Listen Up New Owners!!

[skyscraper]

Don't we all!!

 

[R1jamn]

Found the Problem

I got underneath the Raptor to see what is going on with this bumper being out of alignment.
Several areas could have been the culprit.

The left and right side of the bumper is bolted to brackets.
These brackets are welded on to the towing hitch.
The towing hitch is bolted to the frame.

I removed the rear bumper to see exactly what the problem was.
What I found is that the brackets are at an angle.
The left hand side is much worse than the right hand side.
This is why there is a larger separation on the drivers side.

The bumper actually angles on both sides but it is much worse on the drivers side.(bumper is being forced into a V shape because of the angled brackets).
It is causing tension/preload on the whole assembly. The weak point will be the black plastic bumper pad.

The fix would be to replace the tow hitch with another Ford OEM tow hitch.
Getting one that is fabricated to a desirable tolerance could be a crap shoot though.


Pic #1 shows the highest point of the angle on my bumper.("V" shape)

Pic #2 shows the drivers side mounting bracket with a severe angle on it. (I have clamped a parallel to it for a better visual).

Pic #3 is the passenger side mounting bracket. It also has an angle to it, but not as severe as the driver side.

 

[Mad Max]

A lot of the Oxford White Raptors also have mismatched paint. Be sure to look for any hue differences between the doors and front fenders. Some are worse than others.

<<< You can even tell a slight difference in my profile pic (that pic taken at the dealership when bought new). The fenders are a brighter white, whereas the doors and bed have more of a gray'ish-white tone.

 

[Radar]

I am new to tis forum, But wanted to say thanks for the heads up.
I hope to be picking my 14 Ruby Red SE Screw up in about 3 weeks.
So I now know some of what I should be looking for.

 

[debordj]

You are snake bit. Sorry brother.