How the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor's Trick Fox Shocks Work
A slightly smaller Raptor pickup is coming, and Ford details how it's so capable out on the dunes.
Love what the Blue Oval's Raptor recipe is all about, but don't want it in either enormous truck or SUV format? Ford will be unleashing its next dino on us early next year in the tidier shape of the Ranger Raptor. In preparation for the new arrival, the American company on Tuesday revealed more info on how this newest Raptor is so capable.
This won't be the first Ranger Raptor, but it will be for our markets. The previous one used a small-capacity diesel anyway, while the '24 shares its EcoBoost heart with the Braptor, a 3.0-liter V6 putting out 405 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers are slightly down from the Bronco on account of different exhaust and cooling setups. It still sends all that power through a 10-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels, with locking differentials on both axles. Say goodbye to the 37-inch tires from the SUV; the Ranger rolls on 33-inch BFGoodrich K03 all-terrains wrapped around 17-inch wheels. Beadlocks are optional.
The secret sauce is the set of Fox 2.5-inch Live Valve shocks. Working with a coilover setup up front and piggyback reservoirs out back, the goal here is a broad range of travel and strong heat resistance—kind of a necessity out in the desert. A new video shows how these shocks work in action: carefully designed openings within the cylinder control precisely how much fluid flows through shocks' full travel. As the shocks approach their upper and lower limits, there's more resistance, making for less ... shocking bottoming or topping out. Sorry.
What's more, the shocks are all linked via a dedicated ECU, which monitors various performance parameters hundreds of times per second. The profile of the dampers also changes based on the selected drive mode.
Beyond the magic Fox bits, Ford has also strengthened the suspension mounting points, front frame rails, rear shock brackets, and more. On the driver assist front, the Ranger Raptor comes with both Trail Control and Trail Turn Assist.
The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor will swoop onto the scene early next year. Pricing will start at $56,960 ($79,900 CAD) after destination.
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Kyle began his automotive obsession before he even started school, courtesy of a remote control Porsche and various LEGO sets. He later studied advertising and graphic design at Humber College, which led him to writing about cars (both real and digital). He is now a proud member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), where he was the Journalist of the Year runner-up for 2021.
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