics that the automakers are using to try to comply with these standards are nothing new. Shedding weight, making a taller gear ratio the standard, adding overdrive gears and so on. It's all been done before, and will be done again. I'm just glad that so far this time over all quality and power out put hasn't yet and let me stress YET suffered. But we'll just have to see how that continues in the future.

 

I can bet that in time the capability of the F-150 will be whittled down further & further due to CAFE. In the future I'm saying 7 years plus you will need to purchase a 3/4 or One ton HD if you want a truck with real capability. Heck you cannot even put a plow on a F-150 anymore. Kinda depressing.

 

You can still get them on the 6.2L that retains hydraulic steering

Source https://www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas...wplow_v1-0.pdf