firematt422
Full Access Member
Here's my super important and anecdotally informed take on the matter...
For the sake of argument, let's lump Fox, Icon and King into the same category of "aftermarket."
That being said, stock shocks are plenty for 90%+ of Raptor drivers. The stock shocks are 2.8's (I believe), most people are opting for 3.0's. From what I've heard the difference is there... but is it worth it? An external reservoir upfront is a good upside, but I'm still not convinced.
At TRR I noticed a potential issue with aftermarket shocks. There will always be a weak link, and with 3.0's your weak link becomes the shock mounts. They need reinforcement. The stock shocks aren't as "powerful" but they are well-tuned for all types of terrain. If your aftermarket shocks are not correctly tuned, you're asking for trouble.
In my all important opinion, upgraded leafs and possibly a bump stop set-up should afford you much better bang for your buck than shocks. If you can afford everything, go for it. But, like I said 90%+ of owners are fine stock, but many owners (occasional yet "spirited" off-roaders) would be better off with springs and bumps than bigger shocks.
For the sake of argument, let's lump Fox, Icon and King into the same category of "aftermarket."
That being said, stock shocks are plenty for 90%+ of Raptor drivers. The stock shocks are 2.8's (I believe), most people are opting for 3.0's. From what I've heard the difference is there... but is it worth it? An external reservoir upfront is a good upside, but I'm still not convinced.
At TRR I noticed a potential issue with aftermarket shocks. There will always be a weak link, and with 3.0's your weak link becomes the shock mounts. They need reinforcement. The stock shocks aren't as "powerful" but they are well-tuned for all types of terrain. If your aftermarket shocks are not correctly tuned, you're asking for trouble.
In my all important opinion, upgraded leafs and possibly a bump stop set-up should afford you much better bang for your buck than shocks. If you can afford everything, go for it. But, like I said 90%+ of owners are fine stock, but many owners (occasional yet "spirited" off-roaders) would be better off with springs and bumps than bigger shocks.
and even with all the driving on the track I did in my GT500, when I sold it with 20k miles, maybe 2000 miles were track or performance driving miles. I came to the conclusion that upgrading the suspension was a stupid modification, because I gave up comfort 90% of my seat time for what? 3 or 4 irrelevant seconds off of a lap when the car was still fun as hell on the track stock? Your viewpoint may vary- SPRSNKs opinion DEFINITELY would, but I get so much satisfaction in driving a stock truck on that torture test we call TRR, and then pulling the trailer home and going to work Monday morning.
It needs all the help it can get as they can't turn a corner without mods.
