Reverse perch, am i the first?

[BDRAG]

I'm mid-perched and I find that the front end response is perfect to my driving style...hated the nose dive on the stock setting. Now I need to focus my attention to the rear of the truck...visually it sits almost level, however, by the time I add a little cargo in the bed and even hook up to a 12' trailer, the rear end sinks lower than the front. I'm leaning towards adding a leaf spring to the pack to get the rear end back up. I don't want to use a bag system (yet), because I want the rear to be raised around an inch higher when unloaded...to give it almost the same raked look as factory.

Then I suggest installing the Devers leaf spring package, the one that adds just 1 inch of height to the rear and I think I read where it adds about 400 lbs of load ability. I was going to do that before I did the reverse perch. This is a 9 leaf pack I think. Spose to still give the truck the original axle travel. The 1" also uses the OEM bump stop perch that comes on the OEM leaf set up.

BDRAG

 

[fasteddiefrisk]

In the research I did before buying my Raptor and then again when I was debating about mid perch I found a couple of articles (one I thought somewhere on the FRF forum) that said when the engineers designed and tested the prototyped Raptors that it was all done at mid perch, all steering, shock, and suspension engineered around it. When they went for final Dot the headlights were too high and they had No other choice but to drop it to the low perch setting. That's why most Raptor owners love their mid perch setting with stock shock as the is the way it was designed to be ran. Now when you go to aftermarket shocks I'm guessing the shock company's do there own engineering/testing and have their rideheigth set up for what works best for them...

 

[BDRAG]

when the engineers designed and tested the prototyped Raptors that it was all done at mid perch, all steering, shock, and suspension engineered around it. When they went for final Dot the headlights were too high and they had No other choice but to drop it to the low perch setting. That's why most Raptor owners love their mid perch setting with stock shock as the is the way it was designed to be ran. Now when you go to aftermarket shocks I'm guessing the shock company's do there own engineering/testing and have their rideheigth set up for what works best for them...

I have also heard both of those stories. I can not believe that the engineers just dropped the front end and said DONE when there was a height issue, be it headlights or bumper height. The truck does such a variety of tasks so well at OEM settings, from the stability control to the braking and abs and all the computer crap that works great for the truck on the street and some off roading.

Now I am not in any way stating that the Raptor does not preform better off road at mid perch since I have NOT had my truck on any OFF ROAD courses with it set to mid perch. I have however done some hard driving at OEM settings and the truck works for me sept on the real harry stuff like high speed large dips. I am only comparing how my truck drove on the street day to day both ways.

I know several local Raptor owners that have become my friends over the last 3 plus years, some run top perch on the street and I bet that must really suck. But its their truck and their driving style. For me mine at OEM height is what I enjoy. I do wish I had a load increase button next to the off road mode button. HAhaaaa.

BDRAG

 

[TurboEd]

Personally disagree with the looking better level part seeing only pictures. It's easily reversed so I guess I could try it and come to my own conclusions more responsibly. Been curious about it since it is so popular.

So Ford just lowered a final product? Lol instead of just readjusting the beams? I will try and find that info and have fun with it. Cannot believe that through all years in production they did not revise the headlight height issue. That does not sound very smart at all.

Then I read somewhere in here that 2012 or 13 up going mid perch could cause problems? Is that true? If so. What kind of problem?

 

[Mad Max]

Then I suggest installing the Devers leaf spring package, the one that adds just 1 inch of height to the rear and I think I read where it adds about 400 lbs of load ability. I was going to do that before I did the reverse perch. This is a 9 leaf pack I think. Spose to still give the truck the original axle travel. The 1" also uses the OEM bump stop perch that comes on the OEM leaf set up.

BDRAG

I read a couple of threads on that here...but seems like there was a lot of guys saying they eventually experienced the rear starting to sag after a year or so with aftermarket spring packs - mostly Nationals, but a couple of them had Deavers. Maybe the aftermarkets have adjusted their quality since then. The only folks that I haven't heard have any settling, were the ones that just added another single leaf to the factory spring pack.

 

[DieselD]

BDRAG, I had the very same experience on mid perch. I did mine and drove it for a couple weeks and eventuality went back to stock. I had the same driveability related issues that you described. Also I noticed the loss in down travel which it seems most people seem to ignore. I could get the front to full extension over small speed humps in my neighborhood fairly easy and it was harsh doing so, stock It would soak it right up no issue. Off-road I had similar experiences to what I say on the pavement. That extra height has to come from somewhere and is not magically added with the change in spring mounting thus loosing 1.5" of down travel. You cant have your cake and eat it too......This is where the aftermarket comes into play. I think the best option is to upgrade the front and rear suspension at the same time if you plan to hammer on it in the dirt.

I do not buy into the "ford designed it that way then lowered it for dot last min" theory. Its simply that, a theory. There is no actual proof this was the case just hear say. With that said I do believe ford would have tested different suspension setups in preproduction then choose whats best for production. With what I experienced on mid perch I would put money on it that there was other things changed along with the shocks to get the setup they wanted for whatever reason they decided.

 

[oplersx]

All of sudden people hate mid-perch now? damn, I just did it yesterday .. personally, I don't feel much difference in terms of driving character. A little bit stiffer, that's for sure.

 

[DieselD]

I dont hate it but it was not for me and from reading this thread that is the OP feelings as well. I did not find it was worth all the hype and the lack of down travel was a big negative for me so I went back to stock. Try it for yourself and see what you think, you might just love how it drives

 

[Hasty]

For me I personally love the height increase as well as the additional compression dampening. However the harsh rebound, skittish street handling and potential warranty issues out weigh the benefits in my humble opinion. I'm definitely in the minority corner of mid perchers. I came to terms that with my young children being with me on 99% of off road adventures that stock perch is just a better fit for our modest off roading.

I'm pretty sure I read that if there was a DOT rule that prevented mid perch it was roll stability, again here say and rumors!


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[BDRAG]

WOW! I don't feel so fat and old now! HAhaaaaa.

So far it seems like some that have gone to the mid perch have had the same experience as I have with ride, drivability and function. It sounds like there is a benefit to mid perch for certain people and some just want it the way it was designed till such a time comes along that the 4 corners are all massaged at the same time to keep some sense of normalcy.

Thanks for all the honest replies. Keep them coming.

BDRAG