Houston we have a problem! (the bent frame thread)

[SOCOMech]

After reading and analyzing everything I could find, on the bent Frame issue, one thing just keeps nagging me. All the crazy stuff you see on YouTube, Raptors jumping, sunk in the mud and so on, why only now has this bent frame issue been noticed or happened! Something in the back of my mind is nagging me! I have seen this somewhere before. After running through dozens of YouTube video I found it, back in September 2009 WebRides TV posted a Raptor review, in the review about the 1:07 mark there is a white Raptor in semi slow motion hitting a kicker hard and only the drivers side rear wheel, is it just my eye’s or when the truck stops bouncing the drivers side of the bed, corner closest to the cab no longer matches the other side and no longer sits lever, looks like the bed is twisted. AKA Bent Frame! It looks like they had the same damage as the Outlaw Raptor run guys did, from the same type of rear impact. Now let’s say I’m right, why wasn’t this reported by the reviewing crew, or was it, but covered up! No way to know for sure, but watch the video a few times, start and stop it on various bounces caused by the kicker and you tell me! This could possibly be the “SMOKING GUN”



YouTube - ‪2010 Ford SVT Raptor Review‬‏

I'm not seeing anything wrong with it. The suspension isn't really compressed by the time he runs through and that's not all that much air compared to what they've been put through. You can clearly see the bed jiggle but that would be expected on such an off camber hit.....don't see any frame damage or bed out of alignment though.

 

[p38fln]

I'm sure everyone on this site has already seen this - but there is an actual off-road only Raptor available from Ford with a completely different suspension. It can be yours for the low price of only $99,500.00 - which is probably why the production Raptor has a lower grade of parts.

They call it the "Raptor XT - Extreme Terrain" - off road only, no VIN#, just a serial.

Link - Ford Racing Performance Parts

 

[Droid]

not sure about how this relates to the F150 as they only tested the F250 and 2500HD... but it is interesting that the claim of "strongest frame" may not be true. look at 1:30 mark... seems like a problem to me.

YouTube - ‪Chevy Silverado HD | Ep. 4 | Frame Rigidity: Frame Twist‬‏

GM just redesigned the frame on their HD truck for 2010 or 2011. The frame had been carryover from the old body style "GMT800" HDs made from 2001 to 2009 or 2010. IIRC it's fully boxed now, but was not before. Think it's the first fully boxed HD frame. That's what they're advertising here.

F-150s, 2004+ are the most torsionally rigid feeling trucks I've ever driven. Ford has a similar comparison video for half tons: YouTube - ‪Strength of F-150 Backbone Gets Tested‬‏ Chevy does well, Dodge does okay, Toyota does incredible poorly (their frame looks like a bad copy of my 2004 Sierra).

 

[SVTRay]

not sure about how this relates to the F150 as they only tested the F250 and 2500HD... but it is interesting that the claim of "strongest frame" may not be true. look at 1:30 mark... seems like a problem to me.

YouTube - ‪Chevy Silverado HD | Ep. 4 | Frame Rigidity: Frame Twist‬‏

Hum...I wonder if the Ford frame is designed to flex? I drive big trucks hauling Diesel. The frames are designed to flex to keep from braking under high torque. If you ever look at a big truck like a Peter Built for example taking off from a dead stop, the frame will flex. A stiff frame would snap under the same conditions.

 

[19-Kilo]

GM just redesigned the frame on their HD truck for 2010 or 2011. The frame had been carryover from the old body style "GMT800" HDs made from 2001 to 2009 or 2010. IIRC it's fully boxed now, but was not before. Think it's the first fully boxed HD frame. That's what they're advertising here.

F-150s, 2004+ are the most torsionally rigid feeling trucks I've ever driven. Ford has a similar comparison video for half tons: Chevy does well, Dodge does okay, Toyota does incredible poorly (their frame looks like a bad copy of my 2004 Sierra).

Nice... brings back some confidence. Now just to fix that thin rear part by the bump stop...

 

[Raptizzle]

I was handed the factory bumpstop today and all I will say is the thing weighed less then a tennis ball. I'm sure some engineer could explain how the weight of the bumpstop has no relation to the strength.. But the thing just felt like such a weak piece of equipment considering the load it's intended to handle.

 

[SOCOMech]

The whole "Ford marketed it this way" defense is not gonna work. Ford said you could do 80-100mph off road......you certainly can and I and many others have. What you have to realize is that those speeds are attainable when the terrain allows, not at all times. Ford vids and pics show the truck jumping, but they're not taking the jumps at 80mph or hitting kickers at high speeds. It is up to the driver to pay attention and use their head when driving high speed off road, the terrain is constantly changing. Just because a Veyron is advertised to do 250mph doesn't mean you do it on a road course.

 

[crashmc302]

That's good news! Lessons learned the hard way.

No offense brother, but those are lessons that don't need to be learned the hard way, mainly cuz someone else has already. Radios and gps's are common sense. Even though I have a military background, these things were made mandatory by my father back when we went hunting. Very least a laminated strip map w compass and important stuff highlighted and familiarized. Granted 200 miles of strip maps is cumbersome, but it's better than nothing

 

[RaptorScrew]

Just because a Veyron is advertised to do 250mph doesn't mean you do it on a road course.

That's such a great analogy!

 

[SOCOMech]

If you google "raptor bent frame", it's crazy all the talk about it. You gotta love how it's made to sound like it's happened to 100's of trucks So 10 (maybe a couple we haven't heard about?) out of what, close to 16,000 now maybe? And that doesn't even include every other F150 with this frame. Love when stuff gets taken out of context.