Maverick not truly a Unibody?

[TSAINTS1115]

While I was installing my dashcam this afternoon this caught my eye. The rear quarter panels are bolted on. At the door there's not even a bonding agent applied at the top. I could gently separate the surfaces. I'm guessing that it's design like this for body repairs vs a true unibody vehicle being totaled out for a certain level of accident damage?

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[Darnon]

Just because the fender panels bolt on doesn't make it not unibody. The main structure is load bearing without a discrete full length frame.

 

[TSAINTS1115]

Just because the fender panels bolt on doesn't make it not unibody. The main structure is load bearing without a discrete full length frame.

I'm comparing it to the way other unibody vehicles are built, and the way the Maverick has been touted. I don't know of anything manufactured recently with a removable outer quarter panel like this.

 

[2022MAVERICKAWDCT]

I'm comparing it to the way other unibody vehicles are built, and the way the Maverick has been touted. I don't know of anything manufactured recently with a removable outer quarter panel like this.

Just think of all the customizing possibilities!

 

[SgtLip]

Unibody Design
The oversimplified version is that a unibody vehicle—be it a car, truck, or anything else—the body and the frame are one piece. The alternative to this is body-on-frame design, where the body of the vehicle sits on top of the frame. In modern day auto production, almost all cars and crossovers are unibody, while full-size SUVs and trucks tend to be body-on-frame.

 

[Big_T]

Whether it's bolted, spot welded, or bonded, the Maverick is a unibody design. There is not a separate body and a separate frame.

 

[Brian_J]

I'm comparing it to the way other unibody vehicles are built, and the way the Maverick has been touted. I don't know of anything manufactured recently with a removable outer quarter panel like this.

Other than the Santa Cruz & ridge line, is there anything else like this? What are those like? Pics anyone?

 

[James St. Patrick]

 

[MLowe05]

Other than the Santa Cruz & ridge line, is there anything else like this? What are those like? Pics anyone?

Bingo. Cars aren't like this due to their designs. This makes perfect sense, design wise, for a unibody truck.

 

[Naranjita]

I just had this discussion with my millennial son the other day. He thinks that a unibody truck is one where the bed is continuous sheet metal and construction with the cab. Not a separate bed and gap between. To him it appears seamless, one body, therefore unibody.

I am a Gen X'er and remember when cars went from being built on frame and became unibodies, and all the controversies from that transition in the early 80's. Often people use to think that a unibody construction was less safe than a frame. It took a full generation to change people's mindsets.

Unibody is an assembly style that doesn't involve being built on top of a frame. Not that the truck bed is seamless to the cab.

It is totally possible to have a truck built on frame that is seamless. And a unibody could be built to appear to have a seam between the bed and cab.

This is going to be a constant source of confusion.

 

[Tyler]

I just had this discussion with my millennial son the other day. He thinks that a unibody truck is one where the bed is continuous sheet metal and construction with the cab. Not a separate bed and gap between. To him it appears seamless, one body, therefore unibody.

I am a Gen X'er and remember when cars went from being built on frame and became unibodies, and all the controversies from that transition in the early 80's. Often people use to think that a unibody construction was less safe than a frame. It took a full generation to change people's mindsets.

Unibody is an assembly style that doesn't involve being built on top of a frame. Not that the truck bed is seamless to the cab.

It is totally possible to have a truck built on frame that is seamless. And a unibody could be built to appear to have a seam between the bed and cab.

This is going to be a constant source of confusion.

Chevy avalanche is/was a good example of body on frame with a “seamless” truck bed.

 

[Big_T]

Back in the early 1960's Ford sold what they called a Unitized pickup truck which everyone called a Unibody pickup. It was body on frame construction. They didn't sell very well; I remember only seeing 2 or 3 of them (yes I'm old). Of course they have become collectible today.

Good article about them here -
Ford's 1961-1963 Unibody Pickup Trucks | CJ Pony Parts

Picture credit to Wikipedia

 

[Rob Cactus Gray]

I can’t find the article but if I remember correctly. The rear quarter panels are like this to give the bed and cab more flex.

 

[710-oil-614]

I'm comparing it to the way other unibody vehicles are built, and the way the Maverick has been touted. I don't know of anything manufactured recently with a removable outer quarter panel like this.

Most unibody vehicles have bits/parts that bolt on to the front of the vehicle (ahead of the A Pillar).

If you look at the Honda Ridgeline you can see a gap between the truck bed and the cab just like the Maverick. My guess is anything "behind the C Pillar" doesn't need to be affixed as part of the body.

The Santa Cruz however does not have the gap.

 

[Mymaverick2021]

While I was installing my dashcam this afternoon this caught my eye. The rear quarter panels are bolted on. At the door there's not even a bonding agent applied at the top. I could gently separate the surfaces. I'm guessing that it's design like this for body repairs vs a true unibody vehicle being totaled out for a certain level of accident damage?

Good eye, Definitely would make sense as to being able to repair the bed I case of an accident

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