Does sport mode stiffen the front suspension on the new Raptors?
03-12-2019, 10:27 PM
#1
Super Duper Senior Member
Thread Starter
Does sport mode stiffen the front suspension on the new Raptors?
Helped a friend install some fog lights and drive lights on his 19 Raptor this weekend. Afterwords, we went driving around and hit some trails in his truck. Driving his has me really considering giving my Wife my truck, and buying a 19 Raptor. Off road the truck was awesome, no complaints there. But on the road, the front end really dipped into the corners a lot more than my truck would on the same off ramps, at the same speed. I assume it's due to the lack of a sway bar, and the super compliant struts.
I didn't really mess with the different modes. Just switched it into 4H and went and played. Then back to 2wd for the trip home. Does Sport mode, or any other mode for that matter, stiffen up the front any?
My main concern is that we take trips to the mountains in NC once or twice a year, and always take my truck. I'm wondering how it'll do on all the switchback mountain roads.
I didn't really mess with the different modes. Just switched it into 4H and went and played. Then back to 2wd for the trip home. Does Sport mode, or any other mode for that matter, stiffen up the front any?
My main concern is that we take trips to the mountains in NC once or twice a year, and always take my truck. I'm wondering how it'll do on all the switchback mountain roads.
03-13-2019, 01:58 PM
#2
F150 Forum
You’ve got to remember that you’re driving a shock with significant amount of travel. So it’s going to lean a little bit in the turns and have some body roll, it just takes a bit of getting used to.
The truck still has a sway bar as well. In theory, Sport Mode should stiffen it up a bit and lessen body roll. But Ford hasn’t fully confirmed all of the different parameters.
The truck still has a sway bar as well. In theory, Sport Mode should stiffen it up a bit and lessen body roll. But Ford hasn’t fully confirmed all of the different parameters.
03-13-2019, 02:16 PM
#3
Super Duper Senior Member
Thread Starter
You’ve got to remember that you’re driving a shock with significant amount of travel. So it’s going to lean a little bit in the turns and have some body roll, it just takes a bit of getting used to.
The truck still has a sway bar as well. In theory, Sport Mode should stiffen it up a bit and lessen body roll. But Ford hasn’t fully confirmed all of the different parameters.
The truck still has a sway bar as well. In theory, Sport Mode should stiffen it up a bit and lessen body roll. But Ford hasn’t fully confirmed all of the different parameters.
03-13-2019, 02:29 PM
#4
It does stiffen up the outside shocks in corners. I took my brand new 19 raptor in sport mode home on my favorite twisty road and was absolutely shocked how it DIDNT lean in the corners, stayed flat. I felt the initial tire 'squish" and thats it. I drive a v8 converted 93 rx7 in the summer time, modded for handling so I know what a good car handles like on that road. Tried the same trip in normal mode and it swayed like I would expect from a truck. The live shocks are a game changer on 19+. I'm totally impressed!!
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Nick@Apollo-Optics (03-15-2019)
03-13-2019, 02:51 PM
#5
Super Duper Senior Member
Thread Starter
It does stiffen up the outside shocks in corners. I took my brand new 19 raptor in sport mode home on my favorite twisty road and was absolutely shocked how it DIDNT lean in the corners, stayed flat. I felt the initial tire 'squish" and thats it. I drive a v8 converted 93 rx7 in the summer time, modded for handling so I know what a good car handles like on that road. Tried the same trip in normal mode and it swayed like I would expect from a truck. The live shocks are a game changer on 19+. I'm totally impressed!!
03-15-2019, 01:34 PM
#6
F150 Forum
It does stiffen up the outside shocks in corners. I took my brand new 19 raptor in sport mode home on my favorite twisty road and was absolutely shocked how it DIDNT lean in the corners, stayed flat. I felt the initial tire 'squish" and thats it. I drive a v8 converted 93 rx7 in the summer time, modded for handling so I know what a good car handles like on that road. Tried the same trip in normal mode and it swayed like I would expect from a truck. The live shocks are a game changer on 19+. I'm totally impressed!!
03-15-2019, 02:29 PM
#7
This is the first that I have heard the 2019 shocks are tied to the modes.
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03-19-2019, 12:18 PM
#9
Senior Member
This topic sparked my curiosity as I've also never heard about active shocks and their relationship with certain drive modes. I found a website that explained the new system fairly well.
Source
Source
For 2019, all Raptors come with dynamic dampers, a technology Fox calls Live Valve. The Live Valve actuator controls the oil-flow rate through the base compression valve, which provides variable damping control during the compression stroke. Rebound damping remains passively metered. In this application, Ford utilizes the same continuously controlled damping (CCD) controller used on Lincoln products but with software written specifically for the Raptor. The programming accounts for the Raptor’s position sensors on the front suspension and considers a number of other inputs as it continuously adjusts damping at all four corners, including setting them to full stiffness when the truck goes airborne.
On-road benefits exist, too. Roll-control functionality—which increases the outside dampers’ resistance to compression during cornering—is present in Normal and Sport modes but is disabled in the off-road modes (Baja, Rock Crawl, Mud/Sand), where it would create understeer. The rest of the Raptor’s suspension hardware—its upper and lower front control arms and live rear axle—remain the same, retaining the 13.0 inches of front and 13.9 inches of rear travel it has been blessed with since its debut.
On-road benefits exist, too. Roll-control functionality—which increases the outside dampers’ resistance to compression during cornering—is present in Normal and Sport modes but is disabled in the off-road modes (Baja, Rock Crawl, Mud/Sand), where it would create understeer. The rest of the Raptor’s suspension hardware—its upper and lower front control arms and live rear axle—remain the same, retaining the 13.0 inches of front and 13.9 inches of rear travel it has been blessed with since its debut.