Today's homepage has an article about unintended consequences with aluminum in body shops .
To be technically correct aluminum + iron do not create the thermite reaction .Thermite reactions [typically thermite welding ] involve iron oxide and aluminum. the result when ignited is iron and aluminum oxide .
It gets HOT welding hot . What I'd like to know is what is the chance that this happens in a body shop.Realistic or 1 in a billion ??

 

I don't know what the odds really are, but the owner of the body shop I go to said he's not going to work on the 2015s. He said to get set up for it would cost like $80k. For that kind of money, I don't blame him.

 

After a few years of F150s and the GM twins going to aluminum in a few years others will follow suit. He's probably going to have to do it to stay in business. Once demand for the equipment goes up it will be more plentiful and will be cheaper.

Ford has said that most of it's work is going to be replacing instead of repairing anyway.

 

What set up will he need to do? All of the AL panel bolt on and are made to be swapped out. He might need to use a different type of self etching primer if he has to paint bare metal but the same spray guns can be used. He could get a new welder if he wants to try to fix the panel but that's no where close to $80k and unless he's good have fun welding thin AL sheet metal.

AL bodies are nothing new. I have one with antique tags on it in my garage right now and another one that's 13 years old in my driveway.

 

The odds of a thermite reaction are low. Aluminum and Iron Oxide need to be thoroughly mixed and in the correct proportions. Then there's the problem of igniting the mixture. It is possible if an improper grinding stone or cut-off wheel is used, but unlikely. Ford will likely be using rivets or bolts to join Aluminum parts to steel parts.

 

Ford is preparing all / most of its dealers for the aluminum roll out as we speek. 9 out of 10 times the panels will be replaced. Damaged panels are not going to be fixed with a hammer and dolly; they will be recycled and replaced. You have to roll with the times or they will roll over you. If these body shops don't want to tweak their business models and upgrade their knowledge, technology, and skill they don't have any business being in business.

 

I don't know what all he was referring to that would cost $80k. I'm not a body man and I didn't ask him what he would have to buy. All I know is what he told me. Maybe he was lying.

I think he'll do just fine for quite a while even without working on aluminum bodies though. Look how many older vehicles are on the road right now. It's going to be a long time before everything going to a body shop is aluminum.

 

I'm willing to bet that within the first month of the 2015s being out, someone will wreck one, come on here, and tell us about the repair experience, including where he went for the repair.

 

I bet within the first day. All that extra power is going to be too much for some to handle.

 

Yeah, you are right. I'd say he has a good 5 years. The F-150 is one of the top selling vehicles in the country. Around here, I'm like the only one who still has a 04-08 model. Almost everyone has 09-14 models, and most are 12' and up. Ford is going to sell a lot of them. GM and Toyota will convert soon also. I bet Fiat will try a 20-speed transmission or something like that and keep using steel that is as thick as tinfoil, but nobody buys those anyway.

 

My point was that there are going to be a lot of non-aluminum vehicles that need body work for a long time yet. I think it's going to be a while before the majority of vehicles going in for body work are aluminum. EVENTUALLY, yes, he may need to buy whatever it is that's needed to work on the '15s and up, but I think he's got a while.

This thread sure did get off track. Too bad I posted anything.

 

I wish you wouldn't have posted anything either; it really is too bad. Its too bad that people have to bring up other points.

 

 

Bolt on , rivet on ?? I have a little model of a Bugatti Atlantique from the 30s with cool looking raised seams . Why ? because they didn't have technology to weld the aluminum seams !!
We've done it again , reinvented the wheel ! BTW I was looking at some aluminum wheels and saw lots of corrosion here in snow country .I hope the bodies are better .

 

Yeah. My father's Toyota has painted aluminum rims. They corroded within 1.5 - 2 years and now all 4 rims are full of bubbles under the paint. Toyota won't fix or replace them.