# Sheet metal thickness



## woody underwood (Feb 9, 2004)

What's the sheet metal thickness used on an E46? (In millimeters please)


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## Fast Bob (Jun 4, 2004)

woody underwood said:


> What's the sheet metal thickness used on an E46? (In millimeters please)


Automotive sheet metal is measured by "gauge", not millimeters....as with wire, the lower the gauge number, the thicker the metal. As an example, 18 gauge is 48 thousandths of an inch, or slightly more than 1 mm.


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## woody underwood (Feb 9, 2004)

Fast Bob said:


> Automotive sheet metal is measured by "gauge", not millimeters....as with wire, the lower the gauge number, the thicker the metal. As an example, 18 gauge is 48 thousandths of an inch, or slightly more than 1 mm.


Yeah right...but I know that. But that didn't answer my question. I think the progressive countries which use the metric system dumped that archaic form of measurement a long time ago.


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## Fast Bob (Jun 4, 2004)

woody underwood said:


> Yeah right...but I know that. But that didn't answer my question. I think the progressive countries which use the metric system dumped that archaic form of measurement a long time ago.


Tomorrow at work, I`ll try to caliper a couple different spots on my car, and give you the metric equivalent.
I was also quite disappointed when the US failed to pick up on the metric system 30 years ago....it does`nt say much for our forethought....


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## woody underwood (Feb 9, 2004)

Fast Bob said:


> Tomorrow at work, I`ll try to caliper a couple different spots on my car, and give you the metric equivalent.
> I was also quite disappointed when the US failed to pick up on the metric system 30 years ago....it does`nt say much for our forethought....


Thank you. I couldn't find my micrometer. I agree with you on our country's lack of foresite. I was a printer and had to go metric many years ago since we dealt with a world wide market. This is all about a friendly disagrement last night with my friend who is a retired GM employee...he claims their cars have thicker steel panels than Euro cars. I doubt that.


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## woody underwood (Feb 9, 2004)

woody underwood said:


> Thank you. I couldn't find my micrometer. I agree with you on our country's lack of foresite. I was a printer and had to go metric many years ago since we dealt with a world wide market. This is all about a friendly disagrement last night with my friend who is a retired GM employee...he claims their cars have thicker steel panels than Euro cars. I doubt that.


And did you notice my driver?


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## big-tex (Jan 25, 2008)

You know I've heard that older vehicles have thicker sheet metal, like my 92' F-250, but I doubt todays vehicles have that big of a difference.


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## Fast Bob (Jun 4, 2004)

woody underwood said:


> Thank you. I couldn't find my micrometer. I agree with you on our country's lack of foresite. I was a printer and had to go metric many years ago since we dealt with a world wide market. This is all about a friendly disagrement last night with my friend who is a retired GM employee...he claims their cars have thicker steel panels than Euro cars. I doubt that.


OK, Woody....here`s the deal:

Fuel filler door: 1.6 mm

Trunk lid: 1.8 mm (measured in 3 spots around the perimiter)

Hood: 1 mm (excluding the inner liner, which is probably around .6 mm)

Front strut tower: 1.6 mm (measured at center hole in tower)


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## bmw325 (Dec 19, 2001)

Fast Bob said:


> OK, Woody....here`s the deal:
> 
> Fuel filler door: 1.6 mm
> 
> ...


Wonder how much of that is paint?


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## bmw325 (Dec 19, 2001)

Also dont' think sheet metal thickness says anything about the durability, safety or quality of the car. For stuff like fenders, etc you'd want it to be as light as possible for fuel economy and handling. Also newer types of steel are higher strenghts. Plus the overall design of the car's structure is way more important as far as safety. And as for having an overall "solid" feel it comes down to how rigid the strucutre is, the suspesion and steering. Its true that some older GM cars are built like tanks relative to new cars with thicker metal in many cases...but that doesn't really help them as far as safety or feeling like a pile of crap to drive. so much. It does help if you want to do demolition derbies or install hydraulics to bounce the car up and down.


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## Fast Bob (Jun 4, 2004)

bmw325 said:


> Also dont' think sheet metal thickness says anything about the durability, safety or quality of the car. For stuff like fenders, etc you'd want it to be as light as possible for fuel economy and handling. Also newer types of steel are higher strenghts. Plus the overall design of the car's structure is way more important as far as safety. And as for having an overall "solid" feel it comes down to how rigid the strucutre is, the suspesion and steering. Its true that some older GM cars are built like tanks relative to new cars with thicker metal in many cases...but that doesn't really help them as far as safety or feeling like a pile of crap to drive. so much. It does help if you want to do demolition derbies or install hydraulics to bounce the car up and down.


Correctomundo....if you look at your hood structure, there`s two relatively thin pieces of metal sandwiched together, yielding far greater strength, and better crush factor, than one heavier chunk of steel.


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## Fast Bob (Jun 4, 2004)

bmw325 said:


> Wonder how much of that is paint?


A tenth of a mm = 4 thousandths of an inch, which is probably about the thickness of the paint.


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## big-tex (Jan 25, 2008)

Only positive thing that I think comes from thicker steel is less tendency to dent on small bumps or in a hail storm. 

Or back when I was knockin ice off my moms car I dented it with an ice scraper, same ice storm on my truck... notta dent. (didnt have my car yet)


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## woody underwood (Feb 9, 2004)

Thank you!!!


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