What Year Did Ford F150 Change To Aluminum

The first aluminum-bodied pickup truck was a bolder alter than some people realize. Trucks symbolized hard-working forcefulness, and steel was considered an integral part of that epitome. Then Ford decided to switch everything up. At the time, at that place were worries that Ford would lose sales and loyal customers. But several years later on, and Ford's competitors accept started taking up aluminum, too. Here'south what you demand to know about the Ford trucks with aluminum bodies, and what the material means today.

Aluminum-bodied Ford trucks

Since 2015, the Ford F-150 has had an aluminum body. In 2017, the F-Series Super-Duty trucks also gained aluminum bodies. Both were the first pickups in their grade to get bodies made out of the lighter-weight fabric, according to The Drive. Notwithstanding, the F-Series still retains a frame made of high-strength steel.

At the moment, the Ford F-150 and F-Series Super Duty are the but trucks that have both aluminum bodies and aluminum beds. For 2019, the Chevrolet Silverado did supplant some steel body panels with aluminum ones, but non the bed. And although the GMC Sierra also has 'mixed-fabric' body panels, information technology skipped an aluminum bed for a carbon-cobweb one. Ram has also only used aluminum selectively.

Critics assumed, at the 2015 F-150'due south launch, that aluminum would be too weak and expensive to fix. And according to an Autoweek report, that'southward nonetheless the prevailing mentality for some engineers and designers. To quote an old cyclist maxim, "steel is real." But actually? That hasn't really proven to be the case.

What owners should know about aluminum Ford trucks: cost

There have been a lot of videos put out demonstrating how the aluminum body panels and bed of the F-150 aren't as strong as steel or cost more to prepare. Chevrolet did information technology for ane of their "Existent People" ads. Edmunds really bought and tested a 2015 F-150 to attempt to prove or disprove the notion. And there are endless YouTube clips of people smacking trucks with sledgehammers or saying the panels are made out of beer cans.

But as we and Automotive News have reported, aluminum isn't expensive to fix or live with. In 2017, one Texas dealership was swarmed with hail-damaged aluminum F-150s. But because Ford invested in proper technician training, and designed the pickup with a modular structure, the average aluminum truck repair price $2000 less than a steel repair would. Non but did this reduce the labor hours needed to fix the trucks, some aluminum parts were actually cheaper than their steel counterparts. This is partially due to aluminum's recyclable nature: Ford could melt downward left-over metal for more parts.

Insurance costs also aren't more expensive for aluminum than steel. In fact, because of the ease of repair, the Highway Loss Data Institute reports collision claim severity is down by seven%. That being said, standoff claims overall are up 7%. That's because, to be fair, aluminum isn't quite every bit stiff as steel.

What owners should know most aluminum Ford trucks: strength

That existence said, the trucks aren't fabricated out of beer cans. They're also, based on information from Reading Trunk, less susceptible to rust. Equally Auto and Driver reported, Ford spent over two decades researching aluminum manufacturing. The automaker uses a blend of alloys that have been extensively used in many industries, including war machine and aerospace. They're not quite "military-grade", as the ads proclaim, simply they're not besides far off.

Those Chevy ads that showed cinder blocks bouncing into the rear bed? Who does that, and without a bed liner? And if y'all were really worried about the F-150's panel strength, expect no farther than the recent Tesla Cybertruck reveal.

They bashed an aluminum door console with a sledgehammer, and all it got were a few dents. A Silverado'south or Ram 1500's door would probably be dented, as well.

What owners should know nearly aluminum Ford trucks: weight savings

In any instance, the weight savings were undoubtedly worth information technology. And not just for the fuel-efficiency gains. Every bit YouTuber Large Truck Large RV explained, lowering the F-Series' body weight meant Ford could beef up the rest of the truck. With a lighter body and stronger components, that meant the F-Series' towing and payload capacities could go upwards. And considering both the F-150 and F-Serial Super-Duty top their respective classes in terms of payload chapters, it paid off.

Are aluminum-bodied trucks still controversial?

Unfortunately, the answer seems to be 'yes'. But it's a controversy that isn't actually based on anything anymore.

Many truck manufacturers human activity like going total-aluminum is something somehow beneath them and their customers. The fact that many still believe aluminum to be this fragile, expensive cloth also doesn't assistance.

However, the 2015 F-150, the very first year of the aluminum body, is the best model year to buy. And equally the data has shown, the aluminum-bodied Ford trucks aren't more expensive to fix than steel. And the increase in standoff damage probably has just as much to do with the overall increase in truck and SUV weight than equally it does cloth properties. Plus, if aluminum wasn't a structurally-sound metallic, why would Ram and GM use information technology in their trucks at all?

If you're looking to purchase a pickup, don't experience like an aluminum body somehow discredits whatsoever of Ford's trucks. Is aluminum dominating the truck industry? No. But that doesn't make information technology worse than steel. Only different.