Raptor Frames bending
Level III Supporter
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,852
Likes: 3
From: Wisconsin
I'm not sure how they can bend it the "opposite" way of what you would think. Edit, found time to read on raptorforumz...If Ford thinks that was a good idea (the large hole in the frame to access the bolt) someone should loose their position on the SVT team.
No kidding. Id like to see ford's response to this since CBP along the Mexico border ordered some for patrols. I would think those raptors are gonna get some abuse. Ford would have to fix those or replace them since they are government vehicles and they wouldn't want the bad publicity from loosing police contracts on remaining crown vics.
The odds of that happening are slim but you never kno
The odds of that happening are slim but you never kno
this is true we have seen a few come in with the complaint of "a wobble in the bed" if anything seems to have been offroad the warranty is voided and you pay for the repair. i think this is extremely unfair. the raptor is basically a street legal baja truck. the user guid has pictures of it off road thus the warranty should not be voided.
If you read through the forum, u notice near the end the guy is getting a lot of bashing saying its his fault, that he hit a kicker too fast. Well it can be looked at from several ways, 10 out of 14 truck hit that kicker and bent the frame right there. That alone tells u something is up. Had it only been one or two, then yeah, it was all the drivers fault. But 10 raptors!!?
Also from a draftsman's view on the design content, it is evident that that part of the frame is a weak point. If u put a hole.in something, it weakens it, now u put a bump stop directly under that weak spot, its like a ball pin hammer to that area.
Hitting a kicker going 70 milea per hour us a very quick force unlike a jump where a lot of the suspension is able to absorb the impact. But that quick of a force to a weak area, not good.
Its terrible that ford isn't backing these trucks and just replacing them and coming up with a solution. I had better judgement on ford for that since it is advertised as an offroad truck
Also from a draftsman's view on the design content, it is evident that that part of the frame is a weak point. If u put a hole.in something, it weakens it, now u put a bump stop directly under that weak spot, its like a ball pin hammer to that area.
Hitting a kicker going 70 milea per hour us a very quick force unlike a jump where a lot of the suspension is able to absorb the impact. But that quick of a force to a weak area, not good.
Its terrible that ford isn't backing these trucks and just replacing them and coming up with a solution. I had better judgement on ford for that since it is advertised as an offroad truck
the ranger guide has pictures of it offroad too tho... but yeah a truck that is advertised as off-road baja truck should not bend the frame from driving it off road and ford shouldn't say too f'n bad
It still could be the combination on the two. I personally wouldnt hit an 18" kicker at 70+ miles per hour even with a Raptor. But I also wouldnt put a big *** hole in the frame above a bumpstop.
on the next to last page, a mechanical engineer chimes in with some math that kind of correlates with what I said about the force. Its an extremely quick force with the suspension at almost regular height (other than squat from acceleration). The suspension had no time to absorb all that energy, it was there and had to be transferred somewhere---the frame. IMO, the bumpstop should not be mounted directly to the underside of the frame anyways. I see two design flaws there. BUT again, the driver was going very fast over a speedbump moreless.
on the next to last page, a mechanical engineer chimes in with some math that kind of correlates with what I said about the force. Its an extremely quick force with the suspension at almost regular height (other than squat from acceleration). The suspension had no time to absorb all that energy, it was there and had to be transferred somewhere---the frame. IMO, the bumpstop should not be mounted directly to the underside of the frame anyways. I see two design flaws there. BUT again, the driver was going very fast over a speedbump moreless.
i read through all 41 pages. His claim under warranty was denied saying the truck was "abused" due to "scratches in the skid plates, worn tires, scratches in the step rails, and the rear shock covers being cracked". i don't know what i think about it. sounds like a problem to me.
there was a guy who posted and said his did the same thing driving through a campground and hitting a pothole.....
there was a guy who posted and said his did the same thing driving through a campground and hitting a pothole.....
I dont believe that for a second. the frames in the 04+ F-150's are stronger than any other 1/2 ton frame in production today, if they are weak enough to bend after hitting something as small as pothole than every ford, dodge, chevy and toyota 1/2 ton truck would be driving around looking like tee-pee's.
it sounds like a bunch of guys are mad that their 40k trucks aren't really what they were made out to be. There is also a guy that was on the Raptor Run who said they hit 125+ a lot and hit bumps at that speed, sound to me like they pushed the trucks too hard and something had to give....
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 7,110
Likes: 3
From: Nashville, NC
Ok, so this "hole" is for a bolt access, or an "easier way to access the bolt"?
Couldnt you just weld in some reinforcement? Is there another way to access the bolt?
I do think that going fast in a desert (bumps and all) with a factory truck is crazy BUT.....it does seem to be hyped up to handle some abuse.
Couldnt you just weld in some reinforcement? Is there another way to access the bolt?
I do think that going fast in a desert (bumps and all) with a factory truck is crazy BUT.....it does seem to be hyped up to handle some abuse.
Ok, so this "hole" is for a bolt access, or an "easier way to access the bolt"?
Couldnt you just weld in some reinforcement? Is there another way to access the bolt?
I do think that going fast in a desert (bumps and all) with a factory truck is crazy BUT.....it does seem to be hyped up to handle some abuse.
Couldnt you just weld in some reinforcement? Is there another way to access the bolt?
I do think that going fast in a desert (bumps and all) with a factory truck is crazy BUT.....it does seem to be hyped up to handle some abuse.
they are fully boxed frames.
kinda stupid to put a bumpstop there to begin with. it was asking to bend with a design like that. Its kind of like a fat woman in high heels walking through sand; she's gonna sink. But you take that same fat woman and put her in snow shoes and have her walk through the same sand; she will not sink. all that force was applied to an area of roughly 3.14 sq. inches assuming the bumpstop is 2" in diameter. That is alot of force on that small of an area.
I think if the bumpstop were moved or mounted differently than on the bottom of the frame, they would not have bent
I think if the bumpstop were moved or mounted differently than on the bottom of the frame, they would not have bent
Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 410
Likes: 1
From: Southpittsburg,Tennessee
kinda stupid to put a bumpstop there to begin with. it was asking to bend with a design like that. Its kind of like a fat woman in high heels walking through sand; she's gonna sink. But you take that same fat woman and put her in snow shoes and have her walk through the same sand; she will not sink. all that force was applied to an area of roughly 3.14 sq. inches assuming the bumpstop is 2" in diameter. That is alot of force on that small of an area.
I think if the bumpstop were moved or mounted differently than on the bottom of the frame, they would not have bent
I think if the bumpstop were moved or mounted differently than on the bottom of the frame, they would not have bent
Why would someone pay that much money for something to put it through so much hell anyway? Its stupid to do that,if i paid $50,000 for a truck it wouldn't touch the dirt let alone jump it. I understand that its like a street legal baja truck but really why would someone want to hit a jump in a $50,000 ride unless they just dont care about it. Then they complain about the frame bending after they hit a 18" jump at 70mph most vehicles will not hold up to that unless someone reenforced the frame which ford should have thought about more. I watched a 93 bronco hit a 24" jump at 40mph and that thing wouldn't even run after that...
