Ford fans were probably scratching their heads when they discovered that the latest F-150 Raptor would not have an independent rear suspension (IRS). Of course, he transitioned from leaf springs to coil springs – leading many customers to believe that the IRS would be a piece of cake. But this is not the case, as the new Raptor shares the same solid shaft design as the previous model.
As disappointing as this may be for many Ford purists, we would be remiss not to mention that the Ram TRX uses a very similar configuration; both share a very similar five-link configuration with the Blue Oval offering extra-long arms, a Panhard rod and 24-inch coil springs – just 0.378 inches more than the TRX, if you’re counting.
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While many argue that a solid rear axle would be a major handicap for the F-150 Raptor, this could not be further from the truth. Along with providing more towing capacity and payload, the new rear suspension design brings even more features; it also allows for better articulation over obstacles, reduced friction and tilts the scale much lighter than any leaf spring configuration.
Semantics apart, Ford’s new configuration allows 15 inches of rear suspension travel when equipped with 35-inch tires. This may sound like a mess of numbers, but for some perspective it is 25 percent more than the first F-150 Raptor and five centimeters more than the Ram TRX offers.
However, the most important advantage of coil springs – by a mile in the field – is the superior quality of the ride. Therefore, it is very likely that this configuration will reach other F-150 models in the not-so-distant future.