We know that the next F-150 Raptor is built for the rough stuff, but Ford decided to give us a sneak peak of its suspension technology. When we grow up, we want to be SVT test drivers, because this desert footage is about as cool as a Baja race!
High-performance shocks are nothing new, but the ones on the 2017 model have about two inches more travel than they did the previous model year, not that there was anything wrong with that one.
It's also being said that these 3.0-inch Fox shocks add a base valve piston that enables lower gas pressure, making them more comfortable for the road. Really, for $50,000 you are getting a lot of truck.
There are nine internal bypass zones per shock. The final ones act like hydraulic bump stops, so they become firm before the suspension bottoms out completely. By moving from a 2.5 to a 3-inch system, Ford has increased the durability of its product.
As we've mentioned, there's also an increase in travel. For the outgoing model, the 2015 model year, you got 11.2 inches at the front and 12 inches at the rear. But the 2017 F-150 Raptor has 13.0 inches at the front and 13.9 inches at the rear – roughly a 15 percent increase.
We think that kind of stuff really matters. To get your Raptor off-road, you'll probably have to put up with a few hours of Los Angeles highway traffic. And you don't want to arrive at your destination feeling like a bag of broken bones, wondering if the truck can make it back home that night.
You could argue that it's not as fast as a Corvette or that the fuel economy is bad. But the Raptor is still the best of best world and the uncontested king of the sandbox. Sorry Ram Runner!
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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