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I installed Husky liners soon after getting my 2017 (why doesn't the truck come with liners?). Easy install with wheels on, cheap price & look great. I cannot comment to coverage compared to OEM but they do the job. Pics below are before and after:
I like the Huskies because they cover the frame. When these trucks get older the only part of the truck that will rust is the steel parts, like the frame. Personally I think it makes all trucks look horrible when they have that rusty frame rail in the wheel well.
The ford OEM one might be easier to install, but it doesnt cover the frame.
This is what I assume. That is, the wheel wells are alloy, not steel.
Is there a case that 2015 and newer are subject to potential corrosion and damage if covers are not installed?
If not, is it accurate to describe covers a cosmetic, and only cosmetic benefit for 2015 and newer models?
Cosmetic?? A spray of gravel coming off the tire, sand blasting (rock blasting?) the paint off the wheel well and eating into the metal sounds like more than a cosmetic concern to me.
Of course, if you never drive a dirt road - or the highway department doesn't spread sand on the roads where you live - then yes, I guess for you this would be just a cosmetic issue.
This is what I assume. That is, the wheel wells are alloy, not steel.
Is there a case that 2015 and newer are subject to potential corrosion and damage if covers are not installed?
If not, is it accurate to describe covers a cosmetic, and only cosmetic benefit for 2015 and newer models?
Salt does corrode aluminum in various ways. Ask any long-term aluminum boat owner that goes out in salt water. The corrosion takes much longer to set in. These trucks will not be corrosion free for the people living where they salt the roads. It's just going to take a few years longer before it becomes an issue than with a steel body.
You keep mentioning rust. Considering this is a 2015 - Present thread, none of these trucks will have issues with rust in the wheel wells. Yes, your wheel wells are steel so you will see rust. Not the case for us.
Take it from someone that worked on/flew in Navy patrol aircraft for 21 years, aluminum WILL corrode if exposed to salt. Ford seems to have done a good job with their primer/paint system but if you live in the rust belt like me do a fresh water rinse every time you get a chance and clean/touch up any paint chips as soon as you see them. I have the OEM liners on my '17 and see them as a benefit in preventing rock chips.
I am an owner of an aluminum boat used in sal****er so you can ask me. The answer is that aluminum is prone to galvanic corrosion in seawater which can be 100% mitigated with hull anodes. I don't see how this applies to an alloy truck. That is why I ask. Does anybody actually know?
It's the same corrosion process. My 07 FX4 had an aluminum hood and by eight years old it was showing signs of mild galvanic corrosion. Same white powdery residue you get on a boat. The paint on the underside of the hood was lifting where the corrosion had started.
I purchased the oem version and love them. I couldn't stand seeing the painted bed section above the rear wheel. On my white truck it was very noticeable. Drove me crazy!! Truthfully, that's the only reason I got them. As a side note: it's not necessary to remove the rear wheels to install as stated in the instructions.
I doubt your diagnosis is correct. Alloy panels can experience galvanic corrosion when in direct contact with dissimilar metals, including attachment bolts and screws. My understanding is that starting in 2015 Ford radically altered the assembly methods to avoid direct metal contact, and to isolate electrical current between alloy and steel.
There is also the possibility of crevice corrosion which is not uncommon with painted surfaces. Crevice corrosion is basically cosmetic. I really don't care if my wheel wells experience crevice corrosion because I can't see it and it is covered with dirt. Further, when crevice corrosion occurs, the exposed alloy surface naturally turns to aluminum oxide which is an ideal corrosion resistant layer. An old, unpainted aluminum canoe is an example of aluminum oxide.
No, I'm correct, the problem started at the hood bolts and spring mounts as well as the latch and moved forward. While I'm not a materials engineer, I did recieve extensive corrosion prevention training while in the Air Force. I know what I'm looking at.
Last edited by Rontbeamer; 11-16-2017 at 02:48 PM.
Crevice corrosion often starts at the painted metal edges where there are penetrations. As you say, at the bolts and mounts. If those edges are not sealed properly, water molecules go between the paint and metal, the paint bubbles, corrosion and chipping occurs. In the case of aluminum, when the water seeps under the paint and in the absence of oxygen, the chemical reaction forms acid which causes the damage. This phenomenon is not galvanic corrosion. It is an indication of poor design or manufacturing process causing crevice corrosion. Not surprising with limited use of aluminum panels years ago. It appears that Ford got it right from 2015 and later. It will be interesting to see these trucks 10 years from now in ocean environments and the midwestern/eastern salt regions. My guess is our alloy panels will be corrosion free.
I think the problem in my case probably started after an accident. I'm betting the shop didn't surface prep properly or didn't put spacers in that should have been there. Either way, the corrosion started on the steel parts from salt exposure then took off on the aluminum. I was really surprised to see the problem. But the truck was over eight years old and near the end of its life cycle so I didn't care that much. I had 170k hard miles on it when I retired it at just shy of the ten-year mark.
11-16-2017, 09:55 AM
