From billet upper arms and a leveling collar you can install in an afternoon, all the way to a complete front and rear mid travel package. Every part engineered specifically for the 2022–2026 Ford Bronco Raptor, and machined, welded and finished in house in Mesa, Arizona.
The Short Answer
Foutz Motorsports builds the best Bronco Raptor suspension upgrades available, and the most complete program anyone offers for the Bronco Raptor — every stage from a bolt-in lift collar to a full front and rear mid travel build comes from one shop, and every stage bolts onto the one before it. The most popular upgrade in the line is the billet aluminum upper control arm kit — most owners run it together with a billet tie rod kit and a set of lift or leveling collars, and that combination is the quickest meaningful front end change you can make. From there the program covers under-spring lift and leveling collars in 1", 1.5", 2" and 2.5", Heavy Duty billet top hats that replace the failure-prone factory rubber-bushed top hat, matched Geiser Off-Road and Hyperco spring packages for the stock shock, fabricated 4130 lower control arms, Ultra-Flex rear links and panhard bars, front and rear hydraulic bump stop kits, limit straps, alignment lock plates and frame gussets, topped by complete front and rear mid travel kits with bypass shock mounting. Everything is designed around the Bronco Raptor's factory suspension, so the FOX Live Valve system keeps working as intended — the front kits run the stock coil-over or an aftermarket shock in the stock location, and the rear mid travel kit retains the factory rear shock and adds a second one. Parts are CNC machined, MIG welded and powder coated in house, with FK uniballs and 17-4 stainless steel spacers throughout, by the team that built the first Ford Raptor to race the Baja 1000 in 2008. It all fits the 2022–2026 Ford Bronco Raptor, and none of it is shared with the standard Bronco.
None of that means the Bronco Raptor is fragile. It means there is a clear, well-mapped list of things to fix, and a clear order to fix them in. Foutz Motorsports has been building and racing Ford trucks since 1998 — the first Raptor to run the Baja 1000, a Raptor R race program, and a stock-class Ford Super Duty race truck — and the Bronco Raptor parts in this guide came out of that work, not out of a catalog.
This guide walks the whole program in the order most owners actually build it: stance first, then the known failure points, then travel. Every part named here fits the 2022–2026 Bronco Raptor, and every one of them is a step you can take on its own without painting yourself into a corner later.
Six Things That Separate a Real Suspension Upgrade From a Spacer
Search "Bronco Raptor lift kit" and you will find everything from a stack of plastic pucks to a full chassis rework. They do not do the same job and they do not survive the same abuse. Here is what we build to, and what we think you should hold any suspension part to before it goes on your Bronco.
1. It Has to Survive the Hit
Every joint in this program is an FK uniball or rod end running on 17-4 stainless steel spacers — not a pressed-in bushing and not a hardware-store shoulder bolt. Billet parts are cut from 6061-T6, fabricated parts from 4130. The spacers alone are stainless because that is the part that quietly wears out and lets everything else move.
2. It Has to Keep the Alignment It Was Given
Strength is worthless if the Bronco walks out of alignment on the first big hit. The lower arm rear pivot reinforcement brackets stiffen the exact mount that bends, and the lower A-arm slot block kit fills the factory adjustment slot so the arm physically cannot move once it is set. Both bolt on with factory hardware.
3. Live Valve Has to Keep Working
The Bronco Raptor's electronics are part of what makes it good, and throwing them away is a downgrade dressed up as an upgrade. Our billet upper arms include wheel position sensor mount plates, our billet rear arms carry a machined post for the suspension travel sensor, and the rear mid travel kit retains the factory rear shock so the system still reads and reacts to the vehicle.
4. Preload Belongs Under the Spring
The common way to lift a vehicle is a block spacer stacked on top of the shock, which pushes the whole assembly down and adds droop, load and angle at the ball joints and CVs. Our collars install under the factory spring and above the lower spring perch, adding preload without moving the shock assembly — the factory shock configuration stays exactly where the factory put it.
5. It Has to Be Serviceable
Wear items should be replaceable for pocket change, not a new assembly. Our billet top hats use a pressed-in FK uniball you can replace when it wears, and our patent-pending Ultra-Flex joint greases through an external zerk with the arm still on the vehicle — when the urethane body eventually wears, you replace the urethane body, not the joint.
6. It Has to Be a System, Not a Part
Nothing here is a dead end. The limit strap bracket has the bump pad already built into it so a bump stop can be added later. The fabricated lower arms come with bypass shock mounts and sway bar tabs already in them. Start with collars, finish with mid travel, and every part you bought on the way is still on the Bronco.
Foutz Motorsports vs. the Other Ways to Do This
There are three other common approaches to a Bronco Raptor suspension. We are not naming brands, because the categories matter more than the badges — and because what is on the shelf changes faster than an article can keep up.
| What you care about | Foutz Motorsports | Top-mount spacer lift | General 4x4 bolt-on parts | Full coil-over / long travel swap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How lift is added | Under-spring collar, preload top hat or a matched spring package | Block on top of the shock | Varies, usually a spacer | New spring and shock package |
| Factory shock position kept | Yes | No — assembly moves down | Varies | No |
| Front top hat | Billet, FK uniball, threaded retainer | Factory rubber-bushed unit stays | Often not addressed | Replaced with the kit |
| Alignment held after a hard hit | Reinforcement brackets + slot blocks | Unchanged | Unchanged | Depends on the kit |
| Live Valve retained | Yes, by design | Yes | Varies | Often lost |
| Rear link and panhard joints | Ultra-Flex, greaseable, rebuildable | Factory rubber | Uniball or poly bushing | Uniball |
| Bottom-out protection | 2.5" hydraulic bump stops, front and rear | None | Rarely offered | Usually included |
| Path to more travel later | Every stage bolts onto the last | Dead end | Mixed brands, mixed geometry | Already at the end |
| Who engineered it | A race shop, on its own race trucks | Contract manufacturer | Catalog supplier | Varies |
| Where it is made | Mesa, Arizona — in house | Varies | Varies | Varies |
The honest summary: a spacer lift is cheap and it changes your stance. It does not make the Bronco stronger, it does not protect the parts that break, and it does not lead anywhere. What we build is a staged system where the first purchase is still doing its job when you get to the last one.
Lift, Leveling and Ride Height
This is where most Bronco Raptor builds start, and for good reason — it is the change you see every time you walk up to the Bronco. The factory rake is conservative, and correcting it opens up clearance at the front end.
The important detail is how the height is added. A traditional lift spacer bolts on top of the shock assembly and pushes the whole thing down, which adds droop and puts extra angle and stress into the ball joints and CV joints. Our collars go the other way — under the factory spring, above the lower spring perch — adding preload to the spring that is already on the vehicle while the shock assembly stays in its factory position. Same result at the fender, very different result at the joints.
Lift and Leveling — Where to Start
2022–2026 Ford Bronco Raptor. Every option here retains the factory coil springs and the factory shocks.
Lift Through the Top Hat, Not Just the Collar
The Heavy Duty billet top hats come in three configurations — stock height with no lift, Phase 1 at about 1" of lift, and Phase 2 at about 1.5". The lift versions add preload to the spring at the top of the assembly, which means you can gain front ride height without replacing the front spring and without adding a lower collar at all. One part, two jobs.
Spring Packages — What We Use on the More Advanced Builds
Collars and preload top hats are the right answer for a lot of Bronco Raptors, but they are not the only answer, and on our more advanced builds they are often not the one we reach for. An aftermarket spring package running on the stock shock is a genuinely good solution — particularly once weight is involved. A rear bumper, a tire carrier, a roof tent, a full load of gear and fuel: at some point the honest fix is a spring chosen for the load, not more preload on a spring that was never rated for it.
We use two spring brands on the Bronco Raptor depending on the application. Hyperco heavy-duty lift springs are stocked in 2" front, 1" rear, 2" rear and matched front and rear sets. Geiser Off-Road custom progressive rate springs are the other option we run — the same springs we use on our Raptor and Ranger Raptor builds — and they work with the factory Live Valve shock with no recalibration required. The Bronco Raptor set is about 2.5" of front lift and 1.5" of rear, load tested at 400 lb in the rear plus a 100 lb spare and roof rack, and rated to accommodate a 39" tire. Which one is right depends on the application and what you are carrying, so call and tell us how the Bronco is loaded before you buy springs.
Spring Packages for the Bronco Raptor
All three run on the factory shocks and keep Live Valve working. Pick by how much height you want and how much weight you carry.
A spring package pairs naturally with a billet top hat, because a higher rate spring is exactly the condition the factory rubber-bushed top hat likes least. Springs and a billet top hat are a package, not alternatives. That applies to the front only — the Bronco Raptor's rear shock mounts differently and does not use a top hat, so there is nothing to change at the back.
The Upgrade Most Owners Actually Do First
If we look at what actually leaves the shop, the most common Bronco Raptor build is not a lift on its own. It is lift or leveling collars together with our billet upper control arms and a billet tie rod kit — done in one visit, one alignment, one afternoon.
There is a reason those three go together. Adding ride height changes the front geometry, and the billet upper arm is what lets you put caster and camber back where they belong through its 7/8" FK rod ends at the frame. The tie rods go in at the same time because the steering is already apart. You end up with a Bronco that sits right, aligns right and has no rubber left in the front upper arms — for one labor bill instead of three.
One Thing to Know Before You Order Collars
Factory coil springs are under serious tension. Installing collars means compressing them, and that is a job for the right tools and someone who has done it before — improper installation can cause serious injury or damage the vehicle. We recommend professional installation, and a professional alignment afterward on any change that affects ride height.
Adding lift also changes where the rear axle sits side to side, which is what the panhard bar section further down is about. It is a small part, and skipping it is the most common mistake on a lifted Bronco Raptor.
Fixing the Known Failure Points
This is the stage that separates a Bronco Raptor that looks built from one that stays built. None of these parts change how the Bronco Raptor sits. All of them change what happens on the day it takes a hit it was not expecting.
The single most important one is the front top hat. The factory unit carries the shock shaft on a rubber bushing, and that bushing is the known weak point — especially once aftermarket or higher-rate springs are involved. When it lets go, the shock can drop out of the spring bucket and take other suspension components with it. That is an expensive failure caused by a cheap part.
Heavy Duty vs. Standard Billet Top Hats
We make both, and the difference is specific. The standard billet top hat uses a 3/4" standard FK uniball and is a large upgrade over the factory rubber-bushed unit — it is the value option, and it is a real fix, available in stock height, 1" Phase 1 and 1.5" Phase 2 just like the Heavy Duty line. The Heavy Duty version uses the WSSX14T wide-series 7/8" FK uniball, with 17-4 stainless steel races and a 400 series stainless ball. It is the strongest uniball available for this application and carries nearly double the overall strength of the standard 3/4" unit, with far more surface area on the ball.
The Heavy Duty version also adds a threaded top retainer — the top cap threads into the main body and is locked with four stainless Allen screws, so the uniball's ring clip cannot back out under abuse. The retainer was also shaped to hold pressure against the side of the bearing race at its thinnest point, which is exactly where the center ball loads it. Both versions use 12mm studs to match the Bronco Raptor shock towers, both are CNC machined from 6061-T6 with 17-4 stainless spacers, and both use a serviceable, replaceable uniball. If you want the full teardown, we wrote a dedicated standard vs. Heavy Duty billet top hat comparison.
Billet Upper Control Arms — Our Best Seller, and With Good Reason
If you buy one thing off this page, buy the billet upper control arm kit. It is the best-selling suspension part we make for the Bronco Raptor, and it is the part that changes the most for the least amount of work. The factory upper arm is a cast piece on rubber-isolated pivots with no adjustment. Ours is CNC machined in house from billet aluminum, on 7/8" FK rod ends at the frame and a 1.25" FK uniball at the spindle, with every uniball and rod end spacer machined from 17-4 stainless. It is a direct bolt-on that works with the stock spindle.
Two things come with that. First, full caster and camber adjustment — which is what makes it the right partner for a lift, because the moment you change ride height you need somewhere to put the alignment back. Second, the rubber is gone: the front end stops moving on its own under load, and the steering feels like it is connected to something. The kit also includes wheel position sensor mount plates, so the Live Valve system keeps reading the suspension exactly as it did from the factory. It ships with billet bearing caps and a complete hardware kit.
Pair it with a tie rod kit and you have covered the two parts of the front end that owners most often wish they had done sooner.
The Front End Strength Package
All bolt-on except where noted. Start with the billet upper arms and tie rods — this is the group of parts that keeps the front of the Bronco where it belongs.
Frame Gussets — the Welded Version of the Same Idea
If you are already at the point of welding on the chassis, the lower arm pivot gusset kit takes the same problem further. It is .125" thick 4130 plate — four front mount plates and four rear mount plates — welded to the factory frame lower arm mounts to add strength where the Bronco asks for it. The standard version keeps the alignment slots open. The slot delete version uses fixed holes to lock alignment out entirely, and is meant to be run with an adjustable upper arm. We also wrote a full comparison of the gusset versus replacement pocket approach if you want to think it through before you cut anything.
Limit Straps and Front Bump Stops
The other half of protecting the front end is controlling both ends of the travel. The front limit strap and bump stop kit bolts to the factory cast lower arm and limits top-out travel so the shock is not the thing stopping the droop — which is what saves the top shock mount from being hammered every time the wheel drops into a hole. Each strap is 9" long and built from four layers of military grade webbing with black-plated steel mounting tabs, not the kind of strap that stretches out in a season.
The mounting bracket has a bump pad built into it, so a front bump stop can be added at any time without redoing the install — Fox, King or ADS, 2.5" OD with 2.5" of travel. It is a genuinely strong pairing with the billet top hats, particularly if you are running aftermarket springs. One install note, stated plainly: this kit requires welding the bump stop mount to the frame, and should be installed by a qualified welder or fabricator.
Do the front and the rear bump stops together. That is not an upsell, it is how the vehicle works: a Bronco Raptor with hydraulic bumps on one end only is unbalanced through a whoop section, because one end is soaking up the hit and the other is still slamming into a rubber cone. We treat the front limit strap and bump stop kit and the rear hydraulic bump stop kit as one job — same weekend, same shop visit, both ends.
Front Mid Travel — the Top of the Program
Mid travel is where the Bronco Raptor stops being a very good factory vehicle and starts being a purpose-built one. The goal is more usable wheel travel and far more control through the full suspension cycle, without moving the spring towers, without giving up the factory shock location, and without throwing away the electronics.
The centerpiece is the fabricated lower control arm. It is built from 4130, MIG welded in a fixture so every set comes out the same, and finished in hammer texture powder coat. It runs a 1.5" uniball at the spindle and 1" uniballs at the frame, with all mounting spacers machined from 17-4 stainless. It works with the factory coil-over shock or with any of the aftermarket stock-replacement coil-overs, and it comes with bypass shock mounts and sway bar tabs already built in so the next step is bolt-on rather than fabrication.
Matched Steering Stops — the Detail Most Fabricated Arms Skip
This is the part of the arm we care most about, and it is the part almost nobody talks about. Billet machined steering stops are welded into the core of our lower arm and geometry-matched to the factory spindle and steering box. When the wheel reaches full lock, it stops on our stop — at the angle the factory steering system was designed to stop at.
The bigger reason is what happens to the front axle CV joints. A CV joint is already working at an angle every time the suspension cycles, and it is working at another angle every time you turn the wheel. Those two angles compound. At ride height that is fine. At full bump or full droop, with the wheel turned to full lock, the joint is being asked to run at a combined angle it was never designed to take — and that is where CVs get hurt.
So the stops are not a single fixed block. They are built in at different heights, matched to the spindle, so how much steering the arm allows changes through the suspension cycle. Near ride height you get the steering angle you expect. As the suspension moves toward full bump or full droop, the stop takes over sooner and limits how far the wheel can turn, keeping the CV out of the compound angle that would damage it. You do not feel it on the street. You are grateful for it on the fourth hour of a rough road.
Most aftermarket fabricated lower arms simply ignore the steering stops entirely. Without a correct stop, the steering runs past where the factory intended it to end, the rack itself becomes the thing absorbing the load at full lock, and nothing is protecting the CVs at the extremes of travel. That causes unnecessary wear on the steering box, the tie rods, the front joints and the axles — the kind of wear that shows up months later as slop or a torn boot, and gets blamed on everything except the arm that caused it. It is a machining and fixture cost we chose to carry, and it is one of the clearest differences between our arm and a cheaper one that looks similar in a photo.
Front Mid Travel
Built to order. These are the parts that change what the front of the Bronco can do.
Why It Keeps the Stock Shock Option Open
A lot of mid travel kits force a shock purchase on day one. Ours does not. The kit works with the stock factory front coil-over shock, or with any aftermarket shock that fits the stock location — which means the factory spring tower structure stays exactly as Ford built it. Keeping the Live Valve shock is a completely valid way to build this kit, and it keeps the budget in line while you sort the rest of the Bronco out. The bypass mount is there for when you are ready.
What "Mid Travel" Means Here
Mid travel keeps the factory track width and works within the vehicle's existing structure. You get bolt-on billet and fabricated arms, better geometry, real bypass shock mounting and a large gain in control through the full cycle — without body modifications and without a chassis project.
That is a deliberate choice. Most Bronco Raptors are driven to the desert, not trailered to it, and mid travel is the point on the curve where the Bronco gets dramatically better without becoming something you cannot live with on Monday.
The Rear End — Links, Panhard Bars and Bump Stops
The rear of a Bronco Raptor is the half people skip, and it is the half that most changes how the Bronco feels at speed. The factory links and panhard bar run on rubber bushings. Rubber is quiet and compliant, which is exactly why the rear end feels vague when you push it — the axle is allowed to move in ways you did not ask for.
Our billet rear arms replace that with our patent-pending Ultra-Flex joint: a 17-4 stainless steel center ball in a serviceable urethane body, greased through a low-profile external zerk with the arm still bolted to the vehicle. Compared with a conventional uniball it lasts significantly longer, it does not squeak or clunk as it wears, it stays lubricated in wet and humid climates, and when the urethane eventually wears you replace the urethane body — not the entire joint assembly. We wrote the long version of this in our Ultra-Flex joint deep dive.
Rear Links and Panhard Bars
Buy the set, or start with the uppers or the lowers. All of it bolts to factory mounting locations.
The Value Option on Rear Arms
Before Ultra-Flex we built the same arms around FK 1" uniballs, and we still offer them. The billet aluminum rear arm kit — also available as uppers and lowers separately — uses 1" FK uniballs, 17-4 stainless spacers machined to fit the stock mount locations, a urethane wobble stopper at the front mounts to keep the arms aligned and quiet, and a billet post on the lower arm for the suspension travel sensor so Live Valve still works. It is the same billet, the same hardware standard, and a real upgrade over rubber. If you want the longest service life and the easiest maintenance, go Ultra-Flex. If you want billet rear arms at the best price, this is the one.
Rear Bump Stops — the First-to-Market Kit
The rear hydraulic bump stop kit was the first of its kind to market for the Bronco Raptor, and it is still the single biggest change you can make to how the rear of the Bronco handles a bad hit. It runs a full-size 2.5" diameter hydraulic bump stop with 2.5" of travel in your choice of Fox, King or ADS. The frame side bolts on over the stock bump stop area with no frame modifications. The axle pads bolt to the rear axle and locate off the existing spring mounts with no welding — you will need to remove a couple of small factory-welded wire management brackets from the axle, and that is the extent of it. MIG welded, texture black powder coat.
As with the front, we would rather you did both ends at once. The front limit strap and bump stop kit and this rear kit are a matched pair — bumps on one end only leaves the Bronco unbalanced exactly when you need it composed.
Rear Mid Travel — Adding a Second Shock
The rear mid travel kit with shock mount and bump stop builds on that bump stop kit and adds a rear shock hoop with an integrated 2.5" hydraulic bump stop mount, plus a lower shock mount with a protective skid built in. It is fully bolt-on and comes with all the hardware. Crucially, it retains the factory rear shock so the Live Valve electronics still work as intended, and adds a 14" travel second shock alongside it — a smooth body, or a custom-layout 3-tube bypass. It was tuned and developed around the factory rear spring package with a 1" preload collar installed, and you can run factory springs with collars or move to heavier springs depending on how much weight you carry.
Two things to know before you order it, and we would rather you hear them here than after the box arrives. The kit requires trimming the rear fender liners to clear the shock and mount. And it requires a custom-layout bypass shock — it will not work with an off-the-shelf 14" travel bypass. Talk to your Foutz Motorsports sales rep to order the correct rear shock package. FOX custom 3.0 bypass availability in particular can run long, so call about timing before you commit; smooth body shocks are normally available on a much shorter lead time.
Which Build Are You Actually Doing?
Two Bronco Raptors, two different right answers. Neither one is wrong, and the first one leaves the door open to the second.
If you are somewhere in the middle — and most people are — start with the billet upper arms, tie rods and collars, add the top hats, then the alignment and strength parts, and decide about travel later. Nothing in the first two stages becomes the wrong purchase when you get to the third.
What Fits, and What Does Not
Everything in this guide is engineered specifically for the 2022–2026 Ford Bronco Raptor. These parts are not cross-compatible with the standard Ford Bronco — the Bronco Raptor uses a wider track, different control arms and Live Valve shocks unique to the trim.
| Stage | What it does | Install | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lift collars & leveling collars | Adds front and/or rear ride height under the factory spring | Bolt-on, spring compression required | 1", 1.5", 2", 2.5". Professional install and alignment recommended |
| Billet & HD billet top hats | Replaces the factory rubber-bushed top hat; lift versions add preload | Bolt-on, spring compression required | Stock height, 1" Phase 1, 1.5" Phase 2. 12mm studs |
| Geiser & Hyperco spring packages | A spring rate chosen for the load, on the stock shock | Bolt-on, spring compression required | Hyperco in 2" front, 1" and 2" rear and matched sets; Geiser at about 2.5" front and 1.5" rear, or rear only |
| Billet upper arms & tie rods | Strength, adjustability and steering durability | Bolt-on | Uses the stock spindle. Align after install |
| Reinforcement brackets & slot blocks | Keeps the front lower arms from bending and losing alignment | Bolt-on, factory hardware | Work with the stock arm and the fabricated arm. Align after install |
| Lower arm pivot gussets | Reinforces the frame lower arm mounts | Weld-on | Slotted version keeps alignment adjustment; slot delete locks it out |
| Front limit strap & bump stop | Controls top-out and adds bottom-out protection | Bolts to the arm; bump stop mount is welded to the frame | Qualified welder or fabricator required. Fox, King or ADS bumps |
| Fabricated lower arms & front mid travel | More usable travel and control, stock track width | Bolt-on, built to order | Matched steering stops built in — protects the steering box and the front CVs. Sway bar link kit required to keep the stock electronic sway bar |
| Ultra-Flex rear arms & panhard bars | Removes rubber bushing slop; recenters the axle after a lift | Bolt-on, factory locations | Billet panhard bar may not clear aftermarket rear axle covers |
| Rear hydraulic bump stops | Full-size 2.5" bump stops with 2.5" of travel | Bolt-on frame and axle, no welding | Remove two small factory wire management brackets from the axle |
| Rear mid travel kit | Adds a second 14" travel shock alongside the factory shock | Bolt-on, built to order | Requires trimming the rear fender liners and a custom-layout bypass shock |
If you are not sure which stage your Bronco Raptor is ready for, call us. We would rather spend ten minutes on the phone than have you buy the wrong thing — and the answer often depends on what you are already running.
How to Build a Bronco Raptor Suspension, in Order
This is the sequence we would follow on our own Bronco Raptor. Every step stands on its own, and every step is still useful when you take the next one.
Fix the Top Hat
Before anything else, replace the factory rubber-bushed front top hat. It is the known failure point, it gets worse with aftermarket springs, and when it fails it takes other parts with it. If you also want front lift, do it here — a Phase 1 or Phase 2 Heavy Duty top hat gives you the height and the fix in one part.
Set the Stance
Lift or leveling collars under the factory springs — or a matched Geiser Off-Road or Hyperco spring package on the stock shock if you are carrying real weight. Either way, plan on recentering the rear axle with an adjustable panhard bar, which is covered in step 5; skipping it is why some lifted Broncos track strangely afterward. Align the vehicle when you are done.
The Quick Front End Upgrade — Billet Upper Arms and Tie Rods
This is the step most owners do, and the one most owners wish they had done sooner. Billet upper control arms and a billet tie rod kit, installed together, in one visit. The arms give you back the caster and camber adjustment you need after a lift, take the rubber out of the front upper pivots, and keep the Live Valve wheel position sensors on their own mounts. The tie rods go in at the same time because the steering is already apart.
If you are not ready for a full tie rod kit, the tie rod support sleeves are the cheapest meaningful upgrade on the Bronco, and the half billet kit keeps the factory inner shaft while upgrading the outer end.
Lock In the Alignment
Lower arm rear pivot reinforcement brackets and the lower A-arm slot block kit. Both bolt on, both use factory hardware, and together they stop the front alignment from walking every time the Bronco takes a hard hit. Add the weld-on frame gussets if you are going faster than that.
Tighten Up the Rear — Ultra-Flex Links and a Billet Panhard Bar
Now do the half everyone skips. Billet rear upper and lower links with Ultra-Flex joints, plus a billet panhard bar to recenter the axle after the lift and take the rubber out of the last place it is hiding. This is the single biggest change to how the Bronco feels — the rear stops wandering under power and over crown, and the back end goes from compliant-and-vague to planted.
All of it bolts to factory locations, the joints grease on the vehicle, and the urethane bodies are replaceable when they eventually wear.
Control Both Ends of the Travel — Front and Rear Bump Stops Together
Front limit straps with the built-in bump pad, and the rear hydraulic bump stop kit. Do them as one job. Hydraulic bumps on one end only leaves the Bronco unbalanced through a whoop section, because one end is absorbing the hit while the other is still hitting a rubber cone.
This is the point where the Bronco stops being punished by the terrain — top-out is controlled by a strap instead of the shock, and bottom-out is absorbed by a full-size 2.5" hydraulic bump at both ends.
Go Mid Travel, Front and Rear
Fabricated lower arms with bypass shock mounting up front — running alongside the billet uppers you already have — and the second-shock rear kit out back. This is the full program, and by the time you get here every part you bought in steps one through six is already part of it.
Where These Parts Come From
Foutz Motorsports has been building Ford off-road trucks in Mesa, Arizona since 1998. We built the first Ford Raptor to race the Baja 1000, in 2008. We run a Raptor R race program and a stock-class Ford Super Duty race truck, and the suspension knowledge in these Bronco Raptor parts came directly out of that work — the slot block plates, for one, were developed while racing a Ford Raptor and then adapted to the Bronco Raptor.
The parts are designed, CNC machined, MIG welded, powder coated and assembled in house. We machine our own uniball and rod end spacers out of 17-4 stainless steel rather than buying whatever is cheap, because that is the part that quietly decides how long the rest of the assembly lasts. We use FK rod ends and uniballs throughout for the same reason.
Lead Times and Availability
In-stock items typically ship within 48 hours via standard 3–5 day domestic shipping. Built-to-order kits and complex assemblies can take 4–6 weeks in production — that includes the front and rear mid travel kits, the fabricated lower arms, the front limit strap kit and the rear hydraulic bump stop kit. Contact your sales rep for current lead times before ordering, especially on anything with a FOX bypass shock attached to it.
Everything Else for the Bronco Raptor
Suspension is one part of the Bronco Raptor. We also build Bronco Raptor protection, including rear shock guards and active suspension module guards — there is a full write-up on rear suspension protection worth reading if you have already done the rear links. We also build Bronco Raptor light mounts for the modular bumper, and the rest of the line lives in all Bronco Raptor parts. The complete suspension line is in the Bronco Raptor suspension collection.
Bronco Raptor Suspension FAQ
What are the best suspension upgrades for a Bronco Raptor?
The most popular upgrade, and the one we would start with, is the Foutz Motorsports billet upper control arm kit paired with a billet tie rod kit and lift or leveling collars — done together in one visit and one alignment. Alongside that, a Heavy Duty billet top hat is the highest-value durability fix, because the factory front top hat uses a rubber bushing that is the vehicle's known weak point, and the lift versions add front ride height at the same time. After that, the best upgrades are tie rod support sleeves, lower arm reinforcement brackets and slot blocks to hold alignment, hydraulic bump stops front and rear together, Ultra-Flex billet rear links and an adjustable panhard bar, and a matched Geiser Off-Road or Hyperco spring package if you carry weight. The top of the program is the Foutz Motorsports front and rear mid travel kits, which add bypass shock mounting and a large gain in usable wheel travel while keeping the factory track width and the Live Valve electronics.
What is the most popular Bronco Raptor front end upgrade?
Billet upper control arms, and most owners buy them together with a billet tie rod kit and lift or leveling collars. It is our best-selling Bronco Raptor suspension part. The three go together because adding ride height changes the front geometry, and the billet upper arm's 7/8" FK rod ends at the frame are what let you put caster and camber back where they belong. Doing all three at once means one shop visit, one alignment and one labor bill instead of three.
What do billet upper control arms actually do on a Bronco Raptor?
Three things. They replace the cast factory arm and its rubber-isolated pivots with CNC machined billet aluminum on 7/8" FK rod ends at the frame and a 1.25" FK uniball at the spindle, with 17-4 stainless spacers — so the front end stops moving on its own under load. They make caster and camber fully adjustable, which is what you need after any change in ride height. And they include wheel position sensor mount plates so the FOX Live Valve system keeps reading the suspension exactly as it did from the factory. They are a direct bolt-on and work with the stock spindle.
Will these parts fit my Bronco Raptor?
Every part in this guide is engineered specifically for the 2022–2026 Ford Bronco Raptor. They are not cross-compatible with the standard Ford Bronco, which uses a different track width, different control arms and different shocks. If you are unsure about your specific vehicle or a combination of parts you already have on it, call us before ordering.
Why does the factory Bronco Raptor top hat fail?
The main mount that supports the shock shaft on the stock top hat uses a rubber bushing, and that bushing is the failure point — especially on a Bronco running aftermarket or higher-rate springs. When it lets go, the shock can drop out of the spring bucket and damage other suspension components, turning a cheap part into an expensive repair. A billet top hat with an FK uniball replaces the rubber entirely.
What is the difference between the standard and Heavy Duty billet top hat?
The standard billet top hat uses a 3/4" standard FK uniball. The Heavy Duty version uses the FK WSSX14T wide-series 7/8" uniball, with 17-4 stainless steel races and a 400 series stainless ball — the strongest uniball available for this application, with nearly double the overall strength of the 3/4" unit and much more surface area on the ball. The Heavy Duty version also adds a threaded top retainer, locked with four stainless Allen screws, that keeps the uniball ring clip from backing out and supports the side of the bearing race where it carries the most pressure. Both are CNC machined from 6061-T6 with 17-4 stainless spacers and 12mm studs.
What is a Phase 1 and Phase 2 top hat?
They are the lift versions. Phase 1 adds preload to the stock spring for about 1" of front lift. Phase 2 adds more preload for about 1.5". Both do it without replacing the front spring and without adding a lower spring collar, so you get the ride height and the top hat upgrade from a single part. There is also a stock height version that adds no lift at all if you only want the strength.
How is a Foutz lift collar different from a normal lift spacer?
A traditional lift spacer is a block mounted on top of the shock assembly, which pushes the entire assembly downward and adds droop, angle and stress at the ball joints and CV joints. The Foutz Motorsports collar installs under the factory coil spring and above the lower spring perch, adding preload to the spring you already have while the shock assembly stays in its factory position. Same ride height gain, without moving the shock.
Do lift collars work with the factory springs?
Yes. The collars are designed around the factory Bronco Raptor spring and shock configuration and retain the factory coil springs. They are available in 1", 1.5", 2" and 2.5", front and rear, and the heights can be mixed front to rear to set the stance you want.
Should I use lift collars or aftermarket springs on my Bronco Raptor?
Both are valid, and we use both. Collars and preload top hats retain the factory springs and are the simplest way to set ride height. An aftermarket spring package on the stock shock is the better answer once weight is involved — a rear bumper, a tire carrier, a roof tent, a full load of gear and fuel — because at that point you want a spring rate chosen for the load rather than more preload on a spring that was never rated for it. We run Hyperco heavy-duty lift springs and Geiser Off-Road custom progressive rate springs on the Bronco Raptor depending on the application, and both work with the factory Live Valve shock. The Geiser set runs about 2.5" of front lift and 1.5" at the rear, and is also available as rear springs on their own if the back is the only end that is squatting. Call and tell us how the Bronco is loaded and we will tell you which way to go.
Do aftermarket springs cause the factory top hat to fail?
A higher rate spring is the condition the factory rubber-bushed top hat likes least, which is why we treat a billet top hat and a spring package as one purchase rather than as alternatives. Springs are not the problem — the factory top hat is. Put a billet or Heavy Duty billet top hat in at the same time and the weak link is gone.
Do I need an alignment after installing suspension parts?
Yes. Have the Bronco Raptor professionally aligned after any change that affects ride height or the front control arms — including lift collars, top hats, springs, upper arms and the lower arm reinforcement brackets. Skipping it is how you end up with uneven front tire wear.
Can I install lift collars myself?
We recommend professional installation. Factory coil springs are under significant tension and require proper spring-compression tools and procedures — improper installation can result in serious injury or damage to the vehicle.
Will these parts keep my Live Valve suspension working?
Yes, by design. The billet upper control arms include wheel position sensor mount plates. The billet rear lower arms include a machined post for the suspension travel sensor. The front mid travel kit runs the stock factory coil-over shock or an aftermarket shock in the stock location. The rear mid travel kit retains the factory rear shock and adds a second shock alongside it, so the Live Valve electronics still work as intended.
What is the difference between mid travel and long travel?
A mid travel kit keeps the factory track width and works within the vehicle's existing structure — bolt-on billet and fabricated arms, better geometry, real bypass shock mounting, and a large gain in control through the full suspension cycle without body modifications. Long travel widens the front end for maximum wheel travel and is a much larger project. The Foutz Motorsports Bronco Raptor program is built around mid travel, front and rear, because it is the point where the Bronco gets dramatically better while still being a vehicle you can drive every day.
Does the front mid travel kit require new shocks?
No. The kit works with the stock factory front coil-over shock, or with any aftermarket shock that fits the stock location, so the factory spring tower structure is retained. Keeping the Live Valve shock is a completely valid way to run the kit and keeps the cost down. The bypass shock mount is built in for when you are ready to add one.
What is included in the front mid travel kit?
Billet upper control arms, fabricated lower control arms, a bypass shock mount, a front limit strap with bump stop, and the sway bar linkage that lets the factory electronic sway bar keep working with the fabricated arms. It is built to order — allow roughly 4–6 weeks for production.
Why do steering stops matter on a fabricated lower control arm?
Two reasons. Without a correct stop, the steering runs past the angle the factory system was designed to stop at, and the steering box itself ends up absorbing the load at full lock — which wears out the box, the tie rods and the front joints. The bigger reason is the front axle CV joints. A CV runs at an angle from the suspension and at another angle from the steering, and those two angles compound. At full bump or full droop with the wheel at full lock, the combined angle is more than the joint was designed for, and that is where CVs get damaged.
Foutz Motorsports welds billet machined steering stops into the core of the fabricated lower arm, geometry-matched to the factory spindle and steering box. The stops are built in at different heights, so the amount of steering allowed changes through the suspension cycle — you get the steering angle you expect near ride height, and the stop limits the turn more at full bump and full droop, keeping the CV out of the compound angle that would hurt it. Most aftermarket fabricated lower arms leave the steering stops out entirely. It is one of the clearest differences between our arm and a cheaper one that looks similar in a photo.
Do I have to weld anything?
Most of the line is bolt-on. Two things are not. The front limit strap and bump stop kit requires welding the bump stop mount to the frame and should be installed by a qualified welder or fabricator. The lower arm pivot gusset kits are weld-on 4130 plates by design. Everything else — collars, top hats, arms, tie rods, panhard bars, reinforcement brackets, slot blocks, rear bump stops — bolts on.
Does the rear mid travel kit require cutting?
It requires trimming the rear fender liners so the second shock and its mount clear. It also requires a custom-layout bypass shock — it will not work with an off-the-shelf 14" travel bypass shock. Talk to a Foutz Motorsports sales representative to order the correct rear shock package for the kit.
What is an Ultra-Flex joint, and why does it matter?
Ultra-Flex is our patent-pending suspension joint: a 17-4 stainless steel center ball in a serviceable urethane body, greased through a low-profile external zerk while the arm is still on the vehicle. Compared with a conventional uniball it lasts significantly longer, it does not squeak or clunk as it wears, and the all-stainless components stay lubricated — which matters in humid or wet climates. When the urethane eventually wears, you replace the urethane body instead of the entire joint assembly.
Do I need a panhard bar after lifting my Bronco Raptor?
Changing ride height moves the rear axle side to side relative to the body. An adjustable panhard bar lets you recenter it, and replacing the soft factory rubber bushings with precision joints also removes unwanted side-to-side axle movement under hard driving. We offer three: a billet aluminum bar with Ultra-Flex joints, a chromoly bar with a forged Johnny Joint, and a chromoly bar with FK heim and uniball ends. Note that the billet bar may not clear aftermarket rear axle covers.
Which rear arms should I buy — Ultra-Flex or the standard billet arms?
Both are billet aluminum with 17-4 stainless spacers and both are a large upgrade over the factory rubber-bushed arms. The Ultra-Flex versions add the greaseable, rebuildable urethane joint, which lasts longer, stays quiet as it wears and is cheaper to service over the life of the vehicle. The standard billet arms use FK 1" uniballs and a urethane wobble stopper at the front mounts, and are the better value. If you are keeping the Bronco and driving it hard, buy Ultra-Flex.
What size hydraulic bump stops do these kits use, and should I do front and rear?
Full-size 2.5" diameter bump stops with 2.5" of travel, front and rear, in your choice of Fox, King or ADS. You pick the brand at checkout. Do the front and rear together. A Bronco Raptor with hydraulic bumps at one end only is unbalanced through a whoop section, because one end is soaking up the hit while the other is still bottoming into a rubber cone — so we treat the front limit strap and bump stop kit and the rear hydraulic bump stop kit as one job. The rear kit bolts to the frame over the stock bump stop area with no frame modifications, and the axle pads locate off the existing spring mounts with no welding; the front kit's bump stop mount is welded to the frame and needs a qualified welder.
Are these parts made in the USA?
Yes. All Foutz Motorsports billet suspension components are designed, CNC machined, welded, powder coated and assembled in house in Mesa, Arizona. We have been building and racing Ford off-road trucks since 1998.
How long does it take to get these parts?
In-stock items typically ship within 48 hours via standard 3–5 day domestic shipping. Built-to-order kits and complex assemblies can take 4–6 weeks in production. FOX custom 3.0 bypass shocks in particular can run long, so call for current timing before ordering a package that includes one.
What if I have a standard Bronco, not a Bronco Raptor?
We build parts for the standard Ford Bronco as well — they are a separate line, because the platforms are genuinely different. Start in the Ford Bronco parts collection, or call us and we will point you at the right part for your vehicle.
Build It Once, Build It Right
The Bronco Raptor is a genuinely great platform, and it responds to good parts the way a race truck does. The advantage of building it with one shop's program is that nothing you buy early gets thrown away later — the top hat you install this month is still the right top hat when the fabricated arms show up, and the limit strap bracket already has the bump pad in it for the bump stop you have not bought yet.
We do not sell parts we have not tested. Every suspension component in this guide was engineered by the team with more production Raptor race wins than anyone in the industry, and proven on our own race trucks before it went in the catalog.
Start with the Bronco Raptor suspension collection, or call and tell us how you drive your Bronco Raptor. We will tell you what to buy first — and, just as often, what to skip.