Raptor Lower Arm Pocket:
Gusset It
or Replace It?
The factory lower control arm pocket is the single most common frame failure on a Gen 2 and Gen 3 Raptor. We build three ways to fix it — a weld-on gusset kit and two full pocket replacements. Here's exactly how to pick the right one for your truck.
Short Answer: Which Kit Do I Need?
If your Raptor's pockets are still straight and undamaged and you want to keep them that way, install the Lower Arm Pocket Reinforcement Gusset Kit ($159.99) — it welds directly over the factory mounts and more than doubles material thickness in the failure zone. If your pockets are already bent, cracked, or torn, or you're building a truck for serious desert abuse or long travel, you need a full Lower Control Arm Pocket Replacement Kit ($399.99) — the Standard version for a stronger direct replacement, or the Low Profile version when you also want more ground clearance under the arm. All three are made in the USA by Foutz Motorsports and all three require welding by a qualified fabricator.
At Foutz Motorsports, we built the very first Ford Raptor to race the Baja 1000 back in 2009 — and we've been tearing up, breaking, and re-engineering these trucks ever since. Nobody has more real-world data on where a Raptor frame gives up than our team. The lower control arm pocket has been on that list from day one.
That's why we don't sell one generic "fix." We build three purpose-engineered solutions for the same failure point, so you can match the part to how you actually drive. Below is the honest breakdown of all three — what each one does, who it's for, and where the money is best spent.
The Three Kits
Head-to-Head Specs
| Specification | Gusset Kit | Replacement — Standard | Replacement — Low Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $159.99 | $399.99 | $399.99 |
| Approach | Reinforce factory pocket | Cut off & replace | Cut off & replace |
| Material | .190" laser-cut steel | 4130 chromoly + .250" ring plate | 3/16" 4130 + 1/4" plate |
| Thickness at Failure Zone | Over 1/4" combined | Full 4130 assembly | Full 4130 assembly |
| Ground Clearance Gain | None | None | Yes — low-profile design |
| Works on Already-Damaged Pockets | No — pocket must be straight | Yes | Yes |
| +3" Long Travel Compatible | Stock geometry only | Yes | Yes |
| Slot Delete Insert Compatible | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Longer Bolts | Not required | Included | Required — sold separately |
| Alignment Tool Plate | Not needed | Included | Included |
| Drain Holes | 2 integrated | — | — |
| Install Difficulty | Weld-on, moderate | Cut, fit & weld — advanced | Cut, fit & weld — advanced |
| Fitment | 2017–2026 Raptor | 2017–2026 Raptor + 2015–2026 F-150 4x4 | 2017–2026 Raptor (F-150 Raptor only) |
The Gusset Kit: Save the Pocket You Have
If your factory pockets are still straight, the smartest $159 you can spend on a Raptor frame is the Lower Arm Pocket Reinforcement Gusset Kit. It doesn't remove anything — it welds directly onto the stock lower control arm mounts and adds material exactly where the metal folds and cracks.
What separates our gusset kit from every generic plate on the market is fitment and weld strategy. Our gussets are laser-cut in-house to sit flush against the complete outer surface of the stock mount plates — edge to edge, not just a patch in the middle. That means the welds attach to both the stock base plate and the upper edge of the frame, tying the whole assembly together instead of just stacking metal on metal.
What Each Plate Actually Does
Top cross plate — prevents the pocket from folding inward and adds weld area at the exact point where cracks start and tear off the frame.
Pocket plates — extend to the outer edges of the stock mount so the welds grab both the base plate and the upper frame edge.
Bottom cap plate — supports the full width of the mount and keeps the side plates from folding in at the stock lower arm pivot.
Drain holes — two per gusset so water escapes instead of pooling and rusting the frame from the inside out.
Add it up and you get over 1/4" of combined thickness on each side, at a price that's a fraction of frame repair. For a daily-driven Raptor that sees weekend trails, gravel and moderate desert runs, this is the right call — and it's the kit we recommend installing before anything bends.
Standard Pocket Replacement: The Proven Fix
Once a pocket is bent, cracked, or torn, a gusset can't save it — you can't reinforce metal that's already deformed. That's what the Standard Lower Control Arm Pocket Replacement Kit is for. The factory pocket gets cut off completely and a fully fabricated 4130 chromoly pocket gets welded into the frame in its place.
Each pocket is MIG welded in-house and includes a .250" thick lower ring support plate — the piece that carries load right where the OEM design has almost nothing. The kit ships with a right and left pocket, a tool plate for exact frame alignment, and a pair of longer arm mount bolts, so your fabricator isn't guessing at placement.
This is also the most versatile kit we make. It works with stock arms, our fabricated lower A-arms, and +3" long travel kits, clears the Gen 2 and Gen 3 stock front skid plates, and is compatible with Raptor alignment blocks and our Slot Delete Insert Kits. It fits Gen 2 (2017–2020), Gen 3 and Raptor R (2021–2026) frames — and 2015–2026 F-150 4x4 frames as well.
Low Profile Pocket Replacement: Strength + Clearance
The Low Profile Lower Control Arm Pocket Replacement Kit is our newest and most aggressive design. It does everything the Standard kit does — full factory pocket replacement in 3/16" 4130 chromoly and 1/4" material — and then solves a second problem: the pocket hanging down into your line.
By pulling the profile up and tucking it in, this kit increases usable ground clearance under the lower arm mount. On rock, ledges, ruts and off-camber terrain, that's the difference between clearing an obstacle and hanging up on it. If you're building a Raptor that lives in genuinely rough country, this is the kit.
Two notes before you buy: the Low Profile kit requires upgraded longer bolts (longer bolt kit here), and like the Standard version it ships with an installation alignment plate so your fabricator can locate the pocket precisely on the stock Ford frame. It fits 2017–2020 Gen 2 and 2021–2026 Gen 3 F-150 Raptors.
Why Ours Are the Best Pocket Kits You Can Buy
We didn't design these in CAD and hope for the best. Foutz Motorsports built the first Raptor to race the Baja 1000 in 2009, and every kit on this page traces back to failures we've personally seen, repaired, and then engineered out of existence. The gussets are laser-cut in-house for edge-to-edge fitment no universal plate can match. The replacement pockets are MIG welded in-house from 4130 chromoly with a .250" ring support plate. Both replacement kits ship with an alignment tool plate — something almost nobody else includes — so the pocket lands exactly where Ford put it.
And critically: we're the only company offering all three approaches for this failure point. Reinforce it, replace it, or replace it and gain clearance. Nobody else lets you match the fix to the truck.
Which One Is Right for You?
Raptor Lower Arm Pocket FAQ
Built from Race-Proven Experience
Every part on this page exists because we broke the factory version first — in the Baja 1000, in the Mint 400, and in every desert mile since 1998. That's the difference between a part designed to sell and a part designed to survive. Foutz Motorsports makes the best lower control arm pocket solutions available for the F-150 Raptor platform, and we make them in more configurations than anyone else so you can buy exactly the fix your truck needs — not the only one a company happens to offer.
All three kits are American made. All three require professional welding. And all three are backed by a team with more hands-on Raptor suspension experience than anyone on the planet. If you're on the fence between them, call us at (480) 718-9800 — send photos of your pockets and we'll tell you straight which kit you need.