Ford

B

Bob Hollinshead

Ford is now stating in their repair procedures for the all aluminum F150 that epoxy primer should be used under bodyfillers.
 
I don't know anything about working on aluminum, but I wonder if it could be as simple as some shops still using 36 grit to prep the metal for filler.
 
Not filler related but I wonder what they have been doing.. I have a 2012 Mustang GT with the aluminum hood I bought at the end of 2011.. Went back to dealer early to mid 2013 to have the hood repaired when I noticed the hood corroding and causing the paint to bubble(looked like rust bubbles forming) right in the center of the hood on the leading edge... That spot looks good but now its bubbling on the outer edges of the leading edge of the hood. So back again it will go..
Hopefully they can find the bad spots before the warranty is up.. I could repair it myself but why spend a few hundred in materials if i dont have to...
 
It's only a matter of time before they used it on all the f-series trucks.

I love the concept. Just a learning curve for the repair industry.
I believe is shaved 800lbs off the f150.
 
Modern body fillers adhere fine to aluminum without harsh scratches, but they must finally see that the corrosion protection benefits require epoxy.

I will have to wait til the hype dies down to buy some aluminum repair equipment. There is a special stud welder in particular that I would like to have.
 
It will pull a small shrink like a regular stud gun. What I heard is that because of the high heat conductivity of aluminum, the stud gun has to put out a short intense burst of current to achieve fusion of the body with the stud, something that is not possible with standard stud guns.
 
The aluminum studs can't be welded on by direct resistance like the steel. The aluminum stud guns I used create a small gap allowing a brief arc prior to pushing the stud and base metal together. I'm talking about threaded studs for fasteners, I have not seen any auto body specific stud guns yet but they would likely have to work using the same principle.
 
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