The Aluminum Truck Bed ??
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Other Topics
Forum Name: Shops, Barns, Varmints, and Trucks
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URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=178641
Printed Date: 08 Sep 2025 at 9:18pm
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Topic: The Aluminum Truck Bed ??
Posted By: FREEDGUY
Subject: The Aluminum Truck Bed ??
Date Posted: 26 Feb 2021 at 8:18pm
| What ever happened to them ?? Several years ago every-other truck commercial (FORD) touted the aluminum bed and possibly frame?? There hasn't been any ads for them in several years ?? |
Replies:
Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 26 Feb 2021 at 10:10pm
| it's simple...they was made outta 1/2 steel and 1/2 alum, when the steel rusts out, the alum just falls out! then it's flatbed time. |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 26 Feb 2021 at 10:28pm
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The FRAMES are still steel.... Chevy tried to make a big deal out of FORD aluminum beds for a couple years.... FORD still doing good , so Chevy stopped the adds... better things to talk about. Aluminum-bodied Ford trucks Since 2015, the Ford F-150 has had an aluminum body. ... At the moment, the Ford F-150 and F-Series Super Duty are the only trucks that have both aluminum bodies and aluminum beds. For 2019, the Chevrolet Silverado did replace some steel body panels with aluminum ones, but not the bed.Nov 23, 2019 ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 26 Feb 2021 at 10:30pm
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The BIG thing for FORD was the LOSS of 700 POUNDS of weight... better gas mileage. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2021 at 6:56am
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Despite GM's ads telling how bad aluminum is, all of GM truck body moving parts (doors, hood and tailgates) are now made of aluminum. Fiat uses a "selective mix" of aluminum and composites in the Ram pickups.
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Posted By: FREEDGUY
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2021 at 5:56pm
Thanks for the replies, but there are NO more ads on tv touting the aluminum beds of any manufacturer  ?? Why ??
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Posted By: AllisFreak MN
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2021 at 6:13pm
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Because it's old news and nobody cares. ------------- '49 A-C WD, '51 A-C WD, '63 A-C D17 Series III, 1968 A-C One-Seventy, '82 A-C 6060, '75 A-C 7040, A-C #3 sickle mower, 2 A-C 701 wagons, '78 Gleaner M2 |
Posted By: plummerscarin
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2021 at 6:19pm
| Was thinking the same thing |
Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2021 at 6:46pm
| Do not hear much of the Super Stiff Dodge Truck frames either. BAD Juju, if does not flex will break, standing engineering principle. |
Posted By: ACFarmer
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2021 at 6:47pm
Why would they?? Its old news... Nobody spends advertising dollars on stuff that's been out for years now. Like has already been said, Ford has had aluminum beds now for 5-6 years. ------------- Making a living farming with and working on Allis Equipment |
FREEDGUY wrote:Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2021 at 6:51pm
| Bunch of neighbor cattlemen have aluminum flat beds, can get more gear On the truck and not be overloaded by flatbed weight. HOWEVER, are a PITA to find a decent welder to patch cracks or make mods to, as well still corrode and corrupt. |
Posted By: plummerscarin
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2021 at 8:06pm
| Welding oxidized or dirty aluminium requires a whole different skill set vs new metal IMO. |
Posted By: HD6GTOM
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2021 at 8:13pm
| When the old cows get to ramming around and push one another into the aluminum side, they cave it in. Last I talked to the body shop man you had to replace the whole box, can't buy the sides. He was buying steel boxes to replace the crumpled up aluminum boxes or replacing them with flat beds. |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2021 at 10:44pm
WE have two chevy commericals on the TV here..... One talks about the tail gate step... the other is an "off road truck", that has Ranchero shocks and 2 inch spring lift.... thats the "NEW IMPORTANT THINGS".  ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: Jordan(OH)
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2021 at 1:34am
Yet you will never give a source for these "steel boxes." They must be piled beside your 16ft tall trailer.
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Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2021 at 5:21am
Ford has had the FX4 off road package with Rancho shocks and a tailgate step for years .
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Posted By: FREEDGUY
Date Posted: 01 Mar 2021 at 6:20pm
So, am I to "assume" that ALL truck beds are aluminum now ?? No steel offered at all ??
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Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 01 Mar 2021 at 6:23pm
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NO.... Ford is the only one with an aluminum BED as far as i know... everyone else uses aluminum in the fenders / doors / hood / and trunk lid of cars to save weight.. Some use a lot of aluminum, some only do hood and trunk lids.
Like mentioned, it is so common any more... nobody says much about it. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: FREEDGUY
Date Posted: 01 Mar 2021 at 6:34pm
| Thanks for the clarification Steve. |
Posted By: JohnColo
Date Posted: 01 Mar 2021 at 9:21pm
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Years ago a friend had an Oldsmobile with an aluminum hood. Went to a funeral and the director put a flag with a magnet on the hood to indicate the end of the procession, every time he stopped it would slide around, finally stopped and put it on the top or somewhere. |
Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2021 at 4:48am
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GM and Dodge truck NON Dually beds are steel, have gone to some plastic/composite fenders on Dodge and plastic extensions GM but only Ford has all aluminum beds and cabs. All you need do is search. https://www.motorbiscuit.com/which-ford-trucks-have-aluminum-bodies/" rel="nofollow - Which Ford Trucks Have Aluminum Bodies? (motorbiscuit.com)
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Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2021 at 7:17am
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Austin-Healy hoods,maybe fenders were aluminum... Land Rovers were aluminum, least the beds....'highly resistant to sheep urine' WHY I know this knowledge instead of important stuff is beyond me... ------------- 3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112 Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor) Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water |
Posted By: Alberta Phil
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2021 at 11:06am
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Austin Healey hoods, doors, fenders and trunk lids are steel. It's the rest of the front and rear body panels that are aluminum. I've restored more than my share of them for others. I believe the early 100 series Healey's also had aluminum doors. Many Brit vehicles used aluminum body panels. Land Rovers have steel frames and cowl/firewall sections. All the rest of the body is aluminum. I have had several and still have a '72 that we use like a quad around the farm. Advantage being, it hauls more, has a roof and a heater for winter!! After WW2, Britain had a serious shortage of steel, but lots of aluminum from re-cycled aircraft. That is one of the main reasons for common use of aluminum in auto manufacturing.
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Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2021 at 4:14pm
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After WW2, Britain had a serious shortage of steel, but lots of aluminum from re-cycled aircraft. That is one of the main reasons for common use of aluminum in auto manufacturing. Thanks Phil.......... i have never heard that story.. Didnt know that.. Son has a 2000 Explorer 4x4.. Cost $1000. ... uses it in place of a $15K side by side... Not aluminum, but WORKS GREAT !
------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: Kansas99
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2021 at 9:13pm
Does this new Ford have a aluminum box?  ------------- "Thank you for your service Joe & the Ho"-----Joseph Stalin |
Posted By: FREEDGUY
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2021 at 5:53pm
UGLY,UGLY,UGLY, Both of them
!! |
Posted By: Kansas99
Date Posted: 04 Mar 2021 at 12:25pm
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Actually Freed, I'm going to have to go with OJ on this one, don't look to bad.  I actually have thought the newer 1/2 ton Ford pickups are pretty sharp, but boy them new GMC's sure look good coming down the road. I've owned a couple Fords but pretty much a GM guy. After all I kinda owned the company at one time. ------------- "Thank you for your service Joe & the Ho"-----Joseph Stalin |