Does the Dodge Ram have the thinnest sheet metal in the Industry?

[Heavyweight]

Where does the term Heavy Duty fall into place concerning the paper wrapped in tin foil then spray painted sheet metal? I love the truck, but watching the mounting points where the door mates to the cab is proof. You can watch the sheet metal flex. Then, under the truck I was installing the rear plastic wheel well liners, and made the discovery the plastic liners where thicker and more durable then the bed! I have no idea why Dodge did not use just a 32nd of an inch thicker sheet metal. I would much rather have the Truck weigh in 100-200 pounds heavier, then to have the body side integrity of a beer can.



Maybe I will get the bed line “X’d” inside and out. This is the only issue I have with the Truck. I may have a small case of post purchase syndrome….



This should not coincide with the “FRAME” thread. LOL

 

[ata]

I knew they were not sending all the Beer Cans to Japan for body panels and fenders.

 

[MLimpert]

If I use the big truck nozzle when filling up, the weight of the heavier hose/nozzle assembly actually makes my bedside flex a bit. It doesn't seem to damage anything but its a bit worrysome.



That said, my 05 is thicker or at least better reinforced than my 02 was. I swear my 02 was made of tin foil. I dented it while lifting an extension cord into the bed that lightly brushed the bedside.

 

[Heavyweight]

How about empty cans of tecate at the Mexico plant??? ML, the extension cord is funny!!!

 

[MLimpert]

I was on a first name basis with the best paintless dent removal guy in town! He worked on my 02 probably 6 or 7 times. Never any major work, but I can't stand dents.

 

[Heavyweight]

Same here. I am a perfectionist. Of all the new cars I ever purchased, My 2005 was the first one without a single scratch or dent.

 

[Eric Lee]

What I'm waiting for is the point that I have enough dents in her that I start working her like a real pickup.



I too am suprized at the ease that these dent. I've always hauled a trailer for anything heavy enough to dent my 2nd gen. It's not 'if' but 'how bad'.



-Eric

 

[bpenrod]

I dented the fender leaning over to do wome work in the engine compartment, I need to call the paintless dent removal guy soon!

 

[BHolm]

Try a Chevy some time. I had an '01 and an '03 and if the Dodge is tin foil the GM trucks are no more than paper mache'. I had lots of dents in the bedrails from just leaning over the truck. My Ford and Dodges seem about the same, both much better than GM. Ford and Dodge trucks are already hundreds of pounds heavier than the GM trucks. I read one comparo that had a Ford SD 800lbs heavier than the comaprible GM truck. Pretty sure the Dodge is at least as heavy as the Ford SD.



Don't worry, it wont be long and the beds will all be plastic anyway

 

[4xquadrod]

I am watching the area where the door hinges attach also. I keep thinking it is going to work harden and start splitting apart. My brother has a habit of leaning on my door when it is opened and pushing the door too far open.

 

[CStansbury]

Yep, I just barely tapped mine 4 days after delivery and put a dent in one of the only places the dent guy couldn't get to. I hit the C pillar just behind the rear door and he said no-way. If I would have hit my 1984 K5 Blazer like that it may have scuffed the paint, but no way it would have dented. It is mostly 18 gauge with some areas of 16 gauge. What a tank.

 

[Heavyweight]

The most durable Truck I ever had was POP's 1973 F250. The sheet metal in that Truck was thick. I tip the toldedo at 260 pounds, and I could jump on the bumper and stand on the hood! I never got up on the cab, but that thing was a TANK!!! The 390 was a gas guzzler, but thats another thread.

 

[OHale]

GM Wins!

As to who has the thinnest sheet metal, the competition was fierce but GM won.



I say this based on the following comparison:



1. I stepped on the rear wheel to jump into the bed. My knee bopped the fender and voila! A dent. The knee was unharmed. Couldn't believe it.



2. When I was considering a Chevy Duramax I spent a lot of time reading on the dieselpage.com. The experience over there was a bit worse. One man doing the same thing I did actually wrinkled the bed rail by gripping it as he got into the bed!



Close competition for thinnest metal.



I remember my Dad's '69 Lincoln, talk about tank! A real lead sled. Remember the days when you could jack up a car/truck by the bumper?? If you did that to a modern vehicle it would probably peel it like a banana.



If Dodge and GM are going to go to such thin sheet metal they should just cut to a roto-molded plastic box like they use in boats. It would actually be sturdier and not rust. Thin sheet metal AND rust is no fun.

 

[NDanecker]

I agree with the thin sheet metal and all. Bumpers are nothing more then a place to mount your license plate and bumper stickers! Actually, I think I just strengthened my bumper by affixing my TDR sticker to it! :-laf



My only guess is they wanted to leave room for cargo. Lighter truck = more cargo capacity (using a fixed GVW rating)! I'd rather have a heavier/stronger truck then cargo cap though (since we all exceed the #s anyway! )

 

[Regcabguy]

Check out a Toyota T-100 some time. My friends is a royal tin can. Sucker goes through lots of brakes but runs like brand new at 260,000 miles! My sister in law closed the door on her 1985 Four Runner with her hip and did $430. 00 damage. Another friend has a 1999 Tacoma and when offroading he backed up over some railroad tracks with stock tires. The suspension compressed and the front tire rubbed against the mud flap ,ripping it off and denting the fender and pulling the door out of alignment. $1200. 00 damage and Toyota screamed "abuse" and wouldn't pay a dime.

 

[jlasich]

I am watching the area where the door hinges attach also. I keep thinking it is going to work harden and start splitting apart. My brother has a habit of leaning on my door when it is opened and pushing the door too far open.

I think that has more to do with the support structure behind the sheetmetal than the sheetmetal itself. I was pushing out on the driver's door and noticed that one of the hinges is supported very well with no deformation of the sheetmetal behind it (I think it's the lower hinge) and the top hinge did push the sheetmetal in a little bit. I'm not too worried about it though.



The whole sheetmetal thing is interesting. The vehicles have thinner sheetmetal than they did in the past and yet, I think they're heavier. I think it also has to do with safety. Today's vehicles with built-in crumple zones and flimsy bumpers are far safer than the vehicles of old; they're just easier to damage and cost an arm and a leg to repair. I think that vehicles, like most things in our society, are becoming disposable items; if they get crumpled, just throw it away and get another one.



FWIW, I looked at a Ford SD and Dodge Ram side-by-side and the sheetmetal didn't feel any thicker on the Ford than the Ram. I also did a push-in test on both, midway between the front of the rear fender and the front of the bed. It seemed that I could push the Ford in further. Of course, the style of the body (curvy or straight up and down) will have some effect on that, I'm sure.

 

[LHolland]

I betcha did'nt notice...

Dodge does have laser welded door panels. This is a method of welding a thicker 1. 4mm to a thinner . 7mm material to increase strength around the hinge area of the inner door panel. Helps reduce weight. If you look inside your door you'll see the seem towards the front.

Also, another note. Creases, rolls and other types of bends increase strength in panels. Dodge has some pretty large flat or relatively flat surface areas.

It's fun to watch a flat blank move through the press and flop around until it's drawn out and gets some bends in it. :-laf

 

[wild-t]

At least the sheet metal inside the bed is pretty solid. 'Would like to have that outside as well, I would not worry about the extra weight on my 3500.



And while were at it... bring back that thick solid paint from the mid 80's and before!

 

[CPG]

Just had to go out and check the hinge mount area that was mentioned on the 10th thread here. Wow! that area does flex. Sure not like My 1st. gener.

It must be for weight reduction, but at the same time they could have put better braceing behind the hinges. Did see some fluteing of the sheet metal behind the hinges running vertical.

My 04 3rd gener reg. cab is heavier than my old 1st. gener with the extended cab. Where is the additional weight from. ? Must be the American axle or suspension etz.

 

[Hohn]

And while were at it... bring back that thick solid paint from the mid 80's and before!

You can blame the EPA for that one...