Sledge Hammer Test
FTE Editor
Joined: Jul 2014
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Senior User
Joined: May 2010
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Here is the full writeup.
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What's Crazier Than Smashing An Aluminum Ford F-150 With A Sledgehammer? The Repair Bill - Forbes
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How about the price of a new taillight $900.00. That is insane. I don't beat my trucks up, but I have broken a taillight or two over the years. Accidents happen if you use the bed. I can remember once loading a digging bar, and once with an ATV ramp. Wow is all I can say.
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What's Crazier Than Smashing An Aluminum Ford F-150 With A Sledgehammer? The Repair Bill - Forbes
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How about the price of a new taillight $900.00. That is insane. I don't beat my trucks up, but I have broken a taillight or two over the years. Accidents happen if you use the bed. I can remember once loading a digging bar, and once with an ATV ramp. Wow is all I can say.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 26,337
Likes: 12
From: Paradise Found!
I have a friend that owns a major body shop. He just paid $40,000 for the equipment to repair these trucks and sent two of his body men to Ford for a 6 week course in repairing these new trucks...NOT CHEAP!
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 852
Likes: 12
From: Billings, MT
Isn't Ford helping to subsidize some of the costs associated with training and equipment?
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 852
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From: Billings, MT
One thing that I would have liked them to talk about was how much would it have been if they had hit a steel bodied panel and how much more damage that would have cost. Chances are they would have had to replace the whole side panel and not just repair that area. The steel that is used now is so thin
Tuned
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 471
Likes: 1
From: Mount Vernon, KY
Part two is out and they claim it would cost significantly more to repair than steel and that is correct if it is equal amounts of damage, but two sledgehammer hits on a steel truck would do far more damage than what it did to this truck. They really need to compare it to a steel truck.
Also, over $800 for a taillight assembly, daaaaaammmmnnn, that would make me nuts when trying to use the truck as a truck.
Also, over $800 for a taillight assembly, daaaaaammmmnnn, that would make me nuts when trying to use the truck as a truck.
Senior User
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 165
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They say the the aluminum labor rate is $120 per hour and the steel labor rate is $60 per hour and aluminum repairs take much longer to perform (the service manager said a repair like that on steel F-150 would take half the time). He was only charged the $60 per hour rate, I guess to give him a break. It would be interesting to see damage/repair costs to a steel truck hit twice by a sledgehammer in the same area and with normal time/rate charge comparisons. I would not be surprised that the aluminum repairs may still cost more (given twice the labor rate and twice the repair time) even IF the steel truck obtained far more damage, which is unkown.
Tuned
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 471
Likes: 1
From: Mount Vernon, KY
I agree with that. Theoretically the prices "SHOULD" go down with time as more vehicle shed their steel skins and as more people get good at doing aluminum repairs quicker, but that one will just have to come with time. Overall I think the aluminum benefits are going to outweigh the repair cost negatives. Plus, around where I live, even new trucks just have to live with their dents and dings. It is just part of the life of a truck.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 8,458
Likes: 722
From: Calgary Canada
Not terribly scientific since they didn't subject a steel panel to the same sledge blows. My guess is that the damage would have been more extensive with a steel panel.
However, to me, it doesn't matter much. Vehicles get dings, and I would carry full insurance on any new vehicle, so that cost would be on my insurance company. Several users have verified that insurance costs aren't much different.
I'm much more worried about saving my pennies to actually afford one!
However, to me, it doesn't matter much. Vehicles get dings, and I would carry full insurance on any new vehicle, so that cost would be on my insurance company. Several users have verified that insurance costs aren't much different.
I'm much more worried about saving my pennies to actually afford one!