New Raptor Owner, Is The Truck SUPPOSED To Feel Like This?

[LeadFoot42]

Hey all,

So I picked up my 2018 Raptor SuperCrew a couple of days ago. It has 35k miles on it. It was originally a manufacturer buyback for a valve/valve cover issue. I took it for a long test drive of course and, as it is my first pickup truck, it felt fine and I figured anything that felt odd to me was just it being a pickup and me not being used to it.

After a couple of days of driving I'm noticing a few things that are kinda odd. When coasting to a stop, like coming up on a distant intersection, the truck feels like it's "bumping," and that's the best way I can describe it. Like as it's slowing down, without the brakes applied, the truck is gradually slowing but then slows down more dramatically for half a second, and it does this repeatedly. It's almost feels like someone is gently pressing on the brake. Is this just the 10-speed transmission doing its thing? I'm already not super crazy about the transmission as it seems to do whatever it wants, and when shifting from reverse into drive I single dramatic bump in the cabin that is enough for my wife to look at me like I broke it.

There are a few other odds and ends that I've been dealing with, like the truck feeling more wobbly than I think it should. Perhaps I let all the reviews stating "Oh it's like riding in an S-Class it's so smooth!" get into my head but when driving on country roads it feels a bit like I'm in a rollercoaster.

Again, this is my first truck. I've ridden in plenty of trucks but never been consistently behind the wheel of one, which is a different thing entirely. Are these all just the quirks of it being a performance truck or are these issues I should be bringing up with the dealer? I don't know if the truck ever had the cam phaser / engine shudder / etc field service work done or not. They all appear on the carfax though and I've asked the dealer who is checking them for me to see if they were performed (I naively assumed that the dealer would do this work by default when reselling a used car but apparently not).

Anyway, any help is appreciated. Here's my truck.

 

[nikhsub1]

So the trans will downshift when slowing down. I like it personally. I think that is what you are describing. Wobbly/floaty is a thing with the 2017/2018 as they don’t have the live valve shocks but you are at 35k miles and nearing a shock rebuild. A front level kit (collars) do help a bit with the marshmallow feeling, at least it did for me. I eventually put the 3.0s on though.

 

[Sloracer]

Welcome to the place! I noticed a big difference in the "ride" when I adjusted the psi in the tires down to 36 in the front and 34 in the rear. Seems to be a sweet spot if the bed is empty. I have a 2018 with more miles and the steering and ride is firm if anything, definitely doesn't feel loose or wobbly so keep an eye on that! Enjoy your new truck!

 

[CoronaRaptor]

Put the truck in neutral when slowing down and see if you still get that "grabbing " feeling, then try in 4h, etc, report back. Should rule out everything but the transmission shifting. Try the air pressure adjustment as others have said. These trucks should ride smooth unless you have tire/suspension/driveline issues.

 

[torrin]

Hey all,

So I picked up my 2018 Raptor SuperCrew a couple of days ago. It has 35k miles on it. It was originally a manufacturer buyback for a valve/valve cover issue. I took it for a long test drive of course and, as it is my first pickup truck, it felt fine and I figured anything that felt odd to me was just it being a pickup and me not being used to it.

After a couple of days of driving I'm noticing a few things that are kinda odd. When coasting to a stop, like coming up on a distant intersection, the truck feels like it's "bumping," and that's the best way I can describe it. Like as it's slowing down, without the brakes applied, the truck is gradually slowing but then slows down more dramatically for half a second, and it does this repeatedly. It's almost feels like someone is gently pressing on the brake. Is this just the 10-speed transmission doing its thing? I'm already not super crazy about the transmission as it seems to do whatever it wants, and when shifting from reverse into drive I single dramatic bump in the cabin that is enough for my wife to look at me like I broke it.

There are a few other odds and ends that I've been dealing with, like the truck feeling more wobbly than I think it should. Perhaps I let all the reviews stating "Oh it's like riding in an S-Class it's so smooth!" get into my head but when driving on country roads it feels a bit like I'm in a rollercoaster.

Again, this is my first truck. I've ridden in plenty of trucks but never been consistently behind the wheel of one, which is a different thing entirely. Are these all just the quirks of it being a performance truck or are these issues I should be bringing up with the dealer? I don't know if the truck ever had the cam phaser / engine shudder / etc field service work done or not. They all appear on the carfax though and I've asked the dealer who is checking them for me to see if they were performed (I naively assumed that the dealer would do this work by default when reselling a used car but apparently not).

Anyway, any help is appreciated. Here's my truck.


I had 35k on my '18 Raptor before I sold it and traded up to a TRX. As others mentioned, listen on deceleration to see if the truck is down shifting, that is likely the issue. As for the ride, my '18 was as smooth as the day I bought it new, so that ride thing sounds wrong, unless it was heavily used high speed offroad, then it is likely your shocks needing a rebuild.

 

[FordTechOne]

Trans downshifting as you slow down is normal operation. What is the truck’s build date?

 

[Lizard]

OP, you may want to see if it was tuned by the previous owner(s). Sometimes the tranmission behaves rougher after it had a tune.

 

[LeadFoot42]

Trans downshifting as you slow down is normal operation. What is the truck’s build date?

Build date is 11/1/2017

OP, you may want to see if it was tuned by the previous owner(s). Sometimes the tranmission behaves rougher after it had a tune.

I had thought of this as well. The previous owner put a cold air intake on it and the exhaust also sounds different than the other raptor I test drove the same day. It wouldn't surprise me if it was tuned. How would I go about checking this though? Is there a way to reset it besides taking it to the dealer?

 

[TwizzleStix]

If it has the original tires, the wobbly/floaty feeling and likely the other odd feeling when coasting down is caused by the cupping of the tires. 35k is right where they start making noise and other odd, but normal behaviors. It’s caused by driving on mostly pavement and the negative camber in the front.
Unless the shocks are leaking or otherwise damaged they are fine and not causing a problem. Likely never will unless you do s lot of high-speed desert running.

 

[NASSTY]

Looks like it has Toyo tires. Are they load range E?