Soooo, between bouncin back and fourth between customer cars and my truck, I finally got to install my stage 3 kit over Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. Due to the time crunch, I didn't get around to taking any install pictures, and honestly I don't know If I could have shown anything new that BigJ and whisler151 didn't already show in their RPG install thread.
I've installed and removed a shit ton of "bolt on" accessories over the last 12ish years. Some times its all I do during the week. From TRD superchargers, to suspension kits, to goose neck/fifth wheel hitches, to paraplegic hand controls, to those ****** CARR hoop steps that should have died with the 80s, I think I've dicked with every "bolt on" accessory known to mankind. Without question, I was quite interested to see how the RPG stuff panned out.
From the get go,
RPG customer service is outstanding! Jerrett took the time needed to answer any/all my pre questions. Due to my hectic schedule, Jerrett took the time to finalized my order over the phone, at 9pm! I received all the tracking number via email the morning everything was shipped (luckily waiting for Raptor parts, is much less frustrating than waiting for your Raptor from Ford hah!). Upon delivery, not 30 minutes after, Corey (from RPG) called me and said; hey, I saw that your parts were delivered, how does everything look, whats your impressions?! WOW, I've never had a company do that before! We continued to talked for a bit and he reminded me to call him (till 10pm!) for any install help. After getting off the phone, Corey made sure to email me the stage 3 install instructions.
Can you say packing peanuts?? Holy smokes! There were peanuts packed inside the bumpstop cross over support. I had to use a damn broom handle to ream the support tube free of peanuts. RPG doesn't joke around when it comes to making sure stuff gets shipped damage free. You can tell the care and quality they take in building parts carries over to packaging them.
The parts,
The welds are professional, the metal used is beefy and the bends are streamline, the powder coat finish is flawless, the hardware is top shelf, and the overall look screams bad ass. At this point I can't do anything but smile.
Install time,
I scanned over the install instructions briefly and went to work. The first "obstacle" I ran into was installing the support tube that spans the frame rails. RPG instructions talks about two different options here, one being installing the tube diagonally from the bottom, rather than sliding it thru, in between the bed and the frame. My plan was to install diagonally from the bottom up, based from the experience I have installing B&W flip over balls, I figured sliding thru the bed/frame was going to require alterations to the pinch weld seam flange on the bottom of the bed. For giggles I tried to slide it in between the bed and frame anyways. It could be done, but I'd either have to cut a slot, or bend the flange up to give the required room to slide the tube through. For someone doing it on the ground/jack stands this may be an easier way. Installing it diagonally from the bottom takes a bit more patience and "massaging" to find the right chain of events to get it in place. I found stuffing the leading end into/above the passenger side frame rail as far forward as I could, let me get the other end up and around the brake lines/wiring and frame. It takes a bit of trial and error, but once you figure it out, it slides right in.
During the install of the bumpstop brackets, when trying to get them in place, I did have interference problems between the bed seam flanges and the top of the bracket where the support tube bolts. It finally went, but skinned the powder coating off. Not a huge problem, but I think maybe just a little less metal there on the bracket and it would have went smoother. Once past that point, I needed a little rubber mallet action to completely seat them to the frame. This maybe expected considering my frame was a bit tweaked.
Feeding the nuts to the frame monster! This step with the nuts taped to the wrench is kind of a pita. With two people it went alright... but I think using bolt fish-wire (with a carriage bolt and plate, or a bolt with plate welded to it, then put the nut on the out side) would've been easier (see pic at bottom). If the plate is the correct size, it would lock itself against the frame ends when torquing down, making re-torquing super simple. Any hitch/accessory I've installed that needs to get a bolt through the frame uses this method, and although this too can be a pita, I think it would have been easier than wrench and tape.
The rear exhaust hanger bracket. I'm still a little lost how the bottom, facing up rear exhaust hanger bolt is supposed to be installed. There are threads cut into the bracket for the bolt, but the hole does not line up with the hole in the frame, so the bolt bottoms out on the frame well before the bracket gets tight. Its something I need to call Corey about, but I may just install a stud and nut there. Right now the hanger is being held on by just the one other bolt. Kinda not impressed with the design there.
Other than that, the rest was smooth sailing. The fox bumps, leaf springs, and striker pads all went together great! I'd say overall RPG did a pretty damn good job!
When I put the truck on the ground the rear had gained some height over stock; not what I wanted. I ripped it around the block, and still high, not to mention, it road stiffer than stock. I figured i'd wait till after a good romp and recheck..
As for controlling the rear end, the national spring do amazing. Why the hell didn't I do springs sooner?!?!? On road, Wheel hop is contained, my truck doesn't sound like a horse drawn carriage over bumps, and overall the rear just feels so much more planted and controlled. Later Saturday night I took it to a off road spot that's good for stretchin things out. Its a single lane twisty dirt utility access road that climbs 1000ftish up the side of a mountain. The then current surface condition consisted of rutted up mud/frozen mud/and snow as I got higher. I've rallied this spot in my Raptor who knows how many times. 99% of the time I always do it in 4x4 because in 2x2 the rear flops around too much/out of control. Not this time though, its time to see what these springs can do!
After a quick pre run up the trail, I started back at base, lock the rear axle, turned off the nanny shit, dropped it in first and went WOT. It didn't take long to notice the huge improvement. Instead of the rear end bouncing up and down and swinging side to side when trying to accel, the springs planted and the truck accelerated in the direction I was pointed. As I got to the rougher and really steep sections I stayed in it (doing 40-50mph), every little hump that bumped my truck up a little was met by my motor bogging and little jolts of acceleration as the leaf fought to regain traction. Never ever would the stock spring pack have handled like this, by this time I would of been out of control and in for a ride down the side mountain. F'ing impressed, this trucks a new animal!
I went up and down about 4 times going faster and faster till I noticed my alignment feeling the affects of cutting turns and slides through the ruts. After I got it back home in my garage I looked it over. Everything still looked good; the rubber o-rings indicated I had used about half the bump travel... sweet... lol. I measured the rear again and to my relieve it had settled over an inch. I have about 9 1/2"s between the top of my tire and the fender flare now. The ride is also starting to feel better.
Overall, I'm very impressed, and for sure plan on doing business with RPG again.
Fish wire...
I've installed and removed a shit ton of "bolt on" accessories over the last 12ish years. Some times its all I do during the week. From TRD superchargers, to suspension kits, to goose neck/fifth wheel hitches, to paraplegic hand controls, to those ****** CARR hoop steps that should have died with the 80s, I think I've dicked with every "bolt on" accessory known to mankind. Without question, I was quite interested to see how the RPG stuff panned out.
From the get go,
RPG customer service is outstanding! Jerrett took the time needed to answer any/all my pre questions. Due to my hectic schedule, Jerrett took the time to finalized my order over the phone, at 9pm! I received all the tracking number via email the morning everything was shipped (luckily waiting for Raptor parts, is much less frustrating than waiting for your Raptor from Ford hah!). Upon delivery, not 30 minutes after, Corey (from RPG) called me and said; hey, I saw that your parts were delivered, how does everything look, whats your impressions?! WOW, I've never had a company do that before! We continued to talked for a bit and he reminded me to call him (till 10pm!) for any install help. After getting off the phone, Corey made sure to email me the stage 3 install instructions.
Can you say packing peanuts?? Holy smokes! There were peanuts packed inside the bumpstop cross over support. I had to use a damn broom handle to ream the support tube free of peanuts. RPG doesn't joke around when it comes to making sure stuff gets shipped damage free. You can tell the care and quality they take in building parts carries over to packaging them.
The parts,
The welds are professional, the metal used is beefy and the bends are streamline, the powder coat finish is flawless, the hardware is top shelf, and the overall look screams bad ass. At this point I can't do anything but smile.
Install time,
I scanned over the install instructions briefly and went to work. The first "obstacle" I ran into was installing the support tube that spans the frame rails. RPG instructions talks about two different options here, one being installing the tube diagonally from the bottom, rather than sliding it thru, in between the bed and the frame. My plan was to install diagonally from the bottom up, based from the experience I have installing B&W flip over balls, I figured sliding thru the bed/frame was going to require alterations to the pinch weld seam flange on the bottom of the bed. For giggles I tried to slide it in between the bed and frame anyways. It could be done, but I'd either have to cut a slot, or bend the flange up to give the required room to slide the tube through. For someone doing it on the ground/jack stands this may be an easier way. Installing it diagonally from the bottom takes a bit more patience and "massaging" to find the right chain of events to get it in place. I found stuffing the leading end into/above the passenger side frame rail as far forward as I could, let me get the other end up and around the brake lines/wiring and frame. It takes a bit of trial and error, but once you figure it out, it slides right in.
During the install of the bumpstop brackets, when trying to get them in place, I did have interference problems between the bed seam flanges and the top of the bracket where the support tube bolts. It finally went, but skinned the powder coating off. Not a huge problem, but I think maybe just a little less metal there on the bracket and it would have went smoother. Once past that point, I needed a little rubber mallet action to completely seat them to the frame. This maybe expected considering my frame was a bit tweaked.
Feeding the nuts to the frame monster! This step with the nuts taped to the wrench is kind of a pita. With two people it went alright... but I think using bolt fish-wire (with a carriage bolt and plate, or a bolt with plate welded to it, then put the nut on the out side) would've been easier (see pic at bottom). If the plate is the correct size, it would lock itself against the frame ends when torquing down, making re-torquing super simple. Any hitch/accessory I've installed that needs to get a bolt through the frame uses this method, and although this too can be a pita, I think it would have been easier than wrench and tape.
The rear exhaust hanger bracket. I'm still a little lost how the bottom, facing up rear exhaust hanger bolt is supposed to be installed. There are threads cut into the bracket for the bolt, but the hole does not line up with the hole in the frame, so the bolt bottoms out on the frame well before the bracket gets tight. Its something I need to call Corey about, but I may just install a stud and nut there. Right now the hanger is being held on by just the one other bolt. Kinda not impressed with the design there.
Other than that, the rest was smooth sailing. The fox bumps, leaf springs, and striker pads all went together great! I'd say overall RPG did a pretty damn good job!
When I put the truck on the ground the rear had gained some height over stock; not what I wanted. I ripped it around the block, and still high, not to mention, it road stiffer than stock. I figured i'd wait till after a good romp and recheck..
As for controlling the rear end, the national spring do amazing. Why the hell didn't I do springs sooner?!?!? On road, Wheel hop is contained, my truck doesn't sound like a horse drawn carriage over bumps, and overall the rear just feels so much more planted and controlled. Later Saturday night I took it to a off road spot that's good for stretchin things out. Its a single lane twisty dirt utility access road that climbs 1000ftish up the side of a mountain. The then current surface condition consisted of rutted up mud/frozen mud/and snow as I got higher. I've rallied this spot in my Raptor who knows how many times. 99% of the time I always do it in 4x4 because in 2x2 the rear flops around too much/out of control. Not this time though, its time to see what these springs can do!
After a quick pre run up the trail, I started back at base, lock the rear axle, turned off the nanny shit, dropped it in first and went WOT. It didn't take long to notice the huge improvement. Instead of the rear end bouncing up and down and swinging side to side when trying to accel, the springs planted and the truck accelerated in the direction I was pointed. As I got to the rougher and really steep sections I stayed in it (doing 40-50mph), every little hump that bumped my truck up a little was met by my motor bogging and little jolts of acceleration as the leaf fought to regain traction. Never ever would the stock spring pack have handled like this, by this time I would of been out of control and in for a ride down the side mountain. F'ing impressed, this trucks a new animal!
I went up and down about 4 times going faster and faster till I noticed my alignment feeling the affects of cutting turns and slides through the ruts. After I got it back home in my garage I looked it over. Everything still looked good; the rubber o-rings indicated I had used about half the bump travel... sweet... lol. I measured the rear again and to my relieve it had settled over an inch. I have about 9 1/2"s between the top of my tire and the fender flare now. The ride is also starting to feel better.
Overall, I'm very impressed, and for sure plan on doing business with RPG again.
Fish wire...
.
