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So This Is Why The Sheet Metal Is So Thin Now

reidrhollander

By reidrhollander
in The Off-Topic Bar

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Ape0r Enthusiast

Ape0r

Posted
Posted

Still seems like a bad idea. Sheet metal is thin to save money on their end and gas on yours. Still, the hail damage on my truck's hood and roof are awfully annoying!

revrnd Senior Enthusiast

revrnd

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Posted

Not to steal your thunder but the major sheet metal thickness was reduced by 25% when the GMT400 was intro'd. We mic'd the metal on the 1st prototype box that we had in the plant back in '86. Long before they started throwing stupid options & features @ the trucks.

 

Maybe the next adjustment to female drivers will be an even lower ride height for 4x4s so they won't have any difficulty getting into the truck.

 

Who cares if the ground clearance suffers as a result? Don't people just buy 4x4s as a status symbol & never take them off the pavement?

Badshot Enthusiast

Badshot

Posted
Posted
Not to steal your thunder but the major sheet metal thickness was reduced by 25% when the GMT400 was intro'd. We mic'd the metal on the 1st prototype box that we had in the plant back in '86. Long before they started throwing stupid options & features @ the trucks.

 

Maybe the next adjustment to female drivers will be an even lower ride height for 4x4s so they won't have any difficulty getting into the truck.

 

Who cares if the ground clearance suffers as a result? Don't people just buy 4x4s as a status symbol & never take them off the pavement?

 

 

Good point, And yea i have noticed alot of people buying 4x4's and never taking them off the pavement. In my opinion that is rediculous. People just have way to much money and waste it on stupid stuff like that. Hell if they wanted the reputation why not earn it and actually use that 4 wheel drive! I kinda wonder if we posted a thread on if there 4x4 has ever been in real mud or not. What percentage would actually have been in mud, or needed. Most people would lie, so id say. Post a pic if its been in mud. lI have no idea where to post that topic so anyone feel free.

jblakeney Senior Enthusiast

jblakeney

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Posted
It seems all the R & D money goes to stupid stuff like this.

 

http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32...1982720,00.html

 

IS that WHY MY GAS PEDAL in my new SUV is SO F#&$N high off the floor..... EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, my other half doesn't EVEN WEAR HIGH HEALS........

 

If you floor board it. IT SHOULD impress a mark in the carpet... That is yes I have W.O.T. at least once in my life markings, perminate marks that will not wipe out of the carpet are as my carpet is in my truck *passing requires excess force of throttle pedal movement and WOT)!They should NOT bottom out on the pedal assembly..... I am all stoked about the no throttle cable thing to start with.....

 

Yeah seems as if every time we get a new body style we get thinner sheet metal..... My Dad's old 1986 was some thick sheet metal..... The GMT400's was little thinner, GMT800 is yeat even thinner, and GMT900 is OHHH way too thin.

 

But I guess that is the price you pay for, you guessed it, fuel economy.....

 

I will denote and get flamed for this I know.... Ford has not thinned their sheet metal as much as GM has!!!!!!!! However the ford will require Dynomax'n at the time you leave the lot to get it quite inside...

 

Heck maybe its just that GM has started putting a FLEX agent in their sheet metal? Who knows? Anybody know about metal flex agents?

 

That is yet another thing that I don't like about the newer models..... If you press on a panel it should not flex under your thumb!...... IDC how big a panel it is....

 

Jbo

Wingnut Senior Enthusiast

Wingnut

Posted
Posted

Pretty sure that the sheet metal is getting thinner for several reasons. Better crumple zones, lighter weight, and with the quality of metal along with treatments...It no longer has to be 4 feet thick in order to last 3 years before it rusts through.

 

That's just off the top of my uneducated-on-the-matter head.

dirtfan21 Senior Enthusiast

dirtfan21

Posted
Posted
Not to steal your thunder but the major sheet metal thickness was reduced by 25% when the GMT400 was intro'd. We mic'd the metal on the 1st prototype box that we had in the plant back in '86. Long before they started throwing stupid options & features @ the trucks.

 

Maybe the next adjustment to female drivers will be an even lower ride height for 4x4s so they won't have any difficulty getting into the truck.

 

Who cares if the ground clearance suffers as a result? Don't people just buy 4x4s as a status symbol & never take them off the pavement?

 

 

Good point, And yea i have noticed alot of people buying 4x4's and never taking them off the pavement. In my opinion that is rediculous. People just have way to much money and waste it on stupid stuff like that. Hell if they wanted the reputation why not earn it and actually use that 4 wheel drive! I kinda wonder if we posted a thread on if there 4x4 has ever been in real mud or not. What percentage would actually have been in mud, or needed. Most people would lie, so id say. Post a pic if its been in mud. lI have no idea where to post that topic so anyone feel free.

 

 

 

Why just mud? The major reason I have a 4x4 is for the winter months. My trucks have never been "mudding" but I have a 4 wheel drive. So if mud is what it takes to earn the reputation you speak of then I guess I have no rep. Come bust some 4 ft drifts in 2 ft of wet snow on pavement without 4x4.

jblakeney Senior Enthusiast

jblakeney

Posted
Posted
Pretty sure that the sheet metal is getting thinner for several reasons. Better crumple zones, lighter weight, and with the quality of metal along with treatments...It no longer has to be 4 feet thick in order to last 3 years before it rusts through.

 

That's just off the top of my uneducated-on-the-matter head.

 

So, that is why I see GMT800's with the cab corners rusted out already...... By my 86 R10 still has not rusted...

 

Jbo

Wingnut Senior Enthusiast

Wingnut

Posted
Posted
Pretty sure that the sheet metal is getting thinner for several reasons. Better crumple zones, lighter weight, and with the quality of metal along with treatments...It no longer has to be 4 feet thick in order to last 3 years before it rusts through.

 

That's just off the top of my uneducated-on-the-matter head.

 

So, that is why I see GMT800's with the cab corners rusted out already...... By my 86 R10 still has not rusted...

 

Jbo

 

 

It's pretty rare to see a truck that's less that 20 years old with rust on it around here.

 

I saw my old '89 drive by the other day, and the only thing on it that was rusting was the aftermarket rear bumper I put on it.

 

/miss that truck

ColoradoSkiCountry Senior Enthusiast

ColoradoSkiCountry

Posted
Posted

One of the great things about living in America is that we still have the CHOICE of what we want to drive, if we can afford it. Freedoms and Choices are a rare thing in this day and age. Enjoy em while you still have em and vote for people who won't take those freedoms and rights away.

Nick The Great Senior Enthusiast

Nick The Great

Posted
Posted

It's pretty rare to see a truck older than 8 years withOUT rust on it. :P

 

I don't give a rat's hindquarters about this gas pedal issue, but I enjoyed watching the video . . . :thumbs:

revrnd Senior Enthusiast

revrnd

Posted
Posted
lGMT800 is yeat even thinner

 

Heck maybe its just that GM has started putting a FLEX agent in their sheet metal? Who knows? Anybody know about metal flex agents?

 

During GMT800 production, there was a note in our "in plant paper" telling us not to lean on the tailgates as they were being damaged. One of my co-workers couldn't fathom the idea of a truck w/ a tailgate you couldn't lean on. I wonder if any tailgates have been replaced under warranty due to leaning.

 

I've also seen GMT800s that were slightly buckled near the tailgate latch.

revrnd Senior Enthusiast

revrnd

Posted
Posted
Pretty sure that the sheet metal is getting thinner for several reasons. Better crumple zones, lighter weight, and with the quality of metal along with treatments...It no longer has to be 4 feet thick in order to last 3 years before it rusts through.

 

That's just off the top of my uneducated-on-the-matter head.

 

When the GMT400 was intro'd all major metal panels (except the roof) were galvanized. I'm not positive but the only cab sheet metal in the C/K trucks that was galvanized was the floor pan. The box panels (fleetside & stepside) came into the plant "black enamelled" so I don't know if they were coated or not.

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