2014 Gen I vs. 2017 Gen II Suspension Impressions

bosssho said:

this is the 2nd go round for Ford w/this Truck...I would have thought all this would be better...Not worse than the 1st Gen iteration...

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I keep pointing this out, but Ford had the 13th generation truck complete and said- OK now go make a Raptor for us to sell. They did not develop a 2017 Raptor as a stand alone design. Any downsides to the lightweight aluminum body/bed are part of any 2015+ F150.

EricM said:

A bunch of guys with the non-Raptor 2015+ trucks bitch about the skittery rear end over bumps. Some guys claim it's so bad they feel like they are going to lose control on rough off road driving, the same roads where a previous gen steel bodied truck did just fine. They say shock upgrades seem to help- but with the Raptor having top of the line shocks from the factory, I don't know what you can really do, other than put 300 lbs of weight in the bed. I think the 3" shocks, light aluminum bed and need to claim additional wheel travel all add up to softer rear leafs than the Gen 1 had.

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This is why I love this Forum...vs. posting on Kool-Aid Drinking FB ;-) Thanks so much...VERY good insight here. So it might be an is what it is situation...unless someone proves those progressive Leafs work...and I will need to line up my 14 and 17 this weekend to look at the rear shocks as I had no clue Ford changed things around...obviously not enough to mitigate the rest of the Truck's dynamics

MatMan said:

Eric is on to something. Try loading up the bed with expensive shit (300 lbs of tools, gear, toys, or just snow) and see how she feels.

And remember these shocks are stock so somewhat limited in their tuneability. With aftermarket shocks you can re-valve and also adjust the shocks to dampen/mitigate these forces in each of the shocks zones.

The shocks were staggered in 17 presumably to help with wheel hop / axle wrap I believe, but I'm no insider.

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Roger that, thanks again for the info and follow up.

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EricM said:

I keep pointing this out, but Ford had the 13th generation truck complete and said- OK now go make a Raptor for us to sell. They did not develop a 2017 Raptor as a stand alone design. Any downsides to the lightweight aluminum body/bed are part of any 2015+ F150.

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So A.) When you point all this out...what are you met with...People agreeing or drinking the Kool-Aid, and B.) Thanks for being real about it b/c I feel a lot more justified, and C.) Yes, ANY of my Complaints about the 17, and there are quite a few, are NOT Raptor Specific I am finding, but 2015 Ford F150 and Package/Options Specific...which is just sad to me b/c if you Poll owners I would think NONE of this would be crap we need to "deal with/get used to."

People lol at me when I buy 2-3 of something I love...like Sneakers for example...and I always say...laugh now, but when the "next" model comes out, it won't be as good b/c of changes...but I could only afford (1) 2014 Raptor ;-)

bosssho said:

Also Great info...so did the Gen Is have Progressive Leaf Springs...or is this just something, b/c of the Gen II differences in the rear...that would simply benefit the Gen IIs? Thanks.



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G1's didn't have progressive leafs from the factory either.

I think it's a couple of things working in concert. First the truck is lighter, and second it's got more damping power in those 3.0s in the back. They might be valved to be a bit stiffer than they need to be on the initial bit of compression travel. Stuff like where the piston sits with regards to bypass holes at ride height could influence it too.

I don't see too many regrets from G1 converts in the thread dedicated to that topic. In fact I see nearly unanimous, no regrets responses.

None of this makes the G1 a better truck, not even remotely.

bosssho said:

When you point all this out...what are you met with...People agreeing or drinking the Kool-Aid?

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Well, let's see....

hkguns said:

None of this makes the G1 a better truck, not even remotely.

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There ya go.

hkguns said:

I don't see too many regrets from G1 converts in the thread dedicated to that topic. In fact I see nearly unanimous, no regrets responses.

None of this makes the G1 a better truck, not even remotely.

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Please link me to that thread...would LOVE to see it, and love to nicely point out the difference/debate them. Unanimous is a STRONG word...

EricM said:

Well, let's see....

There ya go.

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*****...YEP

---------- Post added at 12:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:48 PM ----------

I found the Thread...started by a guy who's looking to go from his 13 to a 17. I will reply later when I have time...but bottom line is to each his/her own...but I drive spiritedly...most of the time on road, but a lot in northern NH is fire roads and a little more off road too...so what is great for some will suck for others and vice versa.

I own a 14 gen 1 and my father owns a 17 gen 2.
The gen 2 suspension feels way smoother then mine.


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bosssho said:

...so did the Gen Is have Progressive Leaf Springs...or is this just something, b/c of the Gen II differences in the rear...that would simply benefit the Gen IIs? Thanks.

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Gen 1 didn't have them, either. It's one of the first mods most guys did when they wanted to increase suspension performance. It's one of the best mods I've done to my truck. Doesn't drive like a pick up anymore. Feels more like a Suburban (on the road).

Somebody should call Deaver to find out if they are working on this.

Still wondering if anybody has the weight distribution numbers for these things. I asked because I am also betting this is because the ass end is so light. And progressive leafs will make a huge difference for that. Unfortunately I think Aaron may also be right that shock tuning could have an even bigger impact on it.

Lastly, if the trucks aren't broken in they will ride stiffer and more jittery.

Gus00SVTL said:

I own a 14 gen 1 and my father owns a 17 gen 2.
The gen 2 suspension feels way smoother then mine.


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Smoother Yes...until you encounter uneven terrain and then the Gen II is far less planted...especially in corners...it can be downright scary...

Truckzor said:

Gen 1 didn't have them, either. It's one of the first mods most guys did when they wanted to increase suspension performance. It's one of the best mods I've done to my truck. Doesn't drive like a pick up anymore. Feels more like a Suburban (on the road).

Somebody should call Deaver to find out if they are working on this.

Still wondering if anybody has the weight distribution numbers for these things. I asked because I am also betting this is because the ass end is so light. And progressive leafs will make a huge difference for that. Unfortunately I think Aaron may also be right that shock tuning could have an even bigger impact on it.

Lastly, if the trucks aren't broken in they will ride stiffer and more jittery.

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I will have to do some research on these...literally know squat about them...thanks again.

bosssho said:

I will have to do some research on these...literally know squat about them...thanks again.

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Tons of info out there on these but if you want to see a set real quick check out my build thread (link in sig). Third photo. Your stock leafs probably have 3 thick bands of steel. The Deavers have like 11 bands of thinner steel and fewer of them bend in the early stages of compression. They stiffen up as you get further along (as you involve more bands). Pretty simple stuff but works amazingly well.

Hopefully Deaver has a set in the works. It's really a great mod and another thing on the list of things Ford should have done at the factory.