Well, thought I would add my two cents to this discussion as I too debated for months on if I wanted to do mods and if so, what mods. Even doubt myself sometimes after reading post like these but when it was all said and done I did mod with a set of principles in my mind made sense as well as some influence from this forum and the Raptor Assault Course.
If there is one thing that was burned in my brain besides just how bad *** the Raptor is off the showroom floor is that the OEM springs was the #1 complaint by most of the Raptor Assault Course Team. The existing bump stops go hand-in-hand with that part of the suspension. So, springs and bump stop were on my list.
My next objective to to be able to run 35" with zero concern for rubbing. I had no desire to modify the truck for anything bigger. As cool as 37s look, I was not about to buy new fenders or have to cut/bend change the insides of the front fender wells.
Besides not cutting/trimming/bending as a rule for modifications, I wanted to avoid doing things that could potentially put me at odds with my local dealers in the event something broke while under warranty.
So, strictly talking non-cosmetic modifications, I went with a set of the 3.0 Fox Racing Shock Live Valves, Camburg Bump Stop Kit, Deaver +3HD Springs, Icon UCAs. I could be living a fantasy but I think these modifications are pretty "safe" from dealer scrutiny. I could see that the UCAs possibly being the biggest point of contention from the dealer but as far as the FOX 3.0s go, Ford Performance actually sells them for the early GEN 2 trucks so I think it would be hard to make an argument there against that mod. The bump stop does nothing to existing geometry and simply absorbs energy exponentially better than the OEM bump stop.
I have avoided any tuning, intake or cooling modifications because I can see a dealer nit picking what the tune might of done or how the aftermarket intercooler (even though much better than OEM) could somehow not be cooling good enough. Bottom line, I don't want to lose the argument when it comes to fixing the engine or transmission.
The remainder of my modifications are cosmetic: BuiltRight bed panels, seat release, dash mount, ADD Pro Bolt On Bumper, various Rigid Lights in the bumper and pillars, 454 Motorsports Chase Rack, Methods, Toyo AT3.
Future mods: Radio and mount from PCI, GJ Motorsports 3rd Brake light w/ integrated chase lights/antenna mount and Swarfworks flag whip, driver door handle replacement (no key hole) and that's about it.
Because of the investment made thus far and the goal of keeping this truck for 7-10 years I also purchased the Ford ESP from Flood Ford. Thanks to the Forum I saved a bundle on that.
Ultimately, I guess the dealer could say anything they wanted and stick it to me because I didn't wash my truck enough or I put a different tire on than the OEM brand but hopefully common sense would prevail on what mods I did and whether or not they impacted the faulty part/mechanism.
Want to add a BIG thank you to Jason and the team @texasmotorworx in Dallas, TX and Helio M. @keepitdirty_offroad for helping me build my dream truck and answering a ton of questions.
If there is one thing that was burned in my brain besides just how bad *** the Raptor is off the showroom floor is that the OEM springs was the #1 complaint by most of the Raptor Assault Course Team. The existing bump stops go hand-in-hand with that part of the suspension. So, springs and bump stop were on my list.
My next objective to to be able to run 35" with zero concern for rubbing. I had no desire to modify the truck for anything bigger. As cool as 37s look, I was not about to buy new fenders or have to cut/bend change the insides of the front fender wells.
Besides not cutting/trimming/bending as a rule for modifications, I wanted to avoid doing things that could potentially put me at odds with my local dealers in the event something broke while under warranty.
So, strictly talking non-cosmetic modifications, I went with a set of the 3.0 Fox Racing Shock Live Valves, Camburg Bump Stop Kit, Deaver +3HD Springs, Icon UCAs. I could be living a fantasy but I think these modifications are pretty "safe" from dealer scrutiny. I could see that the UCAs possibly being the biggest point of contention from the dealer but as far as the FOX 3.0s go, Ford Performance actually sells them for the early GEN 2 trucks so I think it would be hard to make an argument there against that mod. The bump stop does nothing to existing geometry and simply absorbs energy exponentially better than the OEM bump stop.
I have avoided any tuning, intake or cooling modifications because I can see a dealer nit picking what the tune might of done or how the aftermarket intercooler (even though much better than OEM) could somehow not be cooling good enough. Bottom line, I don't want to lose the argument when it comes to fixing the engine or transmission.
The remainder of my modifications are cosmetic: BuiltRight bed panels, seat release, dash mount, ADD Pro Bolt On Bumper, various Rigid Lights in the bumper and pillars, 454 Motorsports Chase Rack, Methods, Toyo AT3.
Future mods: Radio and mount from PCI, GJ Motorsports 3rd Brake light w/ integrated chase lights/antenna mount and Swarfworks flag whip, driver door handle replacement (no key hole) and that's about it.
Because of the investment made thus far and the goal of keeping this truck for 7-10 years I also purchased the Ford ESP from Flood Ford. Thanks to the Forum I saved a bundle on that.
Ultimately, I guess the dealer could say anything they wanted and stick it to me because I didn't wash my truck enough or I put a different tire on than the OEM brand but hopefully common sense would prevail on what mods I did and whether or not they impacted the faulty part/mechanism.
Want to add a BIG thank you to Jason and the team @texasmotorworx in Dallas, TX and Helio M. @keepitdirty_offroad for helping me build my dream truck and answering a ton of questions.
