From headlamp to tailgate. From suspension to drivetrain. See how the unique features of the Gen2 Raptor work in perfect unison… to take off-road performance to an intimidating new level. The Raptor is even more of a beast off-road. To manage the power distribution between the front and rear wheels, an all-new, four-wheel-drive, torque-on-demand transfer case. The Raptor also sports 3.0-inch FOX Racing Shox which provides great off-road performance and a smooth ride on-road.
The Raptor tends to 'squat' a bit with the travel trailer, so after many days of research I bottomed out (sic) on the Deaver +3HD leafs with the Offroad Alliance raised bump stops! Why? They'll add 1" of clearance in the back, they offer an amazing ride, and this will give us more oomph with the Raptor suspension.
They're seriously BEEFY leaf springs. The OEM springs are 4 leafs, the Deaver +3HD are 12 leafs! But the ride is incredibly compliant! Love this update!!
The truck is a totally new beast when towing now, before you could 'feel' the trailer much more - but now it feels like it was meant to do this! Two big thumbs up for this addition!
It's been 4 years since I changed the exhaust with the Flowmaster Flow FX setup and was looking for something a little different. SPD created this new equal-length resonator delete pipe that mimics the 2020+ Raptor exhaust. It's pretty funky looking!
When I first reached out in February, I asked SPD about "drone" and they said absolutely no drone... well, it's not entirely true.
The pipe showed up a few weeks ago, so aboutI had mine installed today - ordered February, showed up about 2 weeks ago... almost 5 months waiting!!!
My initial review (sorry no video yet)
The truck idles more deeply, and sounds throatier
it's definitely LOUDER for sure, but very cool to hear how this engine 'breathes' - you can't hide any throttle wiggle with this pipe! Seriously with this mod, it sounds more like you're driving a Ford GT - it's pretty crazy!
sadly it drones around 2-2.1K rpms which is really disappointing, which is a lot of driving around town RPMs when in sport mode, and hunting right around 6th gear...
Maybe it's just the difference from the FlowFX which tended to rumble more in the middle of the truck - now all the sound has moved to the rear outlets...
I kept my Flowmaster FlowFX if I want to go back but will give it some time to wear in a bit
Hope to record and post a video soon for a better sound review.
Finally! All 4 of the Vorsteiner Venom Rex VR-602 Tungsten Graphite wheels arrived!
I ordered them from my buddy Sterling
Love the look of these wheels! They're a little more aggressive than stock, and perform wonderfully!
Here is a spec comparison to the OEM wheels:
VR-602
OEM
Benefits
Color:
Tungsten Graphite
Machined
n/a
Build Process:
Flow Forged
Aluminum Cast
Lighter and stronger
Bolt Pattern:
6x135
6.135
same
Size:
17x9
17x8.5
.5” wider
Offset:
+12
+34
22mm more clearance
Backspacing:
5.5”
6.04”
1/2" more clearance
Load Rating:
2646 lbs.
2100 lbs.
Over 500 lbs. stronger
Weight:
24.4 lbs.
32 lbs.
7.6 lbs.
lighter
The guys at America's tire were nice enough to put the chrome lugs on, and ordered black ones and will swap them out for me when they come in. Here are pics mounted!
The black lugs will look awesome once they come in!
One more thing - right? Well, I was able to get a great deal on this part and so far very happy with it! The Flowmaster 717776 Exhaust Muffler is a mid-muffler replacement for the OEM part. It keeps the OEM resonator and the existing tailpipes - which I'm fine with. I like the matte finished black tips and just wanted a little more sound from the exhaust, and NO drone! Love it!
Here's a quick video of the sound!
and a longer video of the review!
Flowmaster FlowFX is their new design where it's not just a muffler that you weld in - it's a slip-fit system that makes things a LOT easier for installation.
Features
Designed as a direct-fit replacement muffler for the 2017-2018 Ford Raptor trucks with the 3.5L Ecoboost engine. This easy to install direct-fit muffler delivers a moderate to aggressive interior and exterior sound level that will appeal to anyone looking for a deep powerful exhaust note. Features include all 3.00 inch mandrel-bent bright stainless steel tubing mated to a specially designed dual 3.00 inch inlet/outlet "straight-through" FlowFX muffler for great sound and maximum performance. Utilizes the factory hangers and connections without any cutting or welding and installs in about 20 minutes. Includes all necessary parts and hardware. Proud to Say Made in the USA.
FINALLY getting around to upgrading my speaker(s) - did a quick video on the process for the center dash speaker - yes it's just one. The Sony system isn't terrible in the Raptor, but it needs more help for sure - the range of the OEM speakers is pretty stale... From lots of reviews on the forums, these Pioneer A-series are an inexpensive addition to really make the audio 'sing' 😎
From my previous blog about Forscan it's a free tool that lets you monitor, modify the computers in your vehicle. The 2017 Ford Raptor is able to take advantage of this tool as well!
Please do some research. After doing that - you'll need the following setup to repeat what I've done with my truck:
A modern OBDII device, I chose the ScanTool 426101 OBDLink MX Bluetooth - yes it's pricey, but it's seriously one of the best devices as you can leave it installed and it has auto power on/off.
The Forscan tutorial is continually updated, I highly suggest reading through it since it will simplify your understanding for your vehicle and what risks/benefits you'll find.
Double Horn Honk disable - basically if you leave your cars in the truck and get out and close the door, you don't get that annoying double honk sound!
this is nice because you can see when things are actually warmed up!
Fake engine noise disable (TBD - I kinda like it!) Heated & Cooled Seat Icons AND Heated Steering Wheel on home & climate screen This is my favorite, really fills in the screen and is super usable on cold days!
Hope this has been helpful - post comments and questions if you need help!
I setup a fantastic Group Buy for the Whipple Stage 1 Kit online - we hoped to get at least 10 guys in to get the discount, little did I know that 42 people signed up in 2 days!! If you know Whipple Superchargers then you understand why they're so good! They've been around for decades and are most popularly know for their twin-screw superchargers.
Well, the 2017 Ford Raptor - is a twin-turbo V6, so why the heck would Whipple mess with a turbo car? It's a totally different forced induction running from exhaust gases versus compressing incoming ambient air like a supercharger does... well, it's because Whipple has had a masterful relationship with Ford and they work together to build an amazing ECU tune for this truck!
The kit comes with a new Cold Air Intake (CAI), a bigger intercooler (which is critical in keeping temps lower), and of course the masterful computer retune. I visited the Whipple home site in Fresno, CA and dropped it off for the upgrades.
Naturally the motor needs to cool down after our 3 hour drive, so they worked on it later that afternoon while my son and I trolloped around Fresno (hint: not that much to do!)
The next morning, I was like a kid at Christmas - up early, wanting to run down and check the tree for presents - but alas, I was in a hotel room and ate some oatmeal with bad coffee LOL
But we decided to go over to the Whipple shop earlier so we could maybe sneak a peak. Little did we know that Dustin Whipple himself would give us the grand tour!
haha - even the bushes say WHIPPLE
Some nice customer toys in the lot
that supercharged GT350 puts down 987HP!!!
can't go wrong with a blacked out GT
More Raptor Fun!
Yes, that's an engine dyno!
Brand new 2018 Mustang GT ready for a supercharger buildup!
A whole building full of CNC machines making custom/small-order parts!
Taking bit's of metal like this...
and turning it into this!
ooh, dive right in! LOL
Now, onto the dyno! Here are my old parts...
and the computer for the dyno
The beast on the dyno!
she's a little fat :)
re-gapping the spark plugs...
pic of the new intake
Here's the fun!
Overall, the tune was tweaked and dialed in - the truck goes from 450HP/510ft-lbs stock
to
530HP 580ft-lbs tuned!!
VERY happy with the results!
The nice part is this is CARB legal with an actual E0 number
A lot of folks have been concerned about the 'open' box design - but as you can see the gasket presses up to the hood so it's not fully 'open' under there - definitely gives more 'whoosh' sound from the turbos :)
edit: As you know, turbo vehicles can appreciate a good tune - and Whipple did a fantastic job of keeping this setup CARB legal AND giving the punch it needs. They even update the Transmission Control Module (TCM) regularly so you can get the benefit of all the Ford updates to the new 10-spd transmission coding! Hope you enjoy!
Well you can't have a pickup without using the bed - but you want to protect the bed too! I mean you wouldn't throw a desk, table, and chairs on your freshly painted door would you? heck no! So I opted to get the bed Line-X premium coating - it's the pinnacle of bed protection wife a lifetime warranty. The guys at Line-X Rancho Cordova were AWESOME!
Here's the Raptor bed, with it's naked Avalanche paint... purdy :) but let's keep it that way!
So here's some pics of the bed with the fresh coat plus UV protection (part of the Premium package)
Do you notice the bed bolts and screws? YES! Line-X removes all those - sprays the bed then re-assembles everything so it looks like it came from the factory this way! Actually, if you buy the factory bedliner, they spray over all the bolts... ugh!
And we had the rear fender wells done too - it really protects and makes it easy to clean up!
