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I just dodged a huge problem with a 2021 F-150 aluminum bed
Last week in our Tacoma shop, a truck came in with a big dent in the aluminum bed side. The owner wanted us to just pull it out and paint it. I remembered a job from three years ago on a similar truck where we did that and the metal cracked along a factory seam six months later. This time, we cut out the whole damaged section and welded in a new piece. It took two extra days and cost the customer more, but it's the right fix. Has anyone else seen these aluminum panels fail after a basic repair?
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jake_martin164d agoMost Upvoted
Three years ago I saw a fleet truck that had the whole side panel buckle after a paintless dent repair on a 2018 F-150, @adam_anderson6. The pull held fine but the flex from normal driving eventually cracked the spot where the panel was stretched back out.
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ellis.victor2mo ago
That "right fix" you did sounds like overkill to me. I've pulled dents in aluminum beds and had them hold up fine for years. The key is using the right heat and not overworking the metal. Cutting and welding a whole new piece adds a lot of cost and weak points from the new welds. Sometimes a proper pull is a solid, cheaper repair.
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adam_anderson62mo ago
Wait, you're using heat on aluminum bed repairs? That's a fast way to ruin the temper in the metal. Once you heat it, it gets soft and won't hold up to any real weight. A proper pull on steel is one thing, but on aluminum? That repaired spot is now the weakest part of the whole bed. Seen too many of those "fixed" panels fold right up under a load of gravel.
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