soft aluminum rear panels. now i have a crease

[FunInTheSun]

Thin body panels, whether high strength steel, or aluminum panels are a consequence of the overweening quest for infinite MPG. The high strength steel is more expensive than ordinary steel, but they selected the material because they can make the panels thinner, to save weight. Aluminum, same calculus. If we could stop the ever-advancing EPA CAFE standards, which are now at the point of diminishing returns, this crap would cease to be a problem. We are well beyond any sensible cost-benefit analysis at this point, and should roll this back a few years to allow technology to catch up.

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[RedDakooter05]

Thin body panels, whether high strength steel, or aluminum panels are a consequence of the overweening quest for infinite MPG. The high strength steel is more expensive than ordinary steel, but they selected the material because they can make the panels thinner, to save weight. Aluminum, same calculus. If we could stop the ever-advancing EPA CAFE standards, which are now at the point of diminishing returns, this crap would cease to be a problem. We are well beyond any sensible cost-benefit analysis at this point, and should roll this back a few years to allow technology to catch up.

You bring up a point that I find funny.

"Let's save weight by making metal thinner. Also, let's keep upsizing our trucks/suvs negating any weight savings of thin metals, then keep adding gizmos and tech' that further increases weight."

 

[KJRR]

Dents and dings add character to pickups. Just need a good story to go with it.
I've got a scratch on mine caused by a bear that took a swipe at me and would have ripped my face off if I hadn't ducked in time. I then grabbed the tailgate damper, ripped it off its mount, and beat him to death with it. The damper still worked after I put it back on and cleaned up nicely since it had 303 on in.

 

[FunInTheSun]

You bring up a point that I find funny.

"Let's save weight by making metal thinner. Also, let's keep upsizing our trucks/suvs negating any weight savings of thin metals, then keep adding gizmos and tech' that further increases weight."

Welcome to Upside Down World. They have to make them bigger to make them seem worth the prices, and they must make them lighter to make them get better MPG, because that is actually subjected to a scientific test. So we get gigantic aluminum foil balloons powered by unicorn farts, held together by the magic of computer software. We pay a King's Ransom for the privilege of owning one, and we pray that nothing sturdy touches it before its appointed lifespan expires, at which point it must be thrown away and the cycle begins anew.

 

[D Fresh]

I think @FunInTheSun nailed it.

And it's not just Forf doing it. It's everybody. Much like the shitty new paints, thank your local treehugger..


But the real question is why are you leaning against your truck Phil?

Perhaps I've got a bit of a complex.
My old man hammered it into my head that you don't touch paint. Hell even just pushing the gas door open when fueling makes me twitch unless I JUST washed the truck.

May be time to invest in one of those bed steps. Or at a minimum step up on the rear tire to reach in.

Without a pic it sounds like it's not too bad. If the paint is intact you might want to try a PDR guy.

 

[Jbrubakerjr]

The inside bed of my 2020 Ranger had all kinds of dents and scratches. Front fenders aluminum. My 2022 ranger , is developing scratches and dents in the bed. Steel front fenders. The body on this truck is very thin. So is the bed. And the paint. 1 of 2 real gripes of the ranger. 2nd is the tiny bed.

I am not sure we get to complain about bed size when we knew the size at order… However it is ok to point out that poor design means the bed is too high.

 

[Cabose-1]

I am not sure we get to complain about bed size when we knew the size at order… However it is ok to point out that poor design means the bed is too high.

Is it a design defect?? Lol
What you say is true about the bed. I knew it qhen i bought it. Saying its a gripe is my form of sarcasm. Did i say it seriously or am i just making a silly comment about the obvious? Really a good truck. Traded my 2020 xlt 4x2 for a 2022 xlt fx2.
I think the thin skin on vehicles is on all vehicles makes and models. Our mazda is the same way.

 

[philanderer]

Dents and dings add character to pickups. Just need a good story to go with it.
I've got a scratch on mine caused by a bear that took a swipe at me and would have ripped my face off if I hadn't ducked in time. I then grabbed the tailgate damper, ripped it off its mount, and beat him to death with it. The damper still worked after I put it back on and cleaned up nicely since it had 303 on in.

it is in someway kinda comforting having that first ding/scratch etc. outa the way. you know its coming, i just wish it would have been a year or two in instead of 6 weeks. in a week or two it wont bother me as much. need to go buy some more mods. concentrate on more important things like checking item tracking every two hours

 

[CB750F]

I have about 25k miles on mine, just washed it last week, always interesting finding new dents, scratches.... I think I'm fairly lucky, a few paint chips on hood, dent on drivers door(my fault), dent on roof , no idea, guess a branch fell on it. Someone backed into the truck, had to see PDR just above driver side rear wheel. Oh yea &
scuff marks on the beautiful chrome bumper, driver side??? Guess someone with bumper car parking symdrome?
Yup thin paint, make it as light as possible to get those amazing MPGs. All makes & models are the same.

 

[Friday yet?]

Dents and dings add character to pickups. Just need a good story to go with it.
I've got a scratch on mine caused by a bear that took a swipe at me and would have ripped my face off if I hadn't ducked in time. I then grabbed the tailgate damper, ripped it off its mount, and beat him to death with it. The damper still worked after I put it back on and cleaned up nicely since it had 303 on in.

 

[yamahaSHO]

I think @FunInTheSun nailed it.

And it's not just Forf doing it. It's everybody. Much like the shitty new paints, thank your local treehugger..


But the real question is why are you leaning against your truck Phil?

Perhaps I've got a bit of a complex.
My old man hammered it into my head that you don't touch paint. Hell even just pushing the gas door open when fueling makes me twitch unless I JUST washed the truck.

May be time to invest in one of those bed steps. Or at a minimum step up on the rear tire to reach in.

Without a pic it sounds like it's not too bad. If the paint is intact you might want to try a PDR guy.

All of this.

 

[Cmar]

A few years ago my father gave me a pickup. It was one which was made in India, and was sold here for a few years but then they stopped because sales were so abysmal and then the manufacturer in India stopped making them. (There was a good reason for that) They were sold here because they were cheap and sturdy with an eye to farmers and rural buyers. (My father bought it to make a built on camper but eventually never did)

They were cheap, and sturdy, and the diesel in it was incredibly economical- it also sounded like a tractor. It was like if you could buy a 1970's Hilux new in 2010. The paint was thick and didn't chip, if it did get a scratch you could simply polish it out. Because the Indians obviously didn't use high tensile steel, all the panels were thick and almost impossible to dent. Likewise you could probably dump 10 tons into the tray without marking it. The suspension could cope with potholes that would rip the lower arm from a "modern" truck. The interior had a speedo, a tacho, a fuel gauge and temp gauge and that was it. The HVACS had bowden wire controls.

This was the good bits. Despite being almost new, It was also the most unreliable, poorly built, poorly handling and riding vehicle, with a level of component and build QC that made a Ford look like a Rolls Royce by comparison.

May we never go back!

I drove it for 2.5 years , having to fix many things in that time just to thank him for his gift and then traded it for a Santa Fe that we still have and my wife now drives.

 

[jflogerzi]

Thin body panels, whether high strength steel, or aluminum panels are a consequence of the overweening quest for infinite MPG. The high strength steel is more expensive than ordinary steel, but they selected the material because they can make the panels thinner, to save weight. Aluminum, same calculus. If we could stop the ever-advancing EPA CAFE standards, which are now at the point of diminishing returns, this crap would cease to be a problem. We are well beyond any sensible cost-benefit analysis at this point, and should roll this back a few years to allow technology to catch up.

At the expense of our planet ....

 

[FunInTheSun]

At the expense of our planet ....

Haha. The air in Cali went back to invisible well over 10 years ago. I don't advocate for not caring. I just said we have pushed well over the line of diminishing returns. In other words, all we are adding at this point is cost, and virtually zero benefit.

 

[Dereku]

CAFE standards are based on footprint too. Larger more bloated vehicles land in a different category than say a smart car.

Or to quote Homer, S.M.R.T.

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