SVT Comments on Raptor Frame Bending

[pirate air]

You can tell all he wanted to say was "look the Raptor isn't a trophy truck with 36" of travel with a reinforced chromoly chassis. It's production based truck with the best developed offroad/daily driver suspension we could come up with. Even with the truck being pushed way beyond its limits, it held together and still got you home....what else do you want???"...... Hahahaha, at least that's what I got out of it

Haha, thats what he should have said! Too many umms, and ahhss.. and ohh... It didn't sound confident. He did a better job on the first interview about it and should have just left it at that.

 

[Raptorguy21]

Haha, thats what he should have said! Too many umms, and ahhss.. and ohh... It didn't sound confident. He did a better job on the first interview about it and should have just left it at that.

For sure he wasn't confident, but he didn't do too bad for being put on the spot......

 

[Bad company]

Droop travel is important because it keeps the tires in contact with the ground better. Why is that important? Cause you may want to turn AND go over a bumps at the same time. It also prevents the vehicle from riding like crap, because you would have to increase the spring rates to ride higher (all other things being equal).

So if you like the ride, and you like not rolling over on corners, you LOVE droop travel on your suspension.

There is nothing wrong with the bump stops. Some people have recommended simple changes to the suspension geometry to improve travel especially in the rear. You think that we are catching stuff that Ford missed? (those darn SVT engineers ought to be out on the street). My guess is that it is designed specifically so that the full range of the $700 shocks (each) is effectively used.

In vehicle design, especially in suspension design, you have to make a lot of compromises. Ride, cost, stability, weight carrying capacity, handling, NVH, and "feel" are all important parameters.

This is not a "defect". Some folks, hitting a 12" bump at 60MPH found a weakspot, that didn't disable his vehicle, wreck the drivetrain, or bottom out and destroy $1,400 in rear shocks.

They uh, drove too fast over a big bump. For there not to have been damage, the suspension would have to have effectively transferred a load of over 120,000 pounds of force to the frame over the range of travel (calculations are found in another thread), or had sufficient vertical travel.

The total fix is NOT some chunks of 1/8" steel plate. The only real fix is a TON more travel front and rear, which will cost a LOT of money, and screw up things like ride, cargo capacity, stability, handling, and towing capacity.

Or you can you know, slow down over unfamiliar terrain, and learn how to use your vehicle without breaking it.

 

[debate]

There is nothing wrong with the bump stops.

In his Autoblog interview, Mr. Hameedi described the Failure Effects Mode Analysis of the rubber baby buggy bumpers under extremely heavy strikes from the rear axle. According to the description, the steel mounting cups would collapse before the frame was bent over the rear axle or the middle/rear modular frame connection yielded.

From the photos I've seen, the cups didn't collapse. Perhaps a better F.E.M.A. model should consider how the leaf springs are damaging the middle/rear modular frame connections.

Potential frame problems aren't restricted to high speed off-roading. Using a Raptor for towing or hauling could potential cause frame problems. Please remember that the Raptor SCrew is rated for a 1,770 payload according to FoMoCo

 

[Trig]

You can tell all he wanted to say was "look the Raptor isn't a trophy truck with 36" of travel with a reinforced chromoly chassis. It's production based truck with the best developed offroad/daily driver suspension we could come up with. Even with the truck being pushed way beyond its limits, it held together and still got you home....what else do you want???"...... Hahahaha, at least that's what I got out of it

That's really all he had to say.

 

[Hockster]

Droop travel is important because it keeps the tires in contact with the ground better. Why is that important? Cause you may want to turn AND go over a bumps at the same time. It also prevents the vehicle from riding like crap, because you would have to increase the spring rates to ride higher (all other things being equal).

So if you like the ride, and you like not rolling over on corners, you LOVE droop travel on your suspension.

There is nothing wrong with the bump stops. Some people have recommended simple changes to the suspension geometry to improve travel especially in the rear. You think that we are catching stuff that Ford missed? (those darn SVT engineers ought to be out on the street). My guess is that it is designed specifically so that the full range of the $700 shocks (each) is effectively used.

In vehicle design, especially in suspension design, you have to make a lot of compromises. Ride, cost, stability, weight carrying capacity, handling, NVH, and "feel" are all important parameters.

This is not a "defect". Some folks, hitting a 12" bump at 60MPH found a weakspot, that didn't disable his vehicle, wreck the drivetrain, or bottom out and destroy $1,400 in rear shocks.

They uh, drove too fast over a big bump. For there not to have been damage, the suspension would have to have effectively transferred a load of over 120,000 pounds of force to the frame over the range of travel (calculations are found in another thread), or had sufficient vertical travel.

The total fix is NOT some chunks of 1/8" steel plate. The only real fix is a TON more travel front and rear, which will cost a LOT of money, and screw up things like ride, cargo capacity, stability, handling, and towing capacity.

Or you can you know, slow down over unfamiliar terrain, and learn how to use your vehicle without breaking it.

Ha ha ha... I like it!!! But someone will say you are wrong... Some guys want this truck to perform like the trophy truck you are talking about for 50k... The ask why did Ford make that the spot to bend. They dont understand what engineering a vehicle to mass proudce for the public intails!!!

 

[bstoner59]

Ha ha ha... I like it!!! But someone will say you are wrong... Some guys want this truck to perform like the trophy truck you are talking about for 50k... The ask why did Ford make that the spot to bend. They dont understand what engineering a vehicle to mass proudce for the public intails!!!

Or how adding one little thing like an air bumpstop kit can screw with the whole assembly process. Trying to add a simple thing like that into the assembly line of the F150 would cost money. All the parts on the Raptor replace existing F150 parts. There would have to be a whole new station to install these kits or weld them to the frame. You now what kind of money that costs? A lot! There is no return on investment when they are selling maybe 12,000-15,000 units a year. I bet you wouldn't get a Raptor for $50,000 if Ford did that. This is how the after market started for cars. Take the weakness of a mass produced vehicle and fix it according to your needs. Think of all the people that have ben able to create a business model catering to the needs of Raptor owners! Even racecars and trophy trucks break...everything does.

 

[Hockster]

Or how adding one little thing like an air bumpstop kit can screw with the whole assembly process. Trying to add a simple thing like that into the assembly line of the F150 would cost money. All the parts on the Raptor replace existing F150 parts. There would have to be a whole new station to install these kits or weld them to the frame. You now what kind of money that costs? A lot! There is no return on investment when they are selling maybe 12,000-15,000 units a year. I bet you wouldn't get a Raptor for $50,000 if Ford did that. This is how the after market started for cars. Take the weakness of a mass produced vehicle and fix it according to your needs. Think of all the people that have ben able to create a business model catering to the needs of Raptor owners! Even racecars and trophy trucks break...everything does.

Ya for sure... Cost is everything on a mass produced vehicle...

 

[debate]

The ask why did Ford make that the spot to bend. They dont understand what engineering a vehicle to mass proudce for the public intails!!!

FoMoCo can credit much of the negative publicity to the SVT "engineer" who designed the extremely robust shelves on the lift blocks. No reason for that much distance above the axle.

 

[Hockster]

FoMoCo can credit much of the negative publicity to the SVT "engineer" who designed the extremely robust shelves on the lift blocks. No reason for that much distance above the axle.

What negative publicity...