Ford Rapter - Mr DP Version?

[RYP]

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2009/06/fo ... ne-23.html

http://www.fordvehicles.com/F150raptor/ ... 150raptor/

Funny how they finally fix the suspension on a truck but then add a monster engine and a pickup bed...$40 - 60K (for a friggin $18K pickup truck)

they need a V6 diesel, a expedition cover with roof rack and long range tank...de-gay the interior...and then it would rock. Could even be the new Land Rover Defender.

[Woodsman]

It's okay. I don't see a whole lot that thing can do over my 95' F-150 with the 351c EFI stock engine it's got in it, besides lay more rubber and waste more gas - and of course look a whole hell of a lot less rustier. :-)

It's not even close to the Jeep. The Jeep has 18" tires (not 17s like the Ford) and a suspension to boot. The Jeep can't haul plywood without hitching a trailer to the ball, but the raptor would die if it tried to tackle stuff the Jeep can handle with ease - with 5 passengers sitting in it - but then of course, so would a sissy ass range rover. LOL!

Right now I have the top on and all four doors off the jeep (try that with any other vehicle). It was great riding around in 93F temperatures - yesterday it was the same temps and sun, but top down and I've got a nice white seatbelt mark across my chest.

Jeeps are the original. THE original. They aren't perfect, but it doesn't say "JEEP trail" on your USGS 7.5 quads for nothing!

Edited to say: I just watched the movie. I should have taken my 95' out there and showed those fools what a real work truck can do! I wonder if those guys would try loading that pickup up a ton over GVWR and drive it about 7k miles worth after it has 150k miles on it. :-) Let's see 'em Pull 10-15k pounds of tractors and extend-a-hoe mini excavators...I've done it with mine, but I'm willing to be they're not going to do it with that fancy pants $40k truck. :-)

[Dabbi]

its a 500 horsepower f150 it's not a offroad or work truck

[RYP]

No no no, the Baja setup is unique to SoCal an involves cutting the entire back end out of pickup to create monster shock towers. These trucks literally fly over the hoopties and have amazing suspension travel. Ford worked with Fox and like most big company solutions its lame BUT its a start since US trucks are crap off road due to their use of buggy springs, weak frames and archaic suspension set ups.

The idea would be to move to Land Rover style long travel, soft wide spring and lighten the truck. Then you need to move more weight to the center and back, fuel tank, spare, cargo etc (where the traction is) cuz pickuptrucks are just stupid as loosely goosely off road vehicles

Jeeps are too tiny for the high speeds and deadly if pushed too fast. Range Rovers (1980 - 1995) fly over the fast sand hills but are grossly underpowered. I used to drive my older Range Rover through Death Valley at 100+ and other than chipping the tires to gumballs and the shock valves getting red hot it was a groove.
Where the technology comes from:



Half hearted modification (needs coils, not springs)


The Toyota might be a better candidate for proper tuning

[Woodsman]

The jeep I got is a 4 door model - long wheelbase and 100% coil spring dampened. It's only got 210 horses, so slightly anemic, but it works!

The F-150 I got has coils in front and springs in back - If I had to choose one to HAUL ASS with off road, it would be the truck - though the coils would definitely need to be changed out to longer ones as the tires are oversized for the suspension - STILL, the thing hauls ass and that movie depicts similar roads to what we have here.

The Jeep is a climbing, swamp treading vehicle. I've pulled my truck out at least 3 times with the jeep - when the truck was buried to the axle - it's AMAZING how hard the jeep can pull in 4L

For the record, I've been down on the Baja peninsula and actually I believe their roads are BETTER than ours here - with the exception of the parts having steep side hazards - that IS a good way to flip a car.

The sand rails speak for themselves...Nothing can touch a unit with that low of C.O.G. and yet high ground clearance.

[RYP]

springs bounce, coils cushion but you are right the soft sand roads in Baja are muy suave and those jumps would have a slightly different outcome on a rocky backroad. What I like about the raptor is the attention to ride, something truck manufacturers seem to scoff at because they are terrified of leaving the whip and buggy era.

far be it from me to diss a Jeep owner, they make enough fun of us Defender drivers when we drive right by them :)) Jeeps were never made to go off road they were just cheap general purpose vehicles. The Landy was a direct rip of the jeep but with softer spring rates, tougher frame (they had to box weld because the UK steel was such crap) and Britex aluminum left over from making Spitfires. The current defender is neither comfortable or sophisticated but it is designed (like the older discos and range rovers) to drive off road. However neither of those brands hold a candle to the Land Cruiser for reliability and real world abuse. The 1995 era diesel Toyota Land Cruiser is the bomb when it comes to driving on shit roads in shit countries

[redharen]

What do you think of the Toyota FJ cruiser? You posted the pic above and I've heard good things about them (from dudes who used to be big-time into Jeeps, no less) but later I heard that they had a problem with welds breaking on the frame. Other than that, they seem to wisely emulate that ultimate off-road machine: the remote-control car.

[Dabbi]

the fj cruiser is built on the hilux platform

[RYP]

FJ Cruiser has some infuriating flawa: You can't see shit out the windows.... and it stinks like an airport floor with all that rubber, the door access to the rear sucks. But it has the right setup for harsh conditions. Perhaps a convertible version with pimp wheels?





But you can buy a 1995 Range Rover for around 6K and do much better Same drive train/frame (extended) as the 35K used Defender, more comfort and more load room

[Woodsman]

Where you going with that today: Walmart super center or Cosco?