4" Lift??? 37" Tires??

[Peterb]

zothen for trails you want frame cut bumpers for approach and departure and fox or kings with deavers for some extra height, any raptor off road will damage front skid, sidesteps and exhaust tips very quickly, the raptor is too big for trails and you can’t see over the hood (camera is unreliable at least for my eyes)
differential skid plate is a plus too
a search will quickly kill the bds lift idea (a huge block under the rear leaves is so obviously a fail) more travel is desirable but only available through a width increase
even 37s are debatable

 

[Johndeere99]

Just not that into it.

 

[G-Train]

How does it turn. What is your pucker limit as far as the speed u willing to turn at

 

[FordTechOne]

Hi, I'm considering buying a used Raptor and also doing something like a BDS 4" lift (the cheaper one that preserves factory shocks/springs/ front upper and lower control arms, etc.) for the following reasons:

1. I'm not doing baja. I'm doing trails
2. Given #1, I want a better approach, departure, and break-over angles.
3. I want 37" tires for slightly better axle and clearances and increased tire sidewall.
4. The wider track of a Raptor seems ideal for providing a more stable / less tippy lifted platform (relative to a non-Raptor F150 anyway).
5. I don't care about looks or other's subjective opinions about how my vehicle should be. But objective information about durability and capability is appreciated.

Regarding #1, I don't see a reason why a Raptor is unsuited for handling trails. Yes it is too wide for some, but other than that, why would it be worse than a non-Raptor lifted F150? I realize a solid axle front and stronger diffs of an F250/F350 may be better for trails, but for now, I want to understand if there is something specifically worse about a Raptor over a non-Raptor F150 for trails. Then on top of that, is the BDS kit making anything more brittle and prone to wear? It seems to preserve the front suspension geometry though I don't know about the rear.

This won't be a daily driver, though I will be driving it on the road to get to the trails, so I don't want to completely through on-road driveability out of the window.

Any info here would be appreciated. Unfortunately, I've searched all over the place and have seen many people say it's a bad idea but they never give actually datapoints that explain why.

One of the biggest concerns with kit kits is stability control operation. The increased center of gravity needs to be accounted for in the calibration for the system to operate properly and effectively. The kit claims its FMVSS compliant, but without a modified calibration, it’s not going to operate as designed.

The other major issue with these kits is that they require frame modifications. The frame needs to be cut and welded, which means you can’t just go back to stock if you decide you don’t like the kit.

The rear lift is very primitive; they’re simply installing a larger block between the axle and spring. That does not increase overall wheel travel.

Have you considered an F-250 Tremor? It sounds like it might fit your needs better. An XLT Tremor is $54k, which is less than a used Gen 2 Raptor.