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@Oldfart Have you cleaned/conditioned the perforated leather by spraying leather conditioner directly on the leather? Alternatively have you used other sprays—fine oil or non-water soluble based particulates? Water/alcohol based sprays evaporate quickly (seen in some air freshener sprays)...

@goblues38 If your Raptor is street only/mostly, the shocks are not leaking, and you aren’t noticing any degradation in performance—I would not bother with rebuild/service. On pavement you aren’t scratching the surface of what the suspension is designed to do. I doubt you’ll notice any...

@WillieFlo I’m late to the conversation per usual, but it looks like you have a nicely set up ‘18 Raptor. If you have $40-$50k to spend on upgrades, I agree with those who recommend getting another toy for the stable—which of course is limited by practical matters (spouse, garage space, etc)...

@slingshot60 If you are frequently towing 7k lbs, I don’t recommend a OEM Load Range C. I’d prefer a Load Range E for towing. Based on your self-described use parameters/priorities—if you like the BFG KO2–I recommend the Load Range E tire due to the construction/engineering more suitable for...

To the OP @Jwod1993 Professionally I am in a senior operations role with a major OEM with significant experience in mechanical engineering. I see every aspect of data imaginable and am fortunate to have colleagues far brighter than I. Most relevant is, I am not biased in favor for/against the...

Correct. Everything breaks down with neglect. Blame the operator and not the manufacturer (of your body or of a machine) in many cases.

@John M BUNMAN I believe you will be fine simply because products that meet the specs are excellent in all climates. If I lived in the desert and kept my vehicles outdoors—I’d likely go with 4x per year (simply from the environmental impact of being outdoors 24/7). Don’t over think it, as...

Greetings, I conducted a bi-annual panoramic roof/sun-roof/convertible top maintenance on my 2018 Raptor—along with all of immediate family vehicles with panos/sunroofs, retractable hardtops, and motorized convertible tops. TEST VEHICLES. Some are very old but all are garaged (Raptor focused...

I just had an oil/filter/tire/inspection service at 56k and the brake inspection checked “green” (plenty of life remaining). My Raptor is an all purpose daily driver (stop/go suburban commute with a mix of highway and city), family road trip vehicle, and mule. I don’t recall ever replacing...

As we all know, the F150 being the best selling vehicle in the US for years means that there is an insatiable demand for parts. Unfortunately, I have personal knowledge of several incidences involving new SUVs awaiting delivery to dealerships stolen from secured locations (cameras, fenced...

The major manufacturers all make excellent tires. In my humble opinion, tire debates only occur because everyone has different priorities—or have not identified what their priorities are. Iam very specific in my specs professionally/personally for every vehicle. The weight of the Falken...

I am a fan of Falken Wildpeak AT3Ws (Load Range E) based on my priorities: 1. Performance: After 25k miles on the Raptor—the quiet ride characteristics (city/highway) are better than any AT tire I have owned. No change, no hum, no vibration. 2. Wear: I’ve attached photos. Sumitomo/Falken...

@GordoJay In my professional experience, I’d say OEM extended warranty if you only plan to take your vehicle to a Ford dealership for repairs—and have zero plans of modifying any component that could be impacted upstream or downstream. OEM warranties are the strictest and one of the...

John, it was less expensive vs. OEM ESP, covers a ton of items, and CarMax is contracted with tons of independent shops (can go to dealership as well). In fairness, the primary driver was that my wife’s previous luxury vehicles had some very expensive issues (over $7k total) that were...

Greetings, I purchased the extended CarMax MaxCare warranty (5yrs/150k miles with $200 deductible) for my ‘18 Raptor—as it covered a lot of items post factory bumper-to-bumper warranty. Mostly I did it because we’d had positive experiences with MaxCare when getting past family vehicles...

Disclaimer(s): 1. As a fellow automotive/motorsports enthusiast, I mod my “garage queens”—but tend to NOT modify drivetrains in my wife’s/my daily drivers and family vehicles which rack up a lot of miles. My Raptor is my daily driver, pack mule, and toy for my adult kids who enjoy borrowing...

I’d recommend an A/T tire (or AT/MT “hybrid”)—unless you are dead set on the looks of a mud tire. Why: 1. You are mostly on pavement. A/T does better. 2. You get a lot of snow/rain in PA. A/T does better. 3. Your off-reading is mostly modest trail driving. A/T should handle anything...

If you enjoy your Raptor, but would prefer to break something at lower cost—I’d suggest considering a remote controlled scale model truck. I purchased a Traxxas Unlimited Desert Racer (UDR)—roughly 1/7th scale. It has an independent front/solid rear axle setup with remote reservoir shocks in...

4A vs RWD is actually something that I’ve focused on throughout my career in the industry—and as a fellow motorsports enthusiast. As always, this is my opinion (objective to me/subjective to others) based on professional experience and learning from my fellow professionals. It is not intended...

@raptor556 Unfortunate. That says a lot about you—and your idea of fun. Be well!

@raptor556 @GCATX I believe Ford has been generous when it comes to Raptor. I’m stunned that they EVER made an 800a base model—of any Gen (1, 2, 3). The Raptor is a halo vehicle by Ford performance (and formerly SVT). If they’d only made the 801a and maxed out 802a—they’d have sold every one...

@smurfslayer. @Nex I wear Arai(tm) helmets exclusively—as they fit my melon. They are expensive, but the technology has trickled downstream to budget helmets. The same thing is occurring with manufacturing costs—composite use for oil pans and other applications. Imagine wearing an alloy...

“Plastic” was meant in humor as a movie reference. My apologies. Engineered composites are tailored for specific OEM applications—ie oil pan heat/chemical degradation/sealing/impact resistance/compatibility with mating to alloy surfaces. For an OEM, an impact that would cause a well designed...

Look at it through the eyes of an OEM. That is why I am enthusiastic. Market research shows that speed bumps and gravel roads are about as intense as it gets for the majority of luxury/premium trucks/SUVs—until they are on owner 3 or 4 (plenty of industry data validates this)—along with what...

The quote in the header is from The Graduate (1967). Although it screened years before I was born, it is one of my favorite classics. Hopefully some understand that I’m not creating a great debate on oil pans—as I do understand that some Raptor owners are salty due to experiences—which is...