Tough Science Tackles the F-150’s Aluminum

As part of the marketing campaign for the 2015 Ford F-150, Ford partnered with John Brenkus of ESPN Sport Science to create a series of videos, called Tough Science, testing various aspects of the new F-150.

In this video, Brenkus gets some athletes together to test the aluminum bed of the F-150 by lodging different projectiles at it.

Brenkus hoists two F-150s into the air; one is last year’s steel model, and the other one is a new F-150 with the aluminum body (and a big glass sunroof).

They chose the bed because it’s the part of the truck that probably sees the most abuse, and according to Ford a bed liner is recommended, but not required, for the new truck.

In total, they use a baseball pitcher, a hockey player, a shot putter, and a golfer to test the bed strength side-by-side. In each of the tests, both beds are dented to some extent, but the aluminum bed is dented less each time.

The dents were, on average, more than 30% shallower against the aluminum bed than the steel. The bed also won’t rust, but I think I’d still get a spray-in bed liner to help protect it more.

2015 F-150 Marketing Campaign

As I was watching this video, I was kind of hoping that someone would shank their projectile into that big glass sunroof on the 2015 F-150.

I’m sure it would’ve been impossible to do, especially with the safety glass separating the golfer from the truck, but it still would’ve been funny.

http://youtu.be/K8gbEfeVGhw

http://www.ford-trucks.com/articles/...150s-aluminum/