Donmatteo
FRF Addict
I really have yet to read here that someone actually needed it/used it / depended on it to get out of something.
Ranger vs F150
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Every time Ford or any other OEM offers a new Model it’s a giant crap shoot of enticing certain buyers without alienating others. In many ways buyers have gotten much more savvy, due in no small way to the availability of just about every detail of both old and new models on the WWW. It’s difficult enough trying to differentiate yourself from another manufacturer without having to make one of your own models look more appealing than another. Yet, that is the task at hand.
What makes it so difficult to look equal to or better than a F150 Raptor is the fact that when the Gen One was designed, it was a vision of a dedicated group of enthusiasts, who also happened to be crackpot Engineers at FOMOCO, and who basically where given free hand to come up with not only a new product, but also to pioneer an entire new class of vehicle for this project.
Their efforts and the outcome of those efforts were unique and spectacular! Other OEMs tried to ride in on those apron strings, but soon found out that building a vehicle to compete with a F150 Raptor was more complicated than bolting together a bunch of components that look good together on a parts list and specs for a new truck. Those early SVT efforts are directly responsible for all of us that love our F150 Raptors still being infected all of these years later.
I’m not going to get into the whole V-6 versus V-8 debate, but even that was the result of dedicated engineers designing a platform that worked well with a lighter, smaller engine, that not only offered improved performance over the V-8 but also made the Raptor that much more unique. If only it would have sounded like a V-8.
So, after competitors profitted from stuffing a big V-8 into a full sized 1/2 ton truck platform, this was the first real threat to the the full sized F150 Raptor, even though truthfully for what the Raptor had been designed to do, the TRX really did not offer as balanced a performance. But the die was cast.
The truth is that even the same manufacturer has difficulty producing the same success across different platforms, and all the platforms serve different tastes. The new Broncos are different from an F150 based Raptor. And that holds for the Braptor as well. Just as the Ranger and its Raptor versions will do certain things better, and others worse, than our beloved F150 Raptors. Others in my family own Broncos in both 2 and 4 door versions, and even those two feel vastly different from each other. As they should, if they succeeded with their design objectives.
Some things just are not directly comparable-they just feel and act different. This is a good thing since it offers real choice, rather than just another of the same that only looks different. I for one really appreciate reading all of the different information that members of this forum bring to the table. If I just read those posts and the information they present, I believe that much more than the propaganda I get from reading publications that directly profit from OEM advertising revenue.
So, keep it up, but keep it civil and informative. Not personal. Most of us are here for the same reason. We love our Trucks and different variations there of. Oh, and let’s not always try to compare oranges to pineapples.
What makes it so difficult to look equal to or better than a F150 Raptor is the fact that when the Gen One was designed, it was a vision of a dedicated group of enthusiasts, who also happened to be crackpot Engineers at FOMOCO, and who basically where given free hand to come up with not only a new product, but also to pioneer an entire new class of vehicle for this project.
Their efforts and the outcome of those efforts were unique and spectacular! Other OEMs tried to ride in on those apron strings, but soon found out that building a vehicle to compete with a F150 Raptor was more complicated than bolting together a bunch of components that look good together on a parts list and specs for a new truck. Those early SVT efforts are directly responsible for all of us that love our F150 Raptors still being infected all of these years later.
I’m not going to get into the whole V-6 versus V-8 debate, but even that was the result of dedicated engineers designing a platform that worked well with a lighter, smaller engine, that not only offered improved performance over the V-8 but also made the Raptor that much more unique. If only it would have sounded like a V-8.
So, after competitors profitted from stuffing a big V-8 into a full sized 1/2 ton truck platform, this was the first real threat to the the full sized F150 Raptor, even though truthfully for what the Raptor had been designed to do, the TRX really did not offer as balanced a performance. But the die was cast.
The truth is that even the same manufacturer has difficulty producing the same success across different platforms, and all the platforms serve different tastes. The new Broncos are different from an F150 based Raptor. And that holds for the Braptor as well. Just as the Ranger and its Raptor versions will do certain things better, and others worse, than our beloved F150 Raptors. Others in my family own Broncos in both 2 and 4 door versions, and even those two feel vastly different from each other. As they should, if they succeeded with their design objectives.
Some things just are not directly comparable-they just feel and act different. This is a good thing since it offers real choice, rather than just another of the same that only looks different. I for one really appreciate reading all of the different information that members of this forum bring to the table. If I just read those posts and the information they present, I believe that much more than the propaganda I get from reading publications that directly profit from OEM advertising revenue.
So, keep it up, but keep it civil and informative. Not personal. Most of us are here for the same reason. We love our Trucks and different variations there of. Oh, and let’s not always try to compare oranges to pineapples.
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shigman
FRF Addict
The biggest issue I see with the ranger is the 33" tires. Sure the dimensions lead to probably similar approach, depart, break over, but not ground clearance or sidewall thickness.
CruiserClass
Full Access Member
Ford Australia ran 35" tires on their Ranger Raptor Baja 1000 truck, but it did take a front leveling kit. Hennessey package has 35" as well, and there's no mention of suspension modifications in the package.
I would seriously consider buying one of these. It would be perfect for brush choked out two tracks I encounter on hunting trips all over the west. About the ideal western hunting truck in my opinion. The issue is downsizing the crap I bring to make it work. 2 150 quart coolers for elk quarters and there goes the bed, let alone any recovery gear and camping equipment. I did see the payload was 1411lbs - about the same as the F150 Raptor which is interesting.
CruiserClass
Full Access Member
Some of it is likely marketing differentiation. A way to set it apart from the Ram Rebel, etc.
Electronics work, but there's always a trade off. Actuating the brake on the spinning wheel creates heat, and prolonged heavy use will eventually cause brake fade just like riding your brakes down a steep incline. Will many users ever use it that hard? Probably not. But how many people are using any of the vehicles they buy on the extreme outer edge of it's capabilities? It's very comforting to know you're well within the capability envelope, I think.
Rocks2Sand
Full Access Member
This 1000%. Though I have front lockers in my Gladiator & have had in all my Wranglers. Its very few and far apart they are actually needed and this is in a rock crawling environment. The F-150 Raptor in the environment it was intended would arguably need the torsen even less than the Jeep needs the front locker. I feel the electronic brake modulation is enough to get you through most situations you may be in as the truck is so large, not a whole lot of rock crawling going on....
The Ranger can fit a in a lot more places and cold make much better use of that front locker. The segment the Tremor is aimed at also warrants a front traction device to be competitive.
Badgertits
FRF Addict
I had a ‘98 ranger that went 178k miles w/o issue until my friend totaled it, then had an ‘89 Ranger that went 280k miles on the original clutch!! Brake lines blew on me so I took it the junk yard lol, used it as a beater for a couple seasons during winter/bad weather when I was trying to keep my GTO in good shape.A good friend owned an '85 Ranger back when I owned an '85 Toyota. It was such absolute garbage in comparison that I'll wait for the ten-year reliability numbers. He replaced the entire drive train save the engine in the first 50k miles. He sold it at 50k when the warranty expired. My rule of thumb ever since is to buy full-sized trucks from Americans and mini trucks from the Japanese. It's worked beautifully for forty years. It's going to take a lot to change my mind. Much as I like the size of the Ranger, I will never volunteer to be the probe unit. Too worried about getting probed, if you get my drift.
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