What did you do to your Bronco Raptor today?

JohnGalt · Jun 9, 2023

ChiliPepper said:
How many owners have rotated their own tires? Or maybe just took the spare down and put it back up? At ~105 lbs each, these 37" shoes are no easy task. I'm going to have to start hitting the gym to get ready for the first 5000 mile mark.

I lost a bead in the snow. I thought digging out enough space in the snow to remove the tire was a chore, but…. Trying the get the spare back on with the hub sitting down below you while you’re sitting on the snow was incredibly challenging to get the last two millimeters lined up to slide the wheel on. It took a second person to get it on.

in retrospect, I should have probably thrown snow back down in the hole to build up the “floor‘ to the height I needed and maybe I could have slid it on more easily. But when you’re in the heat of the moment the tunnel vision kicks in!

Second learning is don‘t travel alone, whether that’s having other rigs along or at least another butt in the passenger seat. I can imagine quite a few other scenarios that could be as or more challenging.

ChiliPepper · Jun 10, 2023

Loving that new Milwaukee storage system for all the recovery gear, compressor, tools, etc.

All ~40 of the new mods are complete, except for the painting the hard top 🌶.

ChiliPepper · Jun 10, 2023

Winch install is a pretty clean profile. The Baja hoop did not fit with the Warn Zeon winch, which is 24.25" wide and the hoop opening is 21". I'm thinking it looks good with no hoop.

No impact on approach angle, but the camera is most forward item now. About 8" from grill.

Loving the blackout look.

95BK9 · Jun 11, 2023

good looking install, looks great. did you wire up the winch and lights to the interior switches?

JohnGalt · Jun 11, 2023

ChiliPepper said:
Winch install is a pretty clean profile. The Baja hoop did not fit with the Warn Zeon winch, which is 24.25" wide and the hoop opening is 21". I'm thinking it looks good with no hoop. No impact on approach angle, but camera is most forward item now. About 8" from grill.

Loving the blackout look.

Well done! I like the camera relocation bracket as it appears to bend at a 90 degree angle vs. JCR at 45 degrees (or so). You cant use the Warn fairlead with JCR unless you mount it upside down, which Warn warns against.

Speaking of fairleads, i just saw this last night. I wish this Yankum fairlead was available when I bought my Factor55. It eliminates need for hook or closed loop and rope guard. Simple ingenious design. Safer than a hook, clean look, so simple and saves money on the build.

ChiliPepper · Jun 11, 2023

95BK9 said:
good looking install, looks great. did you wire up the winch and lights to the interior switches?

The 20" light bar is connected to AUX6. The Rigid 3x3 rear lights are connected to AUX2. Of course, AUX1 is the front off-road lights. The winch is a direct wire to the battery; the control is via the provided 20' cable.

ChiliPepper · Jun 11, 2023

JohnGalt said:
Speaking of fairleads, i just saw this last night. I wish this Yankum fairlead was available when I bought my Factor55. It eliminates need for hook or closed loop and rope guard. Simple ingenious design. Safer than a hook, clean look, so simple and saves money on the build.

I have a Factor55 flatlink on my Jeep, which I use with a soft shackle. Obviously better than the Warn hook. A future upgrade might be a black annodized fairlead with the flatlink.

JohnGalt · Jun 11, 2023

ChiliPepper said:
I have a Factor55 flatlink on my Jeep, which I use with a soft shackle. Obviously better than the Warn hook. A future upgrade might be a black annodized fairlead with the flatlink.

That’s what I’m running now, factor 55 fairlead, flatlink and rope guard. No complaints other than it’s a little tight threading my soft shackle through the Flatlink.

I found the Yankum fairlead appealing as you no longer need Flatlink or ropeguard with their fairlead. no metal, just attach the soft shackle straight to the rope, then secure the rope on the recessed fairlead when you’re done. But since I bought what bought no going back now!

ChiliPepper · Jun 12, 2023

Added a little detail.

Got rid of that hook and added the cover.

The Flatlink may provide some protection for the camera. Hopefully, I never have to find out.

JohnGalt · Jun 13, 2023

ChiliPepper said:
Added a little detail.
View attachment 8597

Got rid of that hook and added the cover.
View attachment 8598
The Flatlink may provide some protection for the camera. Hopefully, I never have to find out.
View attachment 8600

Im having a hard time imagining an obstacle that you could actually go up that will hit the camera.

JohnGalt · Jun 13, 2023

It was raining on and off yesterday and I couldn’t decide between top on and top off. No sooner than I got the back shell off, if started raining again (in California Central Valley in June, go figure) so I gave my Raptor a mullet…. All business up front, but its a party in the back!

No rattling on road at 70 mph. The back twist clips rattled a bit on washboard gravel road, but a lot of other things were rattling too

ChiliPepper · Jun 14, 2023

JohnGalt said:
Im having a hard time imagining an obstacle that you could actually go up that will hit the camera.

Well, it was a going down obstacle.

Came down a 45° slope with a 3' drop ledge at the end. Didn't see it because of the big front end and the forward camera didn't show it well, but going slow. Stuffed the front end into the ground (thankfully sand). Flatlink saved the camera.

A couple of bash plate marks, but otherwise clean.

ChiliPepper · Jun 14, 2023

Moab Day 1: Fins N Things
So impressed with the

Raptor!

It did everything I asked it to do, on all obstacles and side challenges, WITHOUT using lockers or sway bar disconnect. The ride is so smooth you forget how difficult the terrain actually is.

JohnGalt · Jun 14, 2023

ChiliPepper said:
Well, it was a going down obstacle.

Came down a 45° slope with a 3' drop ledge at the end. Didn't see it because of the big front end and the forward camera didn't show it well, but going slow. Stuffed the front end into the ground (thankfully sand). Flatlink saved the camera.

A couple of bash plate marks, but otherwise clean.
View attachment 8621

Dang, it sounds like you had fun.
I just went out and measured and it would take greater than a 65 degree approach (up or down) to hit the camera before the leading edge of my fairlead alone. That must have been quite a surprise! With the Flatlink and ropeguard it would take almost a 90 degree approach. definitely provides some protection in the extreme.

As you say unforeseen circumstances happen. I was riding shotgun in this Bronco last week. If the berm we hit would have been a little higher, a relocated camera (if it had one) may have come into play… But it still cost a bumper, bash plate, intercooler and quite a few other items anyway. Not a big fan of the hidden winch mount.

ChiliPepper · Jun 14, 2023

It could have been 60°, but I didn't measure it and didn't want to exaggerate. It was steep enough to not want to get out for photos and look at the situation.