Read what others are saying about the Ford Raptor (and frame bending)

[A.I.I.Raciing]

Additionally, I do not see any other OEM putting together Truck or Car Roundup's like Ford SVT does with the Raptor.

IMO there is no reason to put a roundup together or even a video telling you how to drive your truck, driving in the dezert is not hard, take's a little bit of time if you don't know how to read terrain, but it can be learned.

I know Outlaw Raptor did all he could to ensure the participants didn't **** up their Raptors but those who bent their frames didn't pay attention and/or weren't equipped with radios and/or GPS and/or they were stupid.

Have you done this run? It's NOT hard by any means, if you can drive down the 405 freeway you should have no problem getting from Yermo to Vegas with NO problem.. They even cut out the sh*tty part of this run, and that's between Barstow(Outlet Center) and Yermo. It gets really nasty in some spots,especially near the freeway underpass.
I can't tell you how many bone stock trucks we've seen do this run. Hell we've even see station wagon do it.
What I'm saying is if you have to drive your Raptor to work on Monday you might not want to be doing 90+ on a flat dirt road you've never been on. If you can use your head there is no need to prerun or have markers.
As far as GPS and Radio's go, that's just another way for then to make $, plain and simple

I asked a friend of the mine(he's from SoCal) about Outlaw Off-Road and he compared them to 4Wheel Parts saying they about the same.

I would take my truck to 4wd before I would ever think about taking my truck to Outlaw. Outlaw probably has the worst rep in town as far as bolt on shops.

 

[MagicMtnDan]

What I'm saying is if you have to drive your Raptor to work on Monday you might not want to be doing 90+ on a flat dirt road you've never been on. If you can use your head there is no need to prerun or have markers.

That's what most of us have been saying in different ways since the frame-bending run.

And IF they're going to run balls out speeds they do need to pre-run and mark the hazards to help avoid damaging their trucks.

One question I don't think has been asked is WHY did they run that road so ****ing fast?!

 

[MagicMtnDan]

i would take my truck to 4wd before i would ever think about taking my truck to outlaw. Outlaw probably has the worst rep in town as far as bolt on shops.

ouch!

 

[The Tank]

I would take my truck to 4wd before I would ever think about taking my truck to Outlaw. Outlaw probably has the worst rep in town as far as bolt on shops.

That is kind of the impression I got from him too.

 

[KaiserM715]

Based on what I saw somewhere else, I looked at the Raptor Supplement from Ford:

Off-Roading:
"WARNING: Off-roading can be extremely dangerous and carries inherent risks that may not be preventable even with the best precautions. Ford strongly recommends driving within your ability and taking every safety precaution, including those found here and at other off-road driving organizations such as the Best in the Desert Racing (www.bitd.com) and SCORE International Off Road Racing."

"...High speed off-roading presents a unique challenge, but extra care and caution should be taken before engaging in this type of driving. If you plan on using the truck for severe, high speed off-road use, the following is recommended:
• Equip your truck with the safety equipment used for the Stock-Full Class as defined in the rule books for the Best in the Desert Racing (www.bitd.com) and SCORE International Off Road Racing (www.score-international.com).
• Use personal safety equipment including a SNELL SA certified helmet and approved neck restraint device.
• Before venturing off-road in unfamiliar areas at high speeds, do a low speed reconnaissance run (“prerun”) to become aware of any obstacles that you will encounter.
[Snip]
•Build up speed slowly. Initially, drive at a pace which allows ample time to fully assess the terrain around you and to understand how the vehicle is responding to both the terrain and driver inputs. Increase pace as comfort increases while always being mindful of how the vehicle is responding to various events at different speeds.
•Also remember to "drive what you can see". This refers to not driving faster than you are able to negotiate unforeseen upcoming obstacles. This could refer to obstacles over a brow, in a ravine, in brush, in dusty conditions, and in the darkness among others."

Warranty info:
"Damage to skid plates, shock guards, running boards and exterior finishes as well as bent, cracked or broken body, frame and chassis components may not be covered by warranty."

I know these concepts are not new to anyone, but good for a refresher.

 

[MagicMtnDan]

I know these concepts are not new to anyone

I disagree - they are new to many Raptor owners (especially 10) and others.

(Great post!)

 

[NoCaDiver]

Good post Kaiser.

I never read the supplement but it really does seem rather "logical." Wonder what the ages of the drivers were and how many and what types of vehicles they have previously owned. I'm going on 40 and have had over 20 vehicles (all drivable), doesn't make me an expert driver but I have experience driving many types of vehicles to include military vehicles on various terrains.

Still wonder about their ages and experience, bet we never find out.

 

[OkieRacing]

Im 28 and The second weekend I had my truck I took it to the dunes and I did work! Paper tag and all. It was my first time on the dunes in a truck and it remained a success, the key......I have been ridin those dunes since i was 3 yrs old on my lil Honda 70! Although the sand moves year to year the general layout is the same. I knew which trails I would be able to go through, I knew which dunes were too steep to jump and I knew which whoop sections would be too tall/close/rough to take at high speeds. The only damage recieved was two scratches on the bed tryin to get under a shade tree to cool off lol. If you know your path I cant forsee you damaging your truck plain and simple. Kinda like gettin back with an ex....you already know what you can and cant get away with hahaha

 

[DB06]

Good post Kaiser.

Still wonder about their ages and experience, bet we never find out.

Would not take that bet. Age may be an indicator of experience, but not necessarily so with respect to common sense or intelligence. I've seen young troops in AF and IQ that make us proud with respect to leadership, responsibility, and just getting the job done. Have also seen the middle aged, woe as me types that can't tie their own shoe laces without guidance.

Yet, I digress and in the process beat the dead horse, which is at this point - exceedingly butchered.

 

[SVTRay]

Well it looks like Ford is denying frame work and voiding chassis warrantees.

Oh boy... This update is a doozie. Got a response from the Ford rep, who said they were going to see if this could be re-evaluated by the engineer. Here is the response:Mr. Richards,I’ve forwarded the last e-mail you sent me to both the Field Service Engineer, as well as his superior, which is our Technical Operations Manager.* Their stance on denying repairs under warranty has not changed and at this point, since you haven’t provided an estimate to prove that you had repairs performed to the frame on your vehicle at an I-Care Certified body shop, the chassis warranty has been cancelled.I apologize that this has not resulted in a satisfactory resolution for you and at this point, you are free to pursue whichever avenues you see fit to resolve your concern.Regards,Xxxxx xxxxxx When my truck was in for the claim, BEFORE my claim was even denied, I told her that I would be going on vacation for 2 weeks, starting July 7th, and that I needed to have my truck back before then... My claim was denied on the 5th, at which point I was told to have it fixed "soon" with no actual timeline or deadline.I was also under the impression this was still being discussed, possibly re-evaluated as her Email that I posted suggests!!!!! Now this?!?I love this truck, but their service and how this is being approached is f***ing unbelievable. I've had 10 new vehicles in the last 10 years... and this service is just unacceptable.It's one thing to say no... Another to deny a claim without allowing my ANY discussion with the engineer, any appeal to the decision, and to cancel my existing chassis warranty with no warning other than "soon"??? Unbelievable. At this point, I don't even expect ford to repair it...I was just hoping to actually speak to somebody about the issue at hand, instead of a sheep who says "I understand" over and over, but is completely cluelessSo, there you go, I have no chassis warranty now... Not that it's worth two ****s to begin with.- Matt