Better you ask how "thin" 0.8 mm is, because it's roughly equal to two sheets of notebook paper. This is why the industry refers to exterior sheet metal on vehicles as "skin." By the way, if you seek an alternative, say the Cadillac DeVille, be advised that the thickness of a body panel is 0.8 mm as well.Oct 6, 2002
How thick is the sheet metal on a car?
Automotive sheet metal once ran in the range of 18-gauge, which was 48 thousandths of an inch thick (actually 0.0478 inch). 20-gauge became common in more recent times, and this meant 0.0359-inch-thick metal—still a lot to work with in-bumping and metal finishing.
What is the average thickness of a car body?
Most cars are built with a 0.7 mm steel sheet. These sheets are reinforced by forming them into patterns, curves, and at several places by making a box structure.
What kind of metal is used to fix cars?
The two types of metal that you'll be working with most frequently in automotive repair and customizing are steel (mild and, to a lesser degree, stainless), and aluminum.
What grade of steel is used in car bodies?
Ferritic grades of stainless steel, which derive their properties from high percentages of chromium and little or no nickel, are commonly found in automotive exhaust systems because they have better corrosion, heat, and cracking resistance.
How thick are auto body panels?
The challenge for the automakers to make vehicles safe and strong as well as lightweight has resulted in material variations. Many of today's steel-structured vehicles use steel for the outer panels that's 0.70 millimeters thick. The structure is typically made of even thicker, higher strength steel.
What type of sheet metal is used for auto body?
Sheetmetal generally comes in three forms—mild steel, aluminum, and stainless steel. Of these, aluminum and mild steel are by far the most commonly used for automotive projects. Sheetmetal fabricators prefer aluminum for dashboards, bulkheads, and most other purposes because it is light, soft, and easy to work with.