GEN 2 2019 Rapter Advice ?

[NE Raptor]

Honest question here - I am just looking for the positives. Why did YOU decide to buy the truck?? Something about it made you drop some good money on this vehicle. With this much to dislike, what were the positive things that made you hand over the check?

 

[goblues38]

I think @goblues38 upgraded the b&o for a contextually low cost - that is, low cost for the result and with the b&o.

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$2,200 was what I considered bare minimum to meet my quality standards. If you penny pinched on a few components, you could get it down to $1,400, but that would be with basic chinese internet crap. You could easily bump that up to $3,000 or more with uber high end drivers. I chose the middle ground, and 6 months later, still smile every time i "rock out".

And both of those prices account for you knowing what you are doing and doing all the work yourself. Box building, wiring, system design. If you can't do those 3 things, you jump up another $1,000 in either scenario.

 

[Kraftei]

Ive been wanting the Borla ATAK. Best sounding exhaust in my opinion.

I stayed up late last night researching mufflers and I decided to go with the Corsa Sport muffler. I thought the Borla ATAK was maybe a little too aggressive for me.

 

[Kraftei]

Responses below -

1) The bottom end power is good, top end power is low. What tuner do you recommend that will help with highway speeds, I don't have the passing power I need at 120 km's. I run premium fuel 24/7. I believe ALL the power is good, except the low end grunt isn't just "good" - its downright phenomenal - its in the realm of HD diesel trucks from 10 years ago in a platform thats 1500-2000 lbs lighter - especially when you're running 93 even in stock trim it adds another 20-30 HP/TQ to the rear wheels. The very short first few gears of the 10 speed + the 4.10 diffs add to the SOTP feel of low end grunt, but inevitably will give some compromise @ higher RPMs/speeds especially when combined w/ the ride height & aero (lack thereof). Personally I think is plenty of power stock.....I mean, its literally the most powerful 1/2 ton money can buy, but since I KNOW there's a good chunk more to be had w/ just a tune, & I'm a gearhead by heart...I am very tempted to tune it - depending on tune/tuner you can expect 50-100 additional hp/tq TO THE WHEELS - that my friend, is significant & SHOULD satisfy anyone. Regardless whether I pull the trigger on tune I am adding an upgraded CVF intercooler (goes in stock locations - no modification to the vehicle) so that the truck will consistently be making the most power possible all the time - after IAT's go up the ECM starts pulling timing & boost in order to protect the engine, the stock IC isn't great. You have a few thousand miles on your truck now, if the drivetrain seems stout & you're not concerned about warranty get a tune. Seems like the consensus "most powerful" tune out there is MPT's 93PRX tune - you need access to 93 octane. Gearhead makes a more conservative tune that auto adjusts depending on octane so you don't have to worry if you're traveling & 91 or 93 isn't available you don't have to change the tune on the fly. 5 star tuning & Livernois are both also reputable tuners, Livernois has had alot of experience w/ Ford's EB platform over the last 10-15 years. Whatever you decide, my advice is DO NOT get a tune that doesn't address both the engine AND the tranny. There are many out there offering tunes that do NOTHING for the tranny (cobb being one) - this is very questionable on an auto vehicle especially one w/ 10 speeds & this much power. Plus - why spend the same $$$ to get "half a tune"?

2) The stereo does not sound good to me. I don't want to replace the whole system and spend that kinda money. Are there any reasonable upgrades I can do. I am not a music nut, just want something that has a little more grunt to it.
I have the 801a group which I think has a lower tier stereo, honestly seems decent to me...not as much bass as the upgraded Bose in my last '15 GM truck, but that one had a factory sub. You should look into adding a small sub/amp someplace like under the seat.

3) The exhaust note is not pleasurable. I don't want to seem petty but it really bothers me. Its not the volume, it is the sound. What are my options?, is it reasonable to expect a turbo 6 to sound nice ?
I've always been a "V8 or bust" kinda guy when it came to trucks/performance vehicles. The Raptor has changed my opinion on that now more than ever. A ttV6 will NEVER sound as good as a N/A big displacement or smaller displacement high revving V8, I don't care whether its a GTR, a M3, a Ford GT or a Raptor - none of em will sound better than a Hellcat hemi (IMO & many others) & that's just the way it is. A V10 engine typically sounds like crap too....& they have 2 more cylinders than a V8 if it makes you feel any better. The Borla Atak system seems decent, I have heard in person on the street - personally the stock exhaust is fine by me & I had a true dual gibson stainless exhaust on my 6.2 Sierra.

4) This may sound vain and shallow but I have only received one compliment. Maybe it just looks like every other Raptor and that is why? Wondering what I can do to individualize it . I was thinking of tinting the front windows and removing the rear mud flaps. Not sure what else I can do, maybe the color I selected (performance blue) is the issue. I always keep my vehicles spotless and receive lots of compliments wherever I go, this one nadda.
Personally I wouldn't worry what anyone else thinks about what I do or drive, although I will admit I do seem to get a good amount of compliments from random folks on the Raptor. That being said you already have a "colored" Raptor w/ graphics (mine is black & I removed the graphics - about as stealth as a Raptor can get) - my opinion since your truck is blue & you already have the factory forged beadlocks (while they're not truly beadlocks, they are forged which is expensive to replicate in the aftermarket & they're also good quality 2 piece design) I would keep those & consider powdercoating them to match the blue exterior...or maybe just doing the beadlock rings in blue? When you wear out the stock rubber you could go w/ bigger and/or more aggressive MT's 37"s etc. - although I personally wouldn't go up in size. You could also add front leveling springs or perch collars - check out geyser/icon. Tinting the windows as others mentioned would help make the truck standout. I think one of the biggest "this is a badass offroad Raptor truck" mods you could do would be to add lighting & use some of the AUX switches - an LED light bar on the roof makes the biggest statement but is expensive, requires more modification, & limits clearance in garages. You could also add stuff in the bumper holes. Check out fordraptorlights.com

Adding lights, tinted windows, MPT 93PRX tune & powdercoating the wheels is what I would do if it were my truck & your money. ;-)

Thank you for your input, I appreciate it. I think we are on the same page for most of these items.. I have a Hellcat in the stable so we speak the same language. I really like your idea of changing the bead lock rings to blue !! The Gearhead tune sounds like the better option for me as far as tuners go, do you have a part number ? Thanks !!

 

[Kraftei]

The B&O stereo doesn’t lend itself to the $500 and under upgrade. You need a signal processor for even a minor update and I think the outlay for the b&o stereo in the ’18 and up Raptor is about $2k US, give or take. Even with the Sony system you could ‘improve’ things over time, but you were still looking at about $1200 for about 50w to the main speakers and 3-500 to the sub. I think I’m in for closer to 1800.

I think @goblues38 upgraded the b&o for a contextually low cost - that is, low cost for the result and with the b&o.

Unfortunately with the b&o amp and signal processing still in place, the only thing you can really do is prep for actual audio upgrades by updating the speakers, maybe adding some sound insulation. Everything else will require signal processing and amps, so you may as well spend it all at once and do it all at once.

The reason the sound system sounds bad to us is that the average consumer thinks it’s fine sitting on the lot - and it is, unless you bring along some complex audio tracks to play. Then you miss quite a bit. Ford programs the signal processing to make lower volumes sound louder than they actually are and then starts rolling off volume at about 3/4, especially to the sub.

I know the prospect of dumping that much money into an already expensive truck is unattractive, but if you want it to sound good, you’re going to get what you pay for and if you pay for less than the signal processor, amps, speakers, power connections and good cables, you’ll get less than brilliant results.

Good luck.

Your last paragraph sums it up, I just expected a better stereo at this price point. I will probably just suck it up and check into the Forscan tweaks.

 

[Kraftei]

Honest question here - I am just looking for the positives. Why did YOU decide to buy the truck?? Something about it made you drop some good money on this vehicle. With this much to dislike, what were the positive things that made you hand over the check?

I really like the Gen 1, read the reviews on the Gen 2 and I thought I would really like it. I have to declare I have never bought a new Ford before, I have only bought new Chevies and Rams. I am a cash buyer that said I am not rich or anything, 100k is still a lot of money for me. I just expected it to be perfect for my needs and it was not. Half the issue is the truck shines in the baja department which is something I don't use the truck for. I take full responsibility for the outcome expect the stereo, I have ridden in entry level trucks with a better system.

 

[Kraftei]

$2,200 was what I considered bare minimum to meet my quality standards. If you penny pinched on a few components, you could get it down to $1,400, but that would be with basic chinese internet crap. You could easily bump that up to $3,000 or more with uber high end drivers. I chose the middle ground, and 6 months later, still smile every time i "rock out".

And both of those prices account for you knowing what you are doing and doing all the work yourself. Box building, wiring, system design. If you can't do those 3 things, you jump up another $1,000 in either scenario.

I hearing everyone loud and clear, do it right or don't do it at all.

 

[Kraftei]

I would like to thank everyone for their input, I have a paid for sale add running till the end of the week and then I will start ordering parts.

I am going to start with a Corsa Sport muffler, look into powder coating the rim rings blue, tint the front windows, do more research on a tune. I DO NOT want to effect drive ability with the tuner so I need to be careful there. I did a pulley, dyno tune and injectors with my Hellcat and the drive ability has been effected, its not a daily driver so all good but the Raptor will be daily... so more caution there.

The stereo I don't want to spend the money to do it right so I will just play with settings and live with it. I got spoiled with the Hellcat, the stock stereo is awesome and I expected something similar in the Raptor.

On a side note its amazing how much hp you can pick up on a supercharged or turbo engine as compared to a normally aspirated engine. I picked up 300 hp on my Hellcat with a few minor upgrades.

 

[goblues38]

I picked up 300 hp on my Hellcat with a few minor upgrades.

900 HP at the crank? Unless you are running slicks, was any of that power usable?

 

[Larry Morgan]

Addictive Desert Designs front and rear bumper with a Warn winch and 37’s makes it look good.

The 2.5” Ready Lift kits makes it ride absolutely horrid, but it looks better with the 37’s.