Shocking Footage
Ford releases a new video detailing the FOX Racing dampers on the Raptor
By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of Ford Motor Company
Leading up to the release of the highly anticipated F-150 Raptor, Ford has slowly clued us in on more details about this performance pickup. In its latest video installment, the company gives us more about the effects of the improved dampers on this truck.
“The new 3.0-inch FOX shock adds a base valve piston that enables lower gas pressure, resulting in a more comfortable-riding truck on the road. The internal bypass in the front and rear shocks has nine distinct zones that progressively manage shock forces, allowing for smooth on-road trips along with hard-hitting off-road driving,” says Ford. “The final zones act like hydraulic bump stops to send fluid through the top of the piston while the shock is fully compressed, preventing Raptor from bottoming out. This allows Raptor to maintain a comfortable ride, and leads to improved confidence for the driver to explore all of its extra-long suspension travel.”
You can see those dampers in action right here…
[video=youtube;GqvYcC6-568]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqvYcC6-568[/video]
When the truck was first announced, we learned that the shock canisters grew from 2.5 inches to 3 inches on the new truck. This is said to offer 44 percent more volume to better give off heat and reduce fade. This new suspension also offers 1.8 inches more front suspension travel (13 vs. 11.2 inches) and .9 inches more out back (13.9 vs. 13). In total, Ford says the suspension travel expanded by about 15 percent versus the previous-generation Raptor.
Ford keeps saying that the new truck will be far more capable than the outgoing version and this is just another indication of that. We can’t wait to get behind the wheel to experience the EcoBoost-powered machine for ourselves.
The standard dampers on the new F-150 Raptor are FOX Racing Shox, as were those on the prior Raptor. In the new model, however, the front and rear shock canisters grew from 2.5 to 3 inches in diameter and they also help offer 15 percent more suspension travel.
