Remi Raptor Build

[PorterW1111]

Been a while...busy with work. I decided to take off the tent and rack for the winter since the wife doesn't want to camp in the cold. I also got around to swapping the icons from option 2 to option 3. This took a while because I wanted to do the MPHD on them to prevent rust and I lubed up some parts to prevent squeaking. I was so proud of myself for measuring the truck height after removing the rack and tent but I didn't take a picture so I feel stupid now. In any case, it raised the back a little over an inch after 150 miles of driving to let it settle. The fronts are at about 42" so now has 2" of rake. I did this by myself again and it was a massive PITA. Somehow the springs felt way heavier and nearly crushed me a couple times. Took about 7 hrs total but that is because I had to wait for the MPHD to dry and would have taken longer if I didn't do both sides at the same time.

OPTION 2 with Decked and gear (250lbs)


OPTION 3 with just Decked and gear (250lbs)



I was really surprised how much rust was on the Icons. These have been on for only 3 months and 3k miles. I had to scrub them down and coat with MPHD.

It’s funny, you get so used to the truck at one height that it starts to seem small/low every time you look at it. I just went out and measured mine cause I feel like it’s “not that tall” looking at yours. Then I look at the tape and see I’m at 48” at the fender and realize there must be something wrong with me hahaha

 

[JAndreF321]

It’s funny, you get so used to the truck at one height that it starts to seem small/low every time you look at it. I just went out and measured mine cause I feel like it’s “not that tall” looking at yours. Then I look at the tape and see I’m at 48” at the fender and realize there must be something wrong with me hahaha

Mother of god...I’ll have to stalk your account to find out why. I was thinking maybe 37s in the future but not sure how I’d get 3 additional inches on top of that

 

[PorterW1111]

Mother of god...I’ll have to stalk your account to find out why. I was thinking maybe 37s in the future but not sure how I’d get 3 additional inches on top of that

39s and fiberglass... But I just think it’s funny how we get “used” to them the way they are and forget how big they actually are compared to stock.

 

[desertfox73]

Great write-up as others have said. I have a Jeep Gladiator that is my current off-road/over landing truck, but I’m selling it now that I have a Raptor...so your posts are very helpful to me as I switch over to the new platform for camping.

Glad your dog is OK, that must have been scary as hell, especially having to wait so long to air up. Have you considered on-board air, twin compressor? In my Jeep I run an ARB twin with a bracket that mounts the unit under the driver’s seat, with a nice system that allows for all 4 tires to air up and down simultaneously. It’s amazingly fast; I run 38”x15.5” tires on that truck and I can get from 37 to 21 and back up to 37 very quickly.

The system I use is the JK Innovative Products: https://www.innovativejkproducts.co...ith-arb-twin-compressor-ckmta12-package-deal/

The mounting bracket might not be compatible with the Raptor, but if that’s the only part that isn’t, that may be an easy thing to have fabricated. The “guts” of the system (T-junction, hoses, air-down valve, etc.) are what matter.

I’ve only used it a few times for myself and to air up others, but it’s crazy helpful to have...and definitely worth having on board at all times.

 

[RADvelociRaptor]

a lot of great info here. love that you use the truck as intended, and the doggos! i've got two that enjoy the backseat too much.

 

[JAndreF321]

Great write-up as others have said. I have a Jeep Gladiator that is my current off-road/over landing truck, but I’m selling it now that I have a Raptor...so your posts are very helpful to me as I switch over to the new platform for camping.

Glad your dog is OK, that must have been scary as hell, especially having to wait so long to air up. Have you considered on-board air, twin compressor? In my Jeep I run an ARB twin with a bracket that mounts the unit under the driver’s seat, with a nice system that allows for all 4 tires to air up and down simultaneously. It’s amazingly fast; I run 38”x15.5” tires on that truck and I can get from 37 to 21 and back up to 37 very quickly.

The system I use is the JK Innovative Products: https://www.innovativejkproducts.co...ith-arb-twin-compressor-ckmta12-package-deal/

The mounting bracket might not be compatible with the Raptor, but if that’s the only part that isn’t, that may be an easy thing to have fabricated. The “guts” of the system (T-junction, hoses, air-down valve, etc.) are what matter.

I’ve only used it a few times for myself and to air up others, but it’s crazy helpful to have...and definitely worth having on board at all times.

I checked out that link and it does look awesome, I wasn't trying to break the bank and figured a $250 compressor was good enough. I might go this route in the future though. I have been considering an external mount that I've seen on here with ARB compressor.

a lot of great info here. love that you use the truck as intended, and the doggos! i've got two that enjoy the backseat too much.

Thanks! One of my pups gets car sick, so he doesn't really enjoy the ride, but the other two love it.

 

[JAndreF321]

As always, I’ve been busy with work and the winter in Washington has left me with fewer hours of daylight to even think about the truck. I did end up buying a used Bak Revolver X2 to keep the little bit of bed I have left dry. There is a tree next to my truck in the driveway that dumps all kinds of crap in the bed and it kept making its way between the Decked system and bed, getting stuck forever. The tonneau definitely keeps crap out, but I’m a little annoyed with the condensation that builds on the aluminum inside and drips down…didn’t expect that.








I’ve also got a trip coming up in the cascades where I’ll need to bring chains. I found some SCC cables on Amazon which fit the bill but I wasn’t sure that I wanted to do cables for a truck. I found some chains from etrailer.com just by googling “raptor snow chains.” There was a youtube video showing them put the chains on a Gen1 with almost zero tread left on the tire. I test fit them today and they are definitely a tight fit and do not route through all the appropriate locations. I’m sure I could tighten them up after a few rotations though.











No issue with clearance on the rear tires. I didn’t even try the front tires because the tire is only about half an inch from the upper control arm. I do know it says not to use snow chains in the manual for this very reason…but people do a lot of things they shouldn’t do with their vehicle. I think you could probably get away with running class S cables on the front with stock offset, but I wouldn’t drive fast at all.





Here are the options I found in research:


Security Chain Company (SCC) SZ486 Super Z8 8mm Snow Cables (~$210 @ Amazon)

Security Chain Company (SCC) SZ492 Super Z8 8mm Snow Cables (LT tire designation) (~$170 @ Amazon)

Titan Diamond HD LT/SUV TC2536 Snow Tire Chains (~$150 @ etrailer)


There are also several options at the link below, though the website is less refined. I found this option from this thread: https://www.fordraptorforum.com/threads/raptor-tire-chains-recommendations-please.58775/

https://www.tirechain.com/315-70-17.htm