Stock Raptor hitch is very weak

Gilligan said:

lol this thread is ridiculous. The hitch is attached to the frame and it is also the same hitch as most other f-150’s. The suspension is the limiting factor so OP is claiming all new gen f-150’s have unsafe hitches that are going to bend..

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Not saying they are all bad but mine sure is and i doubt its its only one. I said the CHECK your hitch and make sure its not bent. Mine in particular is very clearly weak.

R1jamn said:

I would bet that these hitch's are outsourced and quality control is subpar. As long as the welds look good then they will pass inspection.
My Gen 1 Raptor had a hitch that had a lateral angle (sideways angle).
I noticed it after about a week of purchasing my '14 Raptor new from the dealership.
The dealership did everything except replace the damn hitch. They would loosen the bumper and shift it around and call it good....I mean "Normal".
I had to remove the bumper myself and take pics of the damn thing proving that it had been welded on at an angle.
I finally gave up and bought a used hitch that had been fabricated and welded together properly.

Oh....The angled hitch? That went straight into the dumpster.

Keep in mind also that these 2" receivers have quite a bit of clearance for the ball mounts.
It's not a perfect 2" square receiver either. The receiver had more vertical clearance than lateral clearance.
I have attached shims to my ball mounts to tighten up the clearance. I don't like mounts bouncing around in the receiver.

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Those shims are a great idea! I hate the loose fit. Those could probably raise the ball up a bit too.

Gilligan said:

lol this thread is ridiculous. The hitch is attached to the frame and it is also the same hitch as most other f-150’s. The suspension is the limiting factor so OP is claiming all new gen f-150’s have unsafe hitches that are going to bend..

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Would you prefer people not post when they find an issue or weak part? I don't get it. This situation sucks. Seems like most people can clearly see an issue and the rest are just being blind about it and overly defensive for no reason. If you think a bent hitch is fine? Good. I don't. Defend the design and mounting all you want. Mine bent with barely over half the rated tongue weight on it. I hope nobody else has the same issue but its a good idea to keep an eye on it. I put a proper class 4 hitch on mine for peace of mind. I tow an expensive trailer full of expensive toys. I don't want to take any risks with it.

jabroni619 said:

We have a shit load of people here who tow at, near or over the 8000lbs rating and never once (until now) have I ever heard of a problem with a bent receiver. People go so far as to modify the rear suspension to tow heavier, and still no problems with bent receivers.

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The suspension actually feels great on the 19 for towing. Mine barely sagged just over 1" with my 20x8.5 loaded trailer. I wonder if they programmed the tow/haul mode to stiffen the rear up electronically? It feels much better than my 17 towing.

By the way a few of you have defended Ford, it would appear that you are on Fords Pay roll!! I have a 13 Raptor and it sits perfectly parallel the ground. I tend to over load my reciver with a rack when I go camping by 70-90lbs.
In my company fleet, I have a 15, 14, 11 and a few 08 f150 and a 17 f250 and they all set perfectly Parallel to the ground. (I just checked them all this afternoon) I have one 18 f150 and it got bent pulling a 6k trailer 42 miles. But it was straight to begin with. Ford fix it last week but warranty did not cover it because I couldn’t not prove the tongue weight was within their specs. I do not believe this is a big issue with the 2nd gen if you stay with in you tow limits but I do believe Ray, and that his did bend. If you don’t believe Ray or me for that matter why tell us? It’s not going to change our mind.
I will tell you Ray that I did not trust the hitch on my 18 when Ford finish “fixing it” so I welded some 3/8 plates on the hitch and towed the same load yesterday the same 42 mi and it held up. (I like having a spare tire)
Thanks for the post.

Ray Knight said:

Not saying they are all bad but mine sure is and i doubt its its only one. I said the CHECK your hitch and make sure its not bent. Mine in particular is very clearly weak.

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Mine seems fine...August 2018

I tow several times a month, 200 miles roundtrip. 7K, all good so far in my 17.

Ray Knight said:

Would you prefer people not post when they find an issue or weak part? I don't get it. This situation sucks. Seems like most people can clearly see an issue and the rest are just being blind about it and overly defensive for no reason. If you think a bent hitch is fine? Good. I don't. Defend the design and mounting all you want. Mine bent with barely over half the rated tongue weight on it. I hope nobody else has the same issue but its a good idea to keep an eye on it. I put a proper class 4 hitch on mine for peace of mind. I tow an expensive trailer full of expensive toys. I don't want to take any risks with it.

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Just because you don’t know what you’re talking about or doing doesn’t make it an unsafe setup... i’ve towed more than you without issue

Gilligan said:

Just because you don’t know what you’re talking about or doing doesn’t make it an unsafe setup... i’ve towed more than you without issue

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It always makes me laugh when people say they did more than a complete stranger. How do you know?

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Gilligan, little buddy, come on now, you know the only thing you've towed is that little rickshaw thing around island with Ginger and Mary Ann in the back.

NeverEnoughHP said:

It always makes me laugh when people say they did more than a complete stranger. How do you know?

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Maybe because he said what he towed? ******* moron...