Plus the frame won't bend when you jump the Frontier.

 

plus the frame won't bend when you jump the frontier.

lol

 

and dont forget "ford is the number one selling truck in 'Merica"

not because everyone wants a ford, but because they have to be replaced so often.

 

not because everyone wants a ford, but because they have to be replaced so often.

As soon as the are out of warranty they trade them in and buy a new one.

 

The lower towing and load capacity is due to the fancy suspension, that we DON'T have.

 

LOL. I still get a chill up my leg when one passes me on the highway.

 

Oh, they are very cool rigs.
I see them more than an F-150 with a bigger engine and a fancy suspension, nothing more.

 

Funny you should say that.
I guy I work with has the precursor/prototype Raptor. Some 2006 F-150.
He wants a new truck.

 

I thought the raptor was neat first time I saw one, but with the underpowered engine (to me...before they went to the larger one) and the ridiculous price they asked for it, I put that out of my head quick...Plus, imagine spending $55k, only to have it worth 1/2 in a couple years (so sick of losing $$ on cars ). That grill is hideous, although the rest of truck looks pretty good for a factory offering.

Not to mention, it's more of a desert runner than a real 4x4 for crawling and such...don't get me wrong, I'm sure it can tackle some trails, but it's way too large for anything practical (mountains, etc.)...Not to mention, they suck down gas really bad and I see I don't know how many everyday now.

As far as towing and such, you think that's bad, you should've seen my Syclone...500 lbs bed capacity and not rated to tow + a 2-seater...but damn that thing was a beast on the street (esp. in 1991).

 

I would never buy one. I would rather get the 5.4 standard F-150, and put one of the many aftermarket long travel kits available. Brenthal Industries is one that comes to mind. Slap on a few bolt on engine parts, change out the tires, and you will have a much better handeling truck than the Raptor plus the $10K you just saved in your pocket.

 

I have to admit, the Raptor is one good looking truck...

 

Someone said that it is due to the fancy suspension that they have, that we don't have. Not exactly true. The F-150, no matter how you wrap it, is only rated at a quarter ton, so they don't really have that much towing or hauling capacity to begin with.

 

F-150 is a "half ton", but the ton ratings are worthless these days. A regular F-150 has a payload rating in the 1700lb range. You can get a longbed with the payload package for over 3000lbs payload.

The Raptor is sprung very soft, hence the low payload rating.

 

I love the Raptor but a reg F150 with the eco-boost v6 is faster than the Frontier and the Raptor. You have to drive one. I have all 3 on the lot and the eco-boost is a sick engine. Its also the power plant to the Ford SHO.
And the eco-boost has more payload and towing than a F150 with a v8

 

Right out of the factory, no truck is comparable to the Raptor's off-roading capabilities. It was designed from factory to jump. But when you start adding mods, its a completely different story.

If I didn't know anything about trucks and suspensions, i'd take a stock Raptor any day over any other truck, if I were into jumping and what not.

 

I know someone who has an SVT Raptor. I'm not completely sure the thing's even been off road! :thatswck: Actually come to think of it, every Raptor I see around here is sparkly clean.

 

I know right! I'll bet majority of the Raptor owners are high school kids with rich parents. I've seen many in the Las Vegas area that are actually used for what they're intended for, but too many around here that never have a spec of dust on them.

I saw one the other day with chrome 22's... that's sickening. uke:

 

Every time a Raptor comes behind me it completely blocks out my rear view mirror. Its a fat a** in general. Much respect to Ford for creating a truck that appeals to a certain kind crowd. A buddy of mine bought a built prerunner f150 lightning. Its a blast to ride in.

 

The Raptor wasn't designed to haul or tow, it was designed for off-road recreation, and it can do that (from the factory) a heck of a lot better than the Frontier. The standard F-150 with the appropriate towing package (and the same 6.2L engine) is rated to haul 2k+ pounds and tow 11k+ pounds.

As for the bent frames, exactly how many of those were there? A few? If you abuse any vehicle, you're going to break it, and the bent frames were a result of SEVERE abuse. Folks keep throwing this out there as a dig against the Raptor, and there's absolutely nothing to it from what I can tell.

I'm not sure of the Raptor's sales numbers, but I suspect it's a very small percentage of F-150s sold. Most of the heavy-duty hauling and towing demands are best met with 3/4 ton or larger trucks.


JKG

 

The Raptor is 86.3 wide (without mirrors) = WAY TO WIDE for any trails around here.

The frame bending issue is also a big concern. Some say it was abuse, others think an off-road vehicle should be able to handle high speed bumps. Either way, the fact that the tires, wheels, suspension, and everything else survived the supposed 'severe' abuse except for the frame (the most expensive and difficult part to replace) - really??? The frame is the weak point?

 

Everyone who bent a Raptor frame hit the exact same 18" kicker on a course they didn't pre-run at 75mph+. In addition, many of them were just driving too fast (some with disabled speed limiters) and exceeding the articulation limits of the suspension. Repeated hammering destroyed their bumpstops, so the frame took the full force of the kicker hit.

Ford offered to straighten their frames for a very reasonable cost (~$800) and didn't even void their warranties for the obvious abuse.

 

We all know what nissan's response would be.

 

Poorly photocopied diagram of a customer pounding sand...

 

dont park next to a ford they catch on fire and it spreads to all the cars around them , if you didnt know that, type in google fords and fire ,any more ideas

 

I don't drive my truck in an attempt to break something or crash.
They evidently were.

 

I personally think the raptor is hideous. That aside, you can bend any frame, my Chevy k2500 is bent in half and twisted, but a dedicated offroad vehicle? Doesnt need to be square.....as long as the wheels spin i have fun with mine and the cab is only connected with 6 grade 8 bolts! Which are loose! it makes the experience more breathtaking IMO.
My question is this; why is tow rating and payload reason to judge offroad capabilities? Take a look at a jeep or international, and tell me they cant offroad because they cant tow. We are talking purpose built vehicles, and ovbiously they are going to be purchased according to their function.

As a side note, what the hell is ford doing? This new raptor, the new explorer truck, and the new european ranger; none of them are what i was hoping for. For now, its all nissan love, at least i can agree with their engineering and design.

 

Well, it looks like I am going to be trading in my Frontier in the near future. It is between a Supercab Raptor and a Ram 2500 Cummins 6spd. The girl and I are going next week for her to sit in both and test drive them. Either one will be ordered so no one else messed with it prior to me buying it. I like the Frontier, but the other half wants more cab space plus she says she gets a headache on trips due to the bounce. I know, before anyone tries to employ logic...trust me I have tried. But, she already said she would help pay for it, plus I can mod it anyway I want . More to follow....

 

the ford will ride MUCH better than the ram. My frontier rides better than a ram.
you probably wont be initially impressed with the cummins either. I have driven a couple and they feel like they are gutless. But they feel that way no matter how much weight you have behind them empty or 15K, it pulls the same and they dont wind up much, but they will keep pulling.

 

The Raptor frame has a design flaw, which is evident on the inside of the frame rails directly above the bump stops. Theres a cut-out there which without a doubt creates a weak spot at that section.

The Engineer who allowed that placement should be flogged. A definite fail in Mechanical Design 101.

 

If you're banging the axle into the bumpstops hard enough to damage the frame, you're overdriving the truck. You can install a frame reinforcement kit and upgrade the bumpstops if you're worried about it.

Also, the "weak spot" serves a purpose by dumping excess energy into the frame rather than having pieces of the suspension fly off and causing the truck to flip at 75mph+.