The new tilt-a-bed option when running your Raptor hard

[Joe G]

Looking at the Raptor forum and saw this thread.


This would REALLY suck.


I haven't read through the entire thing yet, but just having the problem is bad news IMO.


http://www.raptorforumz.com/showthread.php?t=14208


http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/8356/anglebent.jpg

[Darkside]

Oops, that will cost a few $$$$ to fix

[68fastback]

Ouch!

[Joe G]

Oops, that will cost a few $$$$ to fix

Seems like there's quite a few who are having the issue when running it like a Raptor should be able to run (at speed, over "normal" bumps in dirt/desert type areas).

[Vette Killer]

Good find...interesting issue, I am curious to see how Ford handles this one...it is good to see for the most part guys sharing a lot of information over there, the flare ups were to a minimum

Don't a couple of guys on here have Raptors? Any comments or seeing this issue on yours?

[CH53Driver]

:wow2: I guess the suspension can take 14" of travel but the frame can't.:doh2:

[Black Vert SS]

I haven't hit a bump hard enough to expierence that yet.

[Birdman]

From the looks of these pics I can see why. There is clearly a weak point in the frame where the problem is.

I would advise reinforcing this area before doing any more serious off roading. Hopefully Ford will at the factory level too.

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z234/svtbird91/news%20info/inside_frame_drawing.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z234/svtbird91/news%20info/inside_underneath_frame.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z234/svtbird91/news%20info/outside_frame_drawing.jpg

[Tommy Gun]

Another reason to buy a tried and true F250. :grin:

.

[HSURB]

I can't believe that this didn't show up while testing the mules in early production. In my opinion, this won't be an easy fix.

HSURB®

[Tommy Gun]

I can't believe that this didn't show up while testing the mules in early production. In my opinion, this won't be an easy fix.

HSURB®


I see frames replaced all the time in bodyshops.

They just disassemble your entire truck and have some $10 an hour guy try to put it back some what how it was.

Easy peasy.




:rofl3:

.

[Darkside]

How this didn't happen during the brutal pre-production testing Ford did or during their factory Baja run is incredible.

Like VD said, I haven't run the Raptor hard enough to risk this issue yet.

[Gr8snkbite]

Then you ain't driving it as it was designed for......:tease2:


Seriously tho, why put a big freakin hole in the frame where the mount goes.....that's just idiotic....

[HSURB]

Then you ain't driving it as it was designed for......:tease2:


Seriously tho, why put a big freakin hole in the frame where the mount goes.....that's just idiotic....

You don't have to worry about this if you don't get your toys out of the shed!!!!!!!!!!

HSURB®

[Joe G]

Yeah, if you read through that whole thread (:faint:) there's 2 sides to the feelings.

One is that Ford claims in all their marketing/advertising and even in the owners manual that the truck is meant for off-road use, so they should fix an issue like this due to the fact, as :birdy: posted, they engineered a weak point into an important point in their frame. :doh2:

The other is that if you play with these trucks, then you need to be prepared to pay when you break them.

IMO, there's a blurry line between what is "normal" or accepted off-road fun with the truck, and when you're running the truck beyond what a OEM truck should be able to handle and you get into a more heavy-duty area where you're going to break something unless you mod the truck into a baja type vehicle.


In the end, it could (and probably is) very much up to the dealer and the relationship you have with them - just like what some of us here have experienced when trying to have stuff fixed under warranty. Some dealers don't blink an eye to fix a part even if you have a big blower and headers on the car, while others automatically deny coverage when they see a simple CAI swap.

[The Bone]

seems to me that the bump stop is weak in that area easy fix would be to pit some 1/2 plate there and spread the load out over a greater area looks like to much stress in such a small diameter. Would be a easy fix to beef it up. If you have one this may be a solution or get a rebound shock like the offroad guys run

[68fastback]

It's very strange that didn't turn up in testing and the Baja factory-stock competition, etc. I'm wondering if the rear dampers might not be calibrated right and permitting the axle to contact the snubbers with way to much force ...something like that ...else hard to understand how all the testing didn't show that unless there was some running design change (unlikely) or manufacturing defect. I wonder if that's all stock F150 in that area (aside from shocks) ...if so it's only going to take so much impact force.

Then again, there may be some folks doing things like this :haha:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7fMmHar97M&feature=related

This is why I always have friends sit in the back of the Ranger:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIv6tTGhQQ4&feature=related :shock:

This will bend your frame! :haha:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r8B673Uyp8

[Joe G]

That hurt just looking at it! :yikes:

[Cobra Drifter]

They were jumping the raptor trucks all week and I didnt see any damage other then one driver went into the wall lol.
How much harder are they running their raptors?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX7UhQHtNlU

[Tommy Gun]

Those are the beefed up factory mules, not the production units. :rofl3:

.

[68fastback]

I can see situations where you land on a jump (not a set-up jump but in real terrain with obstacles and vegitation and such) and rear wheels catch an obstacle or something ...especially after the nose touching down ...such that the rear axle is slammed upward i.e. not just catching the landing of the vehicle but landing on or just in front of an imbedded obstacle that rams the axle upward while the truch is touching down. Those are always very violent landings and I can see that ding some damage. Just supposing tho.

[Tommy Gun]

I like jumping vehicles.

Just sayin' :look:




http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb76/FastestShelby/JEEP%20vids/scan0002.jpg


http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb76/FastestShelby/JEEP%20vids/Jeep0001.jpg





:giggle:

[Joe G]

I like jumping Sharun.

Just sayin' :look:

:giggle:

:tmi:

[Tommy Gun]

:hey2:

[Carnut]

I see all sorts of people buying off road vehicles, including Prowlers, Rhinos and similar vehicles that think there are no limits of abuse. They firmly believe that it should be capable of stadium type jumping. My son showed me some video he took at the "dunes" of brand new Raptors catching 10 plus feet of air and thats abusive even for custom built stuff design for this.

So my reaction is "Dude, it ain't Bigfoot, slow down a bit". :cop3:

[CH53Driver]

I see all sorts of people buying off road vehicles, including Prowlers, Rhinos and similar vehicles that think there are no limits of abuse. They firmly believe that it should be capable of stadium type jumping. My son showed me some video he took at the "dunes" of brand new Raptors catching 10 plus feet of air and thats abusive even for custom built stuff design for this.

So my reaction is "Dude, it ain't Bigfoot, slow down a bit". :cop3:

Squirrels are so cautious. :look:

[Carnut]

Squirrels are so cautious. :look:

Probably cause people are eating more squirrel nowdays.

[68fastback]

...this one's cautious *and* can jump! :banana:


http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=squirrel+jumps&view=detail&mid=6AE04241022DF260504D6AE04241022DF260504D&first=0&FORM=LKVR6

[Joe G]

:surprised:

[VaporDude]

There were a bunch of people that went off-roading in CA at the beginning of June. Some came back with that bent frame disease. This has obviously opened up the aftermarket to help eliminate this type breakage. I think SDHQ has come up with a kit that will reinforce that area and help keep it from bending. It only cost $100 for the kit but I think it would be well worth that price to keep your frame from bending.

[Birdman]

There were a bunch of people that went off-roading in CA at the beginning of June. Some came back with that bent frame disease. This has obviously opened up the aftermarket to help eliminate this type breakage. I think SDHQ has come up with a kit that will reinforce that area and help keep it from bending. It only cost $100 for the kit but I think it would be well worth that price to keep your frame from bending.

Pics?.....links?...:waiting2:

[Joe G]

Pics?.....links?...:waiting2:

Read back to my post # 1. :doh2:

[Carnut]

...this one's cautious *and* can jump! :banana:


http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=squirrel+jumps&view=detail&mid=6AE04241022DF260504D6AE04241022DF260504D&first=0&FORM=LKVR6

:lol:

[68fastback]

Looks like they (SDHQ) have several different improvements (http://www.superduty-hq.com/RaptorRearSuspension.aspx)(5th - 8th from top) from strengthening and hydraulic bump stops to changing the location/design of the bump stop to a top-mount so it doesn't push on that 'open' spot, if I'm reading it right. The alternate mount with the hydraulic bumpstop seems pretty nice -- not sure exactly how the others are making it stronger tho...

[VaporDude]

Here is the part that will help reinforce the frame.......

http://www.superduty-hq.com/sdhqfordraptorrearframereinforcementkit.aspx

[Birdman]

Here is the part that will help reinforce the frame.......

http://www.superduty-hq.com/sdhqfordraptorrearframereinforcementkit.aspx

I saw that but I think without welding it will not be as effective at reinforcing however I know you simply can't weld it over the hole and cover the shock access.

[68fastback]

I saw that but I think without welding it will not be as effective at reinforcing however I know you simply can't weld it over the hole and cover the shock access.

+1 ...likely will help, but I seriously doubt any frames were actually tested with/without it.

[Carnut]

I'm a little curious if the "hole" area is the only place the frame is deforming enough to cause the severe bed misalignment shown in the pics. While the reinforcement plate may take of the general area, it seems the bendpoint would just move to another weaker point.

I look at the frame as a simple span beam with a support at each end where the suspension attaches to it. The bending moment increases to the center point between the two points not allowing for the cantilever reduction on each end. In order to resist the deflection (bending) of increased loading, you need to increase the section modulus of the frame. The only way you can do this is to added thickness to the member and increase the depth. Gussets can be added to a thinner section to limit deformation but they must be placed at intervals all along the member.

An alternate to thicker and deeper beams is the truss. Race car chassis designs utilize "trusses" throughout their tube frames to keep the weight down and effectively increase the depth (section modulus).

Deformation (bending) occurs because the top wants to compress and the bottom wants to stretch. Gussets and other reinforcements can be used to limit the deformation.

So my point is, if you're gonna play real hard, then just a local reinforcement may fix the first weak point, but a new weak point will be created that needs to be dealt with. If you look at jumping trucks they seem to start with an underslung truss and progress to a full tube chassis.

Just sayin'

[VaporDude]

Here is a report on the Raptor frame. It is at about the 2:37 mark.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWjWhBUDZVM&feature=feedu

[Joe G]

Here is a report on the Raptor frame. It is at about the 2:37 mark.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWjWhBUDZVM&feature=feedu

He's talking about Davey in the first 2 seconds too. :llama:

[Joe G]

Here is a report on the Raptor frame. It is at about the 2:37 mark.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWjWhBUDZVM&feature=feedu

.... and is that JT at the 5:22 mark? :look:






:haha:

[Shlbylvr]

.... and is that JT at the 5:22 mark? :look:






:haha::haha:

[Iceman]

If this has already been posted sorry for the repat. If you have not seen it take a look:

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/21/svt-boss-goes-on-record-about-ford-raptor-frame-damage-claims-w/