Edmunds takes sledge hammer to Aluminum F-150

[Chris]

Edmunds.com pulled off a ballsy move by intentionally damaging a brand new 2015 F-150 they had for a long term test vehicle. They did such to find out how much more repairing the aluminum costs.

 

Source: Forbes http://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2015/01/27/whats-crazier-than-smashing-an-aluminum-ford-f-150-with-a-sledgehammer-the-repair-bill/

 

Ever since Ford Motor F -1.79% launched the industry’s first aluminum-bodied pickup truck, skeptics have wondered what it would cost to repair damage to the F-150′s “military grade aluminum” panels after a crash.

Now, thanks to a clever stunt by the folks at Edmunds.com, we have a good idea. And it’s not pretty.

Editors at the consumer advice website bought a $52,000 F-150 4X4 Super Crew for their long-term test fleet, then promptly took a sledgehammer to the rear quarter panel — twice — intentionally denting it so they could investigate the repair costs. (My first thought was, “Brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that?!”)

Edmunds’ goal, in the name of consumer awareness, was to test the theory that it’s more expensive to repair an aluminum truck than a steel one. Their answer? Way, way more. (There are a few flaws in their approach, however, which we’ll get to later.)

Here’s what Edmunds found: It wasn’t just the two fist-sized dents behind the rear wheel that needed repairing. The energy from the blows also left at least four creases in the aluminum panel. And, it turns out, that energy was enough to crack the rear tail light as well, which drove up the repair costs (way more, in fact, than you might imagine).

Even so, Edmunds Editor-in-Chief Scott Oldham says his team was surprised at how strong the F-150 was. “We were impressed with the resilience of the aluminum panel. We hit it and thought it would have far more damage than it did. So we hit it again. That was eye opening.”

Still, the real purpose of the stunt was to see how expensive it would be for major collision work. Ford helpfully pointed out that the price for a replacement right rear-quarter panel is exactly the same on a steel-bodied 2014 F-150 as it is on the aluminum-bodied 2015 model: $967.48. But Edmunds deliberately chose to smash the rear quarter panel because it’s a body part that is less likely to be swapped out like a damaged door, hood or front fender. Instead, it needed meticulous body work.

The problem is that the work has to be done in a segregated clean room — away from other metal particles that could cause contamination or paint adhesion problems — by trained experts in “aluminum-capable” body shops or dealerships using special tools. This isn’t that rare; after all, lots of cars have aluminum body panels so there are plenty of experts around. But the equipment is expensive. Ford pegs the cost at $30,000-$50,000 for a single service bay. Some dealers gripe they’ve spent closer to $70,000, which could take years to pay off.

The other issue, according to Edmunds, is that the dealer and an independent body shop told them the labor rate for aluminum repairs can be up to $120 an hour — twice the rate for traditional collision work — and aluminum is more difficult to work with, so the job takes longer.

 

When all was said and done, the bill to fix the bludgeoned pickup was $2,938.44, which included more than 20 hours of labor to straighten the panel, apply a specialized aluminum paint filler, then prime, paint, color sand and buff the panel. That was a discount, actually, because the Ford service technician took pity on the brand new truck owner (never identified as Edmunds to protect the integrity of the experiment) and charged him the regular $60-per-hour labor rate, instead of the $120-per-hour aluminum labor rate. If the dealer had charged the full $120 rate, Edmunds figures the bill would have come to $4,138.44 — $1,800, or nearly 77 percent, more than the cost of repairing a steel panel for a typical 10 hours at $60 per hour.

Here’s the flaw in Edmunds’ findings. They never took a sledgehammer to a 2014 F-150 to find out what it would cost to repair similar damage to a steel body panel. I’d like to take a look at that repair bill. Ford says the cost of pulling a dent from an aluminum body panel should take no longer than a steel one. Ford spokesman Mike Levine also says that in many cases the new F-150 will actually be easier to repair, because of its innovative modular structure which reduces repair time and helps save costs. Major body damage like the type Edmunds inflicted on the 2015 F-150 is rare – only about 1 percent of repair work, according to Ford. The majority of F-150 collision repairs will be non-structural and can be completed by most body shops today (e.g. bumpers, grilles, mirrors, dings, dents).

In fact, Ford offers up a fun video of its own, showing professional athletes whacking golf balls, baseballs and even a shot put into the reinforced truck bed to demonstrate that the aluminum F-150 is actually about 30 percent more ding- and dent-resistant than the outgoing steel model.

What’s clear is none of this is cheap. Remember the broken taillight? That turned into a big ticket item, too: Not only was the broken lens integrated into a single assembly that needed replacement, all of the sensors for the truck’s blind-spot monitoring system are housed in the same unit. Crack a lens and you have to replace the whole taillight for a whopping $887.75. Of course, that would be true on any vehicle equipped with such high-end safety technology. But even replacing the damaged “Sport 4X4″ decal cost $64.

What’s still unknown is the impact of such repair costs on insurance rates, which could drive up the truck’s total cost of ownership, despite the gas savings F-150 owners can expect from a lighter truck. So far, most insurers aren’t charging more, but loss experience over time will determine the true cost of collision insurance.

So what conclusions can be drawn from Edmunds’ little stunt? Here’s what Associate Editor Travis Langness wrote: “There’s plenty to speculate about when it comes to the new 2015 Ford F-150, and we’ve got a year to keep testing out our theories, but there are a few things we know for sure. One: It takes more time, unique tools and specialized training to fix aluminum body panels. Two: Those repairs, whether through higher labor rates or longer service times, cost more money than repairing steel. And three: It’s really fun to smash things with a sledgehammer.”

More of Edmunds’ three-part video diary of its sledgehammer adventure can be found here.

 

 

 

[Daryl Z71]

Another member posted this yesterday. Crazy how much that tail light costs.

[Chris]

I didnt see it posted. If so it wasnt in the right section. It popped up in my news today. All I can say is good thing they got the normal shop rate and they must have money to burn to do this.

[BigBadSierra]

I just can't get over the price of the tail lights there more than the headlights on my Sierra.

[kstruckcountry]

I was impressed at first with how well it seemed to have held up. Then they showed the close up of all the wrinkles on the body lines. I'm assuming that a significant amount of the strength comes from the complicated body lines. Which means it will be a lot more intensive to fix compared to a steel pickup with simpler lines.

[truckofwinandawesome]

I just can't get over the price of the tail lights there more than the headlights on my Sierra.

 

that's because it was an Uplevel Tail Light, it has their Blind Spot Monitoring sensors in it. the Base Tail Lights are a much more reasonable $108. although if you want to talk Overpriced, the Throttle Body for a Maserati 3200GT costs about the same as THE ENTIRE ENGINE in My Aveo, which is $3,100!

[Imcrazy]

Ford.... Has had better ideas.

[00Silverado4x4]

Well that was pretty cool, but....how does it hold up to going 55mph and have a Ranger jump out in front of you?? Glad it could take a sledge hammer so well but I'd rather see the crash tests before I draw any conclusions

[Coppertone]

Ford.... Has had better ideas.

 

GM is working on this as well.

[BIGDOGx]

Insurance rates will be the real test imo, no doubt it wont take long for them to realize if it cost double to fix these trucks over every other make and model. Personally I would rather have the added 700lbs and 1-2mpg less then to be burdened with a alum body that cost an arm and a leg to fix and not only that finding a shop capable of fixing it.

[truckofwinandawesome]

Insurance rates will be the real test imo, no doubt it wont take long for them to realize if it cost double to fix these trucks over every other make and model. Personally I would rather have the added 700lbs and 1-2mpg less then to be burdened with a alum body that cost an arm and a leg to fix and not only that finding a shop capable of fixing it.

 

I have a feeling that you won't find a Ford Approved Body shop outside of a Major City, I'm almost tempted to ask my Local Ford Dealer if their Main Body Shop in Nashville (its part of a Large Dealership Group consisting of Toyota/Scion, Chrysler Group, Ford, and Buick/GMC) are able to work on 2015 F150s.

[milligan]

I almost waited to see how the new F150 turned out, but decided to go ahead and buy the 2014 Sierra. Glad I did. I'd rather wait a few years to see how the aluminum turns out instead of being a guinea pig. Case in point, guy at the lumber yard swung a 2x10-10ft and hit the side of my truck. Didn't do anything to it. Makes me wonder if the aluminum would have dented.

[Cowpie]

Not according to the article. They stated that driving golf balls and even a shot put at the aluminum version, it sustained 33% less dings and dents than the steel version.

 

I think most folks, when they think of aluminum, think of a soda pop can. Aluminum is a very strong metal in many applications. See those 53' van trailers on the back of semi truck tractors? All aluminum, in most cases, except the suspension and a wood floor. And there is no frame under there to support anything! the entire load is supported by the walls of the trailer! There are some cross members for the floor, but no frame. The floor cross members are aluminum also and just riveted to the aluminum walls. And those walls are 1" thick aluminum, riveted panels. All to support a 12.000 lb trailer hauling up to 48,000 lb of freight nationwide. And the 4 wide based "super single" drive wheels on my semi tractor? They will carry 40,000 lb of weight with no issue, and they are aluminum. Along with the aluminum housing drive axles they are mounted on.

[truckofwinandawesome]

Not according to the article. They stated that driving golf balls and even a shot put at the aluminum version, it sustained 33% less dings and dents than the steel version.

 

I think most folks, when they think of aluminum, think of a soda pop can. Aluminum is a very strong metal in many applications. See those 53' van trailers on the back of semi truck tractors? All aluminum, in most cases, except the suspension and a wood floor. And there is no frame under there to support anything! the entire load is supported by the walls of the trailer! There are some cross members for the floor, but no frame. The floor cross members are aluminum also and just riveted to the aluminum walls. And those walls are 1" thick aluminum, riveted panels. All to support a 12.000 lb trailer hauling up to 48,000 lb of freight nationwide. And the 4 wide based "super single" drive wheels on my semi tractor? They will carry 40,000 lb of weight with no issue, and they are aluminum. Along with the aluminum housing drive axles they are mounted on.

 

not only is aluminum strong, its an EXCELLENT Heat Conductor; hence the reason why its widely used to make pistons, cylinder heads, and cylinder blocks.