OT- Trucks, What do you drive??

RiverBBQ

Cummins handshaker. Happiness is towing with a tuned manual.

nolaegghead

Jeremiah said:

fishlessman said:

Ladeback69 said:

DoubleEgger said:

Jeremiah said:

@DoubleEgger the aluminum so far sucks. I'm really hoping there's improvement or they scrap the idea completely. 

I've heard nothing but bad things about the aluminum. 

What have you heard, I can't find much on line about them having problems.  The bottom photo I think I have seen before and it looks like someone took a sawzall to it.  I can't see a weld coming about that easily 

i believe the aluminum is mostly glued on now, not welded

Its the collision industry that hates them. Repairing them is nearly impossible. Aluminum fails differently than steel, ripping and buckling in ways that just simply aren't safe. I won't be surprised if Ford not backed into a major recall/ buyback. I had a photo of another f150 that's just scary, but I can't find it now.  Fishless, they are welded and glued. Same technology that's used on steel vehicles, where as its a two part epoxy that reacts to the heat from the resistance welding. Difference is the aluminum tears whereas the steel does not. 

I am a Ford guy, own an 09 and a 95. Hell my late father was a Ford engineer. But I'll never own an aluminum truck. 

@Jeremiah I'm really confused.  Help me out here. 

So you say aluminum trucks suck.  Presumably because you can't repair the failure.  My limited understanding on engineering vehicles is you have either a subframe, unibody, or combinations of the two.  Pickup trucks are generally subframes with stuff bolted on them.  Am I off-base here?

So...if you have a steel or aluminum truck, and the stuff bolted on the subframe is damaged in an accident, wouldn't the best way to fix it, regardless of the construction material, is to replace the components?  IMO, repairing dents with bondo, lead, working metal, etc, is inferior to replacing the panels. 

I can see where its really hard to replace certain panels, like the roof of a cab where it's not bolt on. 

I had an all aluminum car...one of the first mass-produced models which was a concerted effort between Audi and Alcoa aluminum.  It had about 7 different alloys of aluminum in it.  This did introduce problems with it..namely not many shops were trained and equipped to work on it.  The biggest problem with aluminum is that it has a drastically different reduction potential than the typical metals, steel or ss.  In layman's terms, compared to steel, it, when bonded to other metals it creates galvanic corrosion.  So a moron working on their 80K aluminum car puts a Home Despot self-tapping metal screw in the body, it makes a battery and corrodes the aluminum (which becomes a sacrificial electrode) and you have what normally doesn't corrode aluminum falling apart like aluminum foil in a hot egg.

On the upside, the aluminum cuts down on weight, and that reduces energy to move the vehicle around.  "Weigh" that against the repair angle and from the perspective of the owner - does the repair cost mandate panel replacement over bondo?  I think that would be a double dildo bonus (replacing panels vs repairing them).  I'm just really confused.  Maybe you're talking about the subframe.  I don't know about you, but if my subframe is damaged, I want the mothaflippa totalled. 

Anyway, I'm very curious how aluminum is so terrible. 

That said, I have an old Dodge Ram 1500.  I like it.

TideEggHead

Thread revival... finally pulled the trigger about a month and a half ago and picked up this girl. She ain't new but new enough for me! Brand new trucks are just too much $$ these days geezzz. She also loves gas but so did my other truck so no harm no foul. Properly equipped can to a little over 10k and rides like a caddy. Just installed a brake controller and we will be loading up next week to do some fishing/camping! Hopefully I'll have this one for another 15 years or so! Side note anyone going to the eggs on the beach in Sandestin next Saturday?? I haven't bought tickets but we will probably go. Anyways truck pic...

YukonRon

@nolaegghead
@Jeremiah

If I may.... 

Aluminum, or any dissimilar metals have the potential to create galvanic corrosion.

The problem with repairing aluminum vehicles is the threat of cross contamination using your typical tools, creating the opportunity for galvanic corrosion.

Repairing oxidation, as you have mentioned previously, is best with panel replacement. However, warranty issues from the OEM, create the problems in shops for repair. They make you follow strict guidelines, that in most cases, represent a marginal repair, and the potential for coming back in a few months with the same issues.

Some OEMS require your shop to have a couple hundred thousand dollars upgrade in tools with a quarantine for the aluminum repairs away from all others and training for your techs to facilitate.

Further, the insurance companies, do not want to pay for the time it takes, or the process, or the tools needed to do the repair correctly.

For shops, production is profits. The special treatment aluminum requires, adds to the overhead, slows production, and marginalized the jobs turned for re repair because the guidelines you as the shop have to follow by both the OEM and insurance company, force you to return a car, you know you are going to see again due to the likelihood of the same issue recurring. Profit killing.

There are several shops, and the trend seems to be growing, which will send certain OEM repairs, or certain insurance companies covered repairs, down the road.

Aluminum is no different from any other metal repair, it is that hassle from every aspect of that you need to deal with for the repair.

bgebrent

YukonRon said:

@nolaegghead
@Jeremiah

If I may.... 

Aluminum, or any dissimilar metals have the potential to create galvanic corrosion.

The problem with repairing aluminum vehicles is the threat of cross contamination using your typical tools, creating the opportunity for galvanic corrosion.

Repairing oxidation, as you have mentioned previously, is best with panel replacement. However, warranty issues from the OEM, create the problems in shops for repair. They make you follow strict guidelines, that in most cases, represent a marginal repair, and the potential for coming back in a few months with the same issues.

Some OEMS require your shop to have a couple hundred thousand dollars upgrade in tools with a quarantine for the aluminum repairs away from all others and training for your techs to facilitate.

Further, the insurance companies, do not want to pay for the time it takes, or the process, or the tools needed to do the repair correctly.

For shops, production is profits. The special treatment aluminum requires, adds to the overhead, slows production, and marginalized the jobs turned for re repair because the guidelines you as the shop have to follow by both the OEM and insurance company, force you to return a car, you know you are going to see again due to the likelihood of the same issue recurring. Profit killing.

There are several shops, and the trend seems to be growing, which will send certain OEM repairs, or certain insurance companies covered repairs, down the road.

Aluminum is no different from any other metal repair, it is that hassle from every aspect of that you need to deal with for the repair.

Exactly why I bought a Porsche.  None of those problems.  Except gasoline efficiency.  Sigh.

Aviator

Tide, glad you went for another Tundra. They are the best out there.
Have a 2010 Platinum that takes me everywhere and asks for nothing.  Still looking like the day I brought it home. Best value. 

Focker

TideEggHead said:

Thread revival... finally pulled the trigger about a month and a half ago and picked up this girl. She ain't new but new enough for me! Brand new trucks are just too much $$ these days geezzz. She also loves gas but so did my other truck so no harm no foul. Properly equipped can to a little over 10k and rides like a caddy. Just installed a brake controller and we will be loading up next week to do some fishing/camping! Hopefully I'll have this one for another 15 years or so! Side note anyone going to the eggs on the beach in Sandestin next Saturday?? I haven't bought tickets but we will probably go. Anyways truck pic...

Nice lookin' tow vehicle.  You did good.