Home with New Raptor - Initial Impressions

[eclou]

you could add a Tilton bias valve and direct pressure to the back end I guess..

 

[Buzzard2]

Hotlap, Glad you had a fantastic trip home congrats on the new rig looks great in the pics.

I hope to have mine in the garage by Saturday Night!!

 

[HotLap]

Couple things on the rear feeling jumpy:

first- as goofy as it sounds, check to make sure that the tires arent over inflated. The extra 10 PSI that ford/dealers like to put in the tires makes a really big difference.

Second- if it is still too "happy" , replacing the rear leaf springs with deavers makes a MASSIVE difference. The truck feels how I would have expected it to from the factory with the deavers. nice and planted. More importantly, very very predictable.

Seems like there are a half dozen of us on this board with gt350s and raptors. Best of both worlds!

Welcome to the club.

ZK, awesome that you have the GT350 too! Great ride!! First thing I did at the dealership was check the tire pressure and it was 38lbs, so that wasn't a contributing factor. I am going to check into the Deavers - more to come, thx!!

---------- Post added at 07:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:29 PM ----------

Congrats OP on the new steed!

I hear you on the handling issues. The rear does not inspire any confidence at speed, whereas my 2014 Sierra 4x4 on 20" wheels was surprisingly spry. I found that the Hellwig made a major improvement with no discernable loss of ride quality.

I think you will like the SP-542 plugs they eliminated most of the hesistation and hiccups in part-throttle acceleration for me.

Lastly try the dynamat trick on the rear sub. Its like getting a new sub for almost free

Sounds great, appreciate the heads up!! My 2016 KR on 20's was very spry as well, thinking the suspension travel and super tall sidewalls on these tires are the cause for "bouncy" handling at speed! Not the end of the world once you get used to it - but will be looking to tone it down a bit...

---------- Post added at 07:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:34 PM ----------

Live in Colorado and at one point was daily driving those I-70 mountain corners. They feel worse than they really are and in my Raptor I take them 15-20mph above the recommended speed all the time without issue.

The suspension is soft and you will get some body movement, but the truck is far more stable than it feels. Don't react and just drive on through it and you will be fine. The truck wants to hold its line and the only time it is dangerous is when the driver moves the wheel to "correct" or hits the brakes. The driver's reactions is what unsettles the truck and makes it dangerous, not the soft suspension.

Do all your braking before the corner. "Trail braking" as you say causes the truck to understeer and you will lose cornering performance. It also increases the risk of losing the backend if too much weight shifts forward. No gas, no brake, and no wheel movement in the corner and the truck will surprise you with what it can do safely.

Don't fear the body movement, the truck will figure it out all on its own. Driver inputs only make it worse. You are much better off coasting around a corner than trying to slow in the middle of it.

Wow, you hit it right on the head of the nail! Exactly what I learned over the drive home, once you get used to the feel of the suspension and stop "reacting" it does handle better! Trail braking will just magnify any issues. Coming from the GT350 it was unnerving to feel the "float" of the suspension in corners - not knowing when it would settle into the curve, throw in some rough pavement and time for fun Well put jaz13!!

---------- Post added at 07:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:40 PM ----------

Definition: Trail braking is a driving and motorcycle riding technique where the brakes are used beyond the entrance to a turn, and then gradually released up to, or before, the apex of the turn.


Has absolutely zero to do with a hand brake or actuating just the rear brakes.

Thank you Sir, my former Sport biking days are coming out

 

[brettmess24]

The method is about continuing to brake after the entrance to a turn in order to control weight balance and transfer.

It has zero to do with using a front brake vs a rear brake, or both. You have the luxury on a bike to be able to control rotation more granularly by modulating the brake bias independently, but that does not change the concept, nor the definition. Ad when trailbraking properly on a bike, you ABSOLUTELY use both front and rear brakes. Your front brake usage declines as you add more lean, the rear brake usage ends up being a direct correlation to how much you need/want to rotate the rear wheel.

On a motorcycle, it is a bit different and often more confusing. ( My background is supermoto ) Some people equate trail braking to "backing it in" and tend to assume that you would only apply rear brake to trailbrake. That is not the case. "backing it in" is trail braking at it's extreme with 100% rear brake bias (and you're adding the benefit of downshifting for the right exit gear and exit angle. when backing it in you never actually stop the rear wheel completely either). The oversteer and skid that ensues is actually what you're trying to avoid when employing the technique properly.

Trailbraking is about grip. backing it in is about a controlled slide.

Lol!!!

Supermoto is FUN!!!!

We made supermoto tracks with a lot of fun challenging jumps on Friday night and then roadraced on the other tracks Saturday and Sunday man those were the days and damn now I feel old and beat up.

Only time I used the front brake even remotely close to an apex I kissed pavement! I much prefer to back it in[emoji4] as you say.

I was bored so wanted to know how op “backed it in” and congrats on the new Raptor[emoji4]

Surprised you didn’t complain about the brakes since you have been driving your 350! Every time I drive my GRand Sport I wish for more brakes in the Raptor. Should be remedied soon with an R1 BBK[emoji4]

Call deaver ASAP 3-5 wk wait time!

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[HotLap]

Hotlap, Glad you had a fantastic trip home congrats on the new rig looks great in the pics.

I hope to have mine in the garage by Saturday Night!!

Nice you're going to get a kick out of this new Raptor!! It is an awesome truck, no doubt!!

Congrats and post pics when you can!

---------- Post added at 07:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:49 PM ----------

Lol!!!

Supermoto is FUN!!!!

We made supermoto tracks with a lot of fun challenging jumps on Friday night and then roadraced on the other tracks Saturday and Sunday man those were the days and damn now I feel old and beat up.

Only time I used the front brake even remotely close to an apex I kissed pavement! I much prefer to back it in as you say.

I was bored so wanted to know how op “backed it in” and congrats on the new Raptor

Surprised you didn’t complain about the brakes since you have been driving your 350! Every time I drive my GRand Sport I wish for more brakes. Should be remedied soon with an R1 BBK


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Hey Brett, funny you mention the brakes, I neglected to comment in my orig post, but they definitely could use help. Felt underpowered for a truck this size...but I'm still getting used to the suspension and wasn't sure if it was me or the brakes. Feels like the first 50% of the pedal travel is minimal braking then they finally bite. But I wasn't sure if it was the brakes or the suspension travel/body movement -then finally settling - that was causing it...

---------- Post added at 07:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:55 PM ----------

By the way, while any vehicle has it's quirks and could be better, I wanted to be sure and let everyone know...I love this truck!! Absolutely awesome that Ford is producing such a vehicle and with a few tweaks it will be perfect!!

 

[zombiekiller]

Lol!!!

Supermoto is FUN!!!!

We made supermoto tracks with a lot of fun challenging jumps on Friday night and then roadraced on the other tracks Saturday and Sunday man those were the days and damn now I feel old and beat up.

Only time I used the front brake even remotely close to an apex I kissed pavement! I much prefer to back it in[emoji4] as you say.

I was bored so wanted to know how op “backed it in” and congrats on the new Raptor[emoji4]

Surprised you didn’t complain about the brakes since you have been driving your 350! Every time I drive my GRand Sport I wish for more brakes in the Raptor. Should be remedied soon with an R1 BBK[emoji4]

Call deaver ASAP 3-5 wk wait time!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I honestly dont think that the brakes, from a mechanical perspective, need anything.

I say this because I've used the brakes in that "precharged, emergency" mode and holy shit do they grab hard.

I think it is a sensitivity setting in the bcm somewhere, or some sort of already available pressure boost system that "arms" the brakes.

I just want someone to figure it out for me. And I'd rather put the 7 large into some suspension instead of brake upgrades.

When I'm in off road go-fast mode, i'm left foot braking my ass off, so there really isnt as much mush to take up anyway.

good fluid, braided lines and a proper bleed sets the truck up just fine for me.

 

[brettmess24]

It’s most definitely both the suspension and the brakes! Shocks are good but the springs need some help.

Zombie a better modulating brake is much needed here. Sure you can lock them up but I rather keep heat out of the brakes. Truck won’t stop like my car but these two piston design can be greatly improved.

I too was thinking the same as you on shocks but I’m going R1 Concepts BBK along with deaver +2HD, SVC bumps. Then I will address the front if needed I have had good luck with the shocks so far.

My driving is all on the skinny pedal with no real slow crawling to be had but that could change on some trips out west or I’m tossing around the idea of a can am X3 on trailer[emoji4]


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[Nick@Apollo-Optics]

Sounds like a heck of a road trip home. Definitely some beautiful scenery, especially out west! And I love that you already took it off the pavement on the trip home!

Enjoy the ride!

 

[jaz13]

People often criticize the Raptor's brakes, but they fail to take into account the difference between threshold braking on the street versus threshold braking in the dirt.

Obviously there is gobs of traction on the street and in a high performance sports car you want to the braking pressure to ramp up aggressively.

But grabby brakes are the last thing you want on dirt because that would result in a lockup and loss of control every time you brushed the brakes. Instead, the "soft" and "mushy" brakes give us better modulation on loose traction surfaces so we don't lock up the brakes as easily and we have better control.

The Raptor's brakes feel lazy and weak on the street, but they weren't designed to excel on the street. But as others have noted, when you get on them all the way, they have a lot of stopping power. But the 17" rotors overheat easily during heavy braking so hot lapping the raptor at the local track probably isn't a good idea.

 

[brettmess24]

People often criticize the Raptor's brakes, but they fail to take into account the difference between threshold braking on the street versus threshold braking in the dirt.

Obviously there is gobs of traction on the street and in a high performance sports car you want to the braking pressure to ramp up aggressively.

But grabby brakes are the last thing you want on dirt because that would result in a lockup and loss of control every time you brushed the brakes. Instead, the "soft" and "mushy" brakes give us better modulation on loose traction surfaces so we don't lock up the brakes as easily and we have better control.

The Raptor's brakes feel lazy and weak on the street, but they weren't designed to excel on the street. But as others have noted, when you get on them all the way, they have a lot of stopping power. But the 17" rotors overheat easily during heavy braking so hot lapping the raptor at the local track probably isn't a good idea.

Your contradicting your self here or I miss understood your enjoying “soft” and “mushy” and “lack of modulation” is that right?

A BBK with pistons on both sides and floating rotors will not only increase stopping power and reduce heat, save weight, they also give much better modulation then an off and on switch....

I wouldn’t describe any BBK or proper caliper to be “grabby”

I believe your saying 17” wheels not rotors...?

Sorry hotlap for the thread jack here!

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