The Gen 2 Raptor brought the aluminum body, the 3.5L twin-turbo EcoBoost and FOX internal bypass shocks, with Live Valve added for 2019 and 2020. It is a fast, capable truck from the factory. It is also a production truck with predictable limits: a front end that runs out of travel, factory tie rods that bend, a rear leaf spring setup that wraps up under power, and a frame that shows stress in a few specific places after hard use.

We know those limits because we have raced this truck. Foutz Motorsports was chosen to race the 2017 Ford Raptor and took it to the Baja 1000. Everything on this page is a part we built to solve a problem we saw on our own trucks or on customers' trucks.

Ride Height: Front Springs, Top Hats and Rear Springs

Gen 2 Raptor Front Springs

Ride height and ride quality start with the spring. The Gen 2 Raptor +2.5" Geiser Front Springs and +3" Geiser Front Springs are custom progressive rate springs that lift the front while keeping a good ride. They work with the Live Valve system on 2019-2020 trucks, and they will take up to a 37" tire, though inner fender trimming may be needed depending on tire and offset.

If you want a lower-cost option, the Eibach PRO-LIFT-KIT Coil Springs fit 2017-2018 trucks.

Billet Top Hats

The factory front shock top hat is a known wear point on hard-used Raptors. Our billet top hats replace it with machined aluminum and a serviceable uniball. The Heavy Duty Billet Top Hat — Stock Height uses a larger uniball than the standard version and is the one to buy if the truck sees dirt. If you want a little lift without changing springs, there are heavy duty versions with 1.5" of lift and 2" of lift. Our standard vs. heavy duty top hat guide covers the difference in detail.

Rear Leaf Springs and Shackles

The Gen 2 Raptor rides on leaf springs at the rear, and under hard throttle they can wrap up and hop. The Gen 2 Raptor Deaver Springs are built to reduce bed bounce and wheel hop, with options from factory height to added lift for trucks that carry weight in the bed. The ICON Multi-Rate Leaf Pack is the other option we carry.

Pair either with our Gen 2 Raptor Shackles. They are 4130 chromoly, boxed and MIG welded, in 6" and 7" lengths, with Delrin bushings, and they work with stock, Deaver and ICON springs.

Billet Upper Arms and Tie Rods

Billet Upper Control Arms

The factory upper control arm is cast steel with rubber bushings. The bushings bind as the suspension cycles and wear out, and when they do, the fix is a whole new arm. The Gen 2 Raptor Billet Upper Control Arm Kit — Stock Length is a direct bolt-on replacement with adjustable 7/8" FK rod ends at the frame and a 1.25" FK uniball at the spindle. Your alignment shop can set caster and camber, which matters after a lift, and when a joint wears you replace the joint, not the arm.

Prefer a welded arm? The Fabricated Upper Arm Kit fits Gen 2 and Gen 3. Our upper control arm guide explains billet vs. fabricated.

Half Tie Rods and Support Sleeves

Factory Raptor tie rods bend, especially on bigger tires. The Raptor Billet Half Tie Rod Kit replaces the vulnerable outer half with billet aluminum, and the Tie Rod Support Sleeve (16mm) reinforces the factory inner section. For trucks running real desert speed, the Full Billet Tie Rod Kit replaces the whole assembly. Our tie rod guide covers why they bend and which fix fits your truck.

Bump Stops and Limit Straps

Most expensive suspension damage happens at the ends of the stroke. At full compression the energy goes into the frame, the coil bucket and the lower arm mounts. At full droop the shock becomes the stop and takes the hit on its top mount. A bump stop catches the bottom of the travel, and a limit strap catches the top.

Up front, the Gen 2 Raptor Front Limit Strap & Bump Stop Kit works with the factory lower arm. It uses 12" limit straps and 2.5" diameter, 2.5" travel hydraulic bump stops from FOX, King or ADS. If you only need droop control, the Front Limit Strap Kit is the standalone version.

At the rear, the Gen 2 Raptor Rear Bump Stop Kit is 100% bolt-on with no drilling. It works on a stock truck, with Deaver and ICON rear springs, and with long travel suspension. More on how these work in our bump stop guide and limit strap guide.

Fabricated Lower Arms and Mid Travel

Fabricated Lower Control Arms

The factory lower arm is cast aluminum, and cast aluminum doesn't bend, it breaks. The Gen 2 Raptor Fabricated Lower Control Arms — Stock Width are 4130, fixture built and MIG welded, with a 1.5" uniball at the spindle and 1" uniballs at the frame. They work with the factory spindle and the factory coil-over, and have steering stops matched to the spindle to protect the steering rack.

They also set up the next stage. The arms have built-in bypass shock mounts, a welded-on bump stop plate and tabs for our sway bar. The factory sway bar won't work with these arms, so plan on the Gen 2 Raptor Sway Bar Kit — Fabricated Lower Arm. If you are keeping the factory lower arms, the Sway Bar Kit — Stock Lower Arm uses a 1.25" bar and includes lower arm pivot reinforcement brackets.

Mid Travel Front Suspension

Mid travel is where the Raptor becomes a purpose-built desert truck. Our Gen 2 mid travel kits pair fabricated 4130 lower arms with either a billet aluminum upper arm or a fabricated upper arm. They stay at stock Raptor width, so no fiberglass is needed, and they keep the stock spindle, stock spring tower and stock shock location. You can run the factory Live Valve shock now and add a bypass later.

One thing to know before you order: the add-on 3" bypass uses an FMI-specific layout so it clears even a stock Raptor wheel. It must be ordered with the kit, and no other bypass shock will fit. Both kits require cutting and welding and should be installed by a qualified fabricator. Not sure whether you need mid travel or long travel? Read Mid Travel vs. Long Travel.

Gen 2 Raptor Long Travel Rear Suspension

Two Different Kits: Pick One

Once the front is built, the leaf spring rear becomes the limit. We build two long travel rear options for the Gen 2. They are alternatives, not add-ons. The difference is whether you keep leaf springs and whether the shocks come up through the bed floor.

Option A: Long Travel 5-Link Conversion

The Long Travel 5-Link Rear Suspension Conversion Kit replaces the leaf springs with a Gen 3 style 5-link and a cantilever shock setup, for up to about 19 inches of working wheel travel. The trailing arms and panhard bar are fabricated 4130 chromoly on FK uniballs and rod ends, and it runs a standard 2.5" coil-over. Everything mounts under the bed, so the bed stays open and the truck keeps a near-stock look. See how the Gen 2 to Gen 3 conversion works.

Option B: 20" Rear Travel Bed Cage Kit

The Gen 2 Raptor 20" Rear Travel Bed Organizer & Bed Cage Kit builds the long travel rear into the same structure as a bed organizer, the same approach as our Gen 3 bed cage. Add the bed cage shock mounts and the rear shocks come up through the bed floor and mount to the cage, which gets the Gen 2 rear to around 20 inches of wheel travel.

The shock mounts are sized for 3.0", 3.5", 4.0" or 4.4" bypass shocks, so you are not locked into one hard-to-find shock. Add rear springs and shackles to finish the package. The same cage carries your spares, fuel and gear, either one spare laid flat low enough to sit under a bed cover or two spares standing upright in a chase truck layout. It is modular, so you can start with the basic setup and add sections later.

Gen 2 Raptor +3" Long Travel Front

The Gen 2 Raptor +3" Long Travel Front Suspension Kit lengthens every front component by 3" per side, adding 6" of total front width, and is designed to increase wheel travel by 15%. It uses fabricated 4130 upper and lower arms, a bypass shock tower and extended 4340 half shafts, and keeps the stock coil-over location so Live Valve keeps working on trucks that have it.

Know the trade before you buy. The +3" kit requires wider fiberglass fenders, welding on the frame, and a long travel alignment. Depending on your truck's year, the extended axles may also need the 2021-2023 Gen 3 CV joints. It was tested to clear 35", 37" and 39" tires. It is the right call for prerunners and dedicated desert builds, and too much for a Raptor that also has to fit in a garage. Match it with a rear that is just as wide, or the truck will handle poorly at speed.

Where the Gen 2 Frame Needs Help

Two areas show up again and again on hard-used Gen 2 Raptors.

The front spring tower. The Gen 2 spring tower can start to crack near its lowest attachment point to the frame, where the factory left the inside edge unwelded. The Gen 2 Raptor Spring Tower Corner Gusset welds in to support that spot before it fails.

The lower control arm pocket. The Lower Arm Rear Pivot Reinforcement Brackets bolt on to prevent damage, and the Lower Control Arm Pocket Replacement Kit repairs a pocket that is already torn. Our pocket kit guide explains which one you need.

For trucks working the front end hard, the Gen 2 Raptor Fabricated Front Spindle Kit keeps the stock ball joint tapers, so it works with stock arms now and upgraded arms later. Underneath, the Underbody Skid Plate Kit, Rear Differential Skid Plate, Rear Lower Shock Skid Kit and Stock Lower Control Arm Skid Plate Kit cover the rest.

The Gen 2 Raptor Build Path, In Order

Current pricing for every part is on its product page. Most owners are happy somewhere around step three or four. Steps five and six are for dedicated desert builds. If you want a package quote, call us at (480) 718-9800.

Gen 2 Raptor Suspension FAQ

Built from Race-Proven Experience

Foutz Motorsports has been making off-road great since 1998. We built the first Ford Raptor to race the Baja 1000 in 2009, and we raced the Gen 2 Raptor when it was new. That is why we know where a Gen 2 is weak before most owners find out the hard way. If you are not sure which parts fit your build or what order to do them in, call us.