MODS. A breakdown of modifications. Pros and Cons

[treypal]

I am going to use this thread to give everyone a breakdown of the pros and cons of each type of mod you can do for the Raptor. I'm not getting brand specific here, just general information about what to expect from each type of mod. I'll start with the mods I can think of. If anyone want's to add to this, do so, and I'll put it in the original post.


This will be a work in progress for a while. Bear with me.

Heim Tie Rods: Pros: Tighter steering, solid construction that should be able to take a direct hit. Cons: Heims wear out much quicker than tie rod ends, and they are expensive to replace.

Upper Control Arms: Pros: Much like the tie rods, urethane bushings or heim joints at the shock bucket stiffen up the front end. Another piece that is going to be of solid construction. UCAs with adjustable heims can fix camber issues Some companies claim more travel with uniball UCAs. Cons: Uniballs wear out pretty quickly, and are around $75 to replace. They generally have to be pressed in and out, so you will be removing the UCA to get them replaced.

Aftermarket Shocks:

Bump Stop Kits:

Aftermarket Leaf Springs:

Skid Plating: Pros: Extra undercarrage protection at a reasonable cost. Cons: Can make it hard to change oil, see leaks, without dropping the plates. I have the ASFIR engine skid that goes from the back stock skid to the tranny cross member. I've thoroughly used it, it works. Pros definitely outweigh cons here.

Lighting:

Forced Air: Someone feel free to comment on this section. I don't have any experience here.

Lighting:

Aftermarket Wheels:

37" Tires:

Glass Fenders and Bedsides: Pros: Fit 37" tires without rubbing. Cons: Hard to get factory fit, inner fenderwells have to be fabricated or bought as well. Pro or con: Front body is 2" wider per side.

 

[Maxx2893]

How about aftermarket bumpers? more protection for the front and back, better approach and departure angles, offer more lighting solutions etc.

 

[firematt422]

1.) Progressive leaf packs

PRO: (I can only speak for mine I suppose, not sure on differences between brands) are amazing. Heavy duty styles (like I have) are awesome, add weight and they become super-awesome.

CON: deletes factory bump stop block. Unless remedied, you could potentially bottom out your stock shocks.

2.) Dumped Exhaust

PRO: loud as hell
CON: loud as hell

3.) CAIs

PRO: Washable filter
CON: $400+ for no noticeable performance improvements. I believe anyone that says otherwise is in price related denial. Glad I bought mine used on the super cheap.

 

[Humvee21]

Frame Reinforcer:
1) SDHQ Frame Reinforcement Kit

Pros:
-$100 price tag is VERY cheap relative to the other kits
-Easy to install yourself
-Added piece of mind
-Adds a brace where the jounce bumper lacks proper support
-Good for those not willing to push their trucks

Cons:
-Will not reinforce your frame as much as a real frame reinforcement kit
-Questionable as to whether it actually helps or not
-Bad for those who really push their trucks

 

[genus727]

Frame Reinforcer:
1) SDHQ Frame Reinforcement Kit

Pros:
-$100 price tag is VERY cheap relative to the other kits
-Easy to install yourself
-Added piece of mind
-Adds a brace where the jounce bumper lacks proper support
-Good for those not willing to push their trucks

Cons:
-Will not reinforce your frame as much as a real frame reinforcement kit
-Questionable as to whether it actually helps or not
-Bad for those who really push their trucks

So has no one put this SDHQ Frame Reinforcement Kit through its paces? Anyone report frame bends with it installed?

 

[kawie95]

Spindle Gusset: Handles better IMO, holds alignment better. Keeps your tire on unless you get T ***** straight in your tire and the spindle itself breaks, not the knuckle. Have to realign tires after mod.

Aftermarket Shocks: ICONs easier to adjust by hand without a tool. Cons: Bump stops may need to be adjusted/modified.

Bump Stop Kits: Adds frame reinforcement. Bolt on vs weld on thoughts? Prevents frame damage. Cons: dampens further end of compression if the impact would normally not bottom out.

Aftermarket Leaf Springs: Pros: smoother ride, less axle hop on the street when doing burn outs. Cons: the Deaver +2's sit lower, so the truck looks like a bro truck. The bed sits lower with dirtbikes in the back, pissing people off with my headlights in their eyes. Can I carry less weight?

Skid Plating: Cons: cooling of the steering and suspention if you have a skid plate too wide with no ventalation. See the 2 TSCO pre runner raptor build video for that info.

Air Intakes: CAI's allow more cool air into the engine. Some break with engine movement. K&N filters let in quite a bit of fine dust (or the CAI Hennesey tube did, but I am pretty sure it was the filter, as dust was down the entire tube). Volant powercore is pretty sweet so far. Cons: none if you get the right one. Louder sound for some might be a con. Does anyone have issues with water in the intake box? I have not.


Aftermarket Wheels: the (offsets?) can make a difference with 37" tires. Keep this in mind.

37" Tires: You have to remove the fender liners for 37's, which lets in more dust to the intake hole. Probably helps the engine breathe tho. Also, with 37's, you may have to do top perch. Dealer charges extra for removing the tires.

Top Perch: (2011): headlights are aimed high. Over whoops, when the front end lifts up, the shocks SLAM down due to the increased spring rate. It sounds like a pogo stick. Handles well on high speed offroad. Have to realign tires after mod.

Removing sway bar: Works great offroad. More body roll on street. Not sure if the sway works with Top Perch?

Glass Fenders and Bedsides: Cons: holes have to be cut for headlights, mounting hardware. Old mounts must be taken off factory fenders. The fiberglass is very brittle and in an accident will break (I believe easier than stock, the bottom portion by the door is very thin and mine ripped apart in a T bone accident). Hard to align body lines with fenders. Paint is hard to match stock. The fender flare paint decision needs to be made. Intake is louder with liners removed. Install can scratch the paint on the body panel along the window, just above the door mirror. I taped this off, but the fiber glass ate through the tape. DONT SCRATCH YOUR PAINT like I did installing these. I never reinstalled my antenna. Didnt want to drill the hole. I worried about dirt getting past the door seal and into the cab, now that there is no inside plate/foam. Wind seems to get in there a bit more going 100+mph (from what I hear ) Cons: dealer blames new panels for door issues, or just about anything else that you bring up (mirror, etc).

Race Tires: dont get them for street. Voids insurance claims. If you think otherwise, prove me wrong. Go with DOT versions of the same tire. Unless you race offroad full time.

GPS: blocks window view, not removable. Pro: easy to see with eyes on road. Cons: i dont know how to use it at all. Pro: shows MPH accurate after my 37's

Chase radio: Cons: Antenna sticks up high, keep it removed in the city

Line X premium bed liner: still dents tailgate from dirtbike tire hitting. They said it adds strength, but not that much. Looks great, works great otherwise.

Programmer/Chip: Voids some warrenty. Takes about 30 minutes to program/backup. Have to run 91 octane only after mod. Pros: better engine response. I heard these do not adjust the tranny? I always thought they did, but I have no proof since it was brought to my attention.

Reporgramming tranny at dealer: fixes hard shifts, fixes strange shift patterns from when you friend drives your truck a lot. Cons: dealer sees all your other mods

 

[whtrapta]

with top perch, the tires lean in a lot. And there is no way to adjust the camber on these trucks.

Do the upper control arms fix this?

 

[kawie95]

with top perch, the tires lean in a lot. And there is no way to adjust the camber on these trucks.

Do the upper control arms fix this?

Isnt that what the alignment cams are for? I think those go on the lower control arm. Outlaw said they dont recommend using those alignment cams, because they are a weak bolt and bend.

 

[Wilson]

all I can do is my favorite mods.
1 Lighting dually fog light up a big area.
2 mid perch looks better imo more aggressive ride.
3 headers and cai more power I did both at once
4 diablo tune shift better you get every thing the engine and tranny has to offer.
5 tint is a must imo
6 bed liner undercoating just makes sense.
7 armercoat for rock chips on front and rockers same as 6.
8 du-ha keeps all my straps and loss things in order.

the only cone so fare is coast.

 

[debordj]

Isnt that what the alignment cams are for? I think those go on the lower control arm. Outlaw said they dont recommend using those alignment cams, because they are a weak bolt and bend.

Can u please elaborate on this? I'm thinking about getting these when I go to mid-perch. They were recommended by offroad warehouse in San Diego.