SVT Comments on Raptor Frame Bending

[Aaron]

Complaints, criticism and questions about why Ford didn't do ____ or ____. Seriously guys, why not criticize GM/Chevy, Dodge and Toyota? They haven't sold a production truck anywhere near as capable as Ford's Raptor.

And if you're worried about the truck not handling abuse then you're free to spend a lot more money on the products that some of you think Ford should provide on their stock Raptor truck.

The fact is that a very small number of Raptors have had the kind of problems he's talking about and virtually all of them were driven beyond their design/performance envelope.

Every vehicle you can buy can always be designed better but the manufacturers have a LOT of issues to consider beyond what those who take the vehicles to extremes are making issues about.

I actually AM in the market for the aftermarket solution to a problem I may or may not have to worry about in the future. Maybe it's just me, but I don't like bottoming out on that little "jounce bumper" even though I probably won't bend my frame. it doesn't sit right with me and the combination of it and the lift block feels half assed to me. So I plan on fixing it.

I don't see a single thing wrong with discussing how SVT could make a great truck even better. You see it as complaining, I see it as constructive criticism. We all love this truck otherwise we wouldn't be here. We love it enough that we care about seeing it improve. Maybe the things we're talking about here will never get implemented, but it's at least good to get them out in public instead of just throwing pennies in a wishing well and hoping that SVT hears our wishes.

That's my take on it at least.

 

[Nv Guy]

I think the existing bump stop and lift blocks are half ass when compared to the engineering that went into the rest of the truck. Spacer blocks is the best they could come up with? Couldn’t make up some springs with a bit more arch? Couldn’t engineer something better?
But then the money side of my brain speaks up and reminds me that Ford had to stop somewhere or the Raptor would have turned into a $150,000+ vehicle that hardly anyone could afford. And even then people would have been bitching that it only has 28” (or whatever) of travel.
In the end, it’s a production vehicle & for a production vehicle it does a pretty good job.

 

[MagicMtnDan]

I actually AM in the market for the aftermarket solution to a problem I may or may not have to worry about in the future. Maybe it's just me, but I don't like bottoming out on that little "jounce bumper" even though I probably won't bend my frame. it doesn't sit right with me and the combination of it and the lift block feels half assed to me. So I plan on fixing it.

I don't see a single thing wrong with discussing how SVT could make a great truck even better. You see it as complaining, I see it as constructive criticism. We all love this truck otherwise we wouldn't be here. We love it enough that we care about seeing it improve. Maybe the things we're talking about here will never get implemented, but it's at least good to get them out in public instead of just throwing pennies in a wishing well and hoping that SVT hears our wishes.

That's my take on it at least.

You're right, there's nothing wrong wiht talking about how SVT could have made a great truck better. Or talking about how owners can make a great truck better. This forum is all about those things and talking about the customization using the terrific products the many vendors have designed and offer for sale.

But it is complaining when people criticize Ford for not pouring even more money into engineering and development to create a factory pickup that could perform even better than it already does (for the 0.X% of owners who could actually use it). And the engineering and testing is one set of costs and then there's the increased production costs that would have required even (far) higher sell prices. None of that is practical when many are already excluded from buying a Raptor because of its already very high price.


NV Guy gets it...

I think the existing bump stop and lift blocks are half ass when compared to the engineering that went into the rest of the truck. Spacer blocks is the best they could come up with? Couldn’t make up some springs with a bit more arch? Couldn’t engineer something better?
But then the money side of my brain speaks up and reminds me that Ford had to stop somewhere or the Raptor would have turned into a $150,000+ vehicle that hardly anyone could afford. And even then people would have been bitching that it only has 28” (or whatever) of travel.
In the end, it’s a production vehicle & for a production vehicle it does a pretty good job.

 

[vanilla_gorilla]

12 feet of travel? Holy ****!

LOL...yeah, it's a 2011 ONLY option, not available on the 2012's...sorry.

oops, wrong tick mark...lol

 

[CineSLR]

Seriously guys, why not criticize GM/Chevy, Dodge and Toyota?.

Believe me, I do.
Dodge? thats just too easy...
GM? GET OFF YOUR ASS and make something new! You OWE us this much...
Toyota? You really screwed the pooch when you decided you wanted to be just another one of the big three. You chose quantity over quality and it shows.

You might not realize this but its our JOB as consumers to give feedback. Not be fanboys which seems to be the current online trend. America wasn't built on people settling for what they are given by big corporations. Hence all the great products created by the aftermarket. A smart auto company should be doing everything they can to help the aftermarket and learn everything they can from what they do to make the products the sell better. If people are willing to pay out the nose for it in the aftermarket, chances are they would like it from the factory. People with your mentality have allowed GM to get away with making the same vehicles for the last 20 years (obviously there are some exceptions). An ill-informed company/democracy is impossible. Unless of course your "too big to fail" in which case someone ELSE has to pay out the ass for your mistakes. Could you imagine a world without Chrystler or GM? That is the world we would be living in, if it weren't for us, the tax payers. Ford wasn't far off, the only thing that kept it afloat was its strong european division. Hence why Mulalley wanting to bridge that gap.

And for my last rant...
Let me start with the fact that I'm no engineer! But the idea of placing a rubber knob on the under side of something as important as the frame and expect it to dissipate all the force required of it (see other thread about those #s) seems not only backwards but idiotic and more like an afterthought than anything else. And the oh, well for most people that should have probably bought a regular F150 won't care on their way to the mall is no excuse. That is what the FX4 is for, and honestly I would expect something like that on an FX4. Not the lower production "SVT" Raptor...

Rant off... seems like its time to get the blood sugars up!

 

[Foreigner]

You're right, there's nothing wrong wiht talking about how SVT could have made a great truck better. Or talking about how owners can make a great truck better. This forum is all about those things and talking about the customization using the terrific products the many vendors have designed and offer for sale.

But it is complaining when people criticize Ford for not pouring even more money into engineering and development to create a factory pickup that could perform even better than it already does (for the 0.X% of owners who could actually use it). And the engineering and testing is one set of costs and then there's the increased production costs that would have required even (far) higher sell prices. None of that is practical when many are already excluded from buying a Raptor because of its already very high price.


NV Guy gets it...

If MMD, I'm with you. But if Ford could with the secondary market with respect to the Mustang to beat the game (Steeda, Saleen, Roush and even Carroll Shelby), why not do it with the Raptor?.

There is no doubt that reinforcement is required (at least a reinforcing plate to prevent deformation), that would not affect the geometry and / or standards that all companies must comply with the government.

(For the idiots who believed that this truck was a Trophy Truck, better not to talk)

Example:

Ford Raptor Jumping (Nose Dive) - YouTube

Regards

(I apologize if there are spelling or grammar, I'm not a native speaker)

 

[GRT4DRT]

Ford Fanboy MMD... your position on this issue is SO predictable. I'm surprised it took you so long to pontificate here in FRF. Nobody's "complaining"....that was in your head on SVTO, and it's in your head now. It's pretty simple observation from real-world experience. I'm not an engineer either, but, I can see that a rubber stopper used as jounce stop might be a weak spot.

And please don't feed me that "Bending the frame is better than being stranded" crap....

Warm Regards and Welcome to FRF!

 

[F=m*a]

Modes of Failure. Engineering analysis of what component will fail and in what order.

Mode 1. the cheapest and most simple repair.
Mode 2. costs a little more then mode 1 and a little more difficult to repair.
Mode 3... get the concept?
Mode (Last). the driver and passengers walk away and hope that they have cell phone coverage.

Lets think about this a little.
The frame is to yield (bend) prior to a tire popping or wheel failing? as per Ford??

has anyone ever popped a tire or broken a wheel prior to the frame yielding?

tires are cheap respectfully... I have not gone to ford and asked them how much to R and R a frame. have you?

 

[debate]

has anyone ever popped a tire or broken a wheel prior to the frame yielding?

tires are cheap respectfully... I have not gone to ford and asked them how much to R and R a frame. have you?

are you asking for the Raptor payload rating? I checked the company build site and for an SCrew it's 1,770 lbs:

Ford

is there something wrong with our tires? some owners got replacement sets under warranty, but mine look good

 

[Raptorguy21]

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