ICON 2010-2014 Ford Raptor, Stage 2 Suspension System

ICON Vehicle Dynamics is known for its extensive research and development put into every product, the revolutionary outcome of this research is what sets ICON apart from the off-road industry standard. The Ford SVT Raptor was the first production truck, designed & built, to bridge the gap between a standard street “pickup truck” and an off-road pre-runner. ICON Vehicle Dynamics new 3.0 Performance Shock System w/ Uniball Upper Control Arms for the SVT Raptor went through rigorous tests both on- and off-road for several months to enhance the overall performance and ride quality.

The engineers at ICON Vehicle Dynamics took a different approach to position sensitive performance in our 3.0 front coil over shock. Instead of bypassing a small internal piston at the cost of poor control, road holding, and cornering like a traditional internal position sensitive shock, our shock starts with a true 3” main piston that has robust features such as digressive rebound and flutter stack compression. This combination produces outstanding control, great response, and unparalleled ride performance. To achieve even more control for extreme off-road use, we added an additional internal hydraulic system (much like an external mounted hydraulic bump stop) that produces the extreme forces required during the last 40% of travel to achieve maximum bottom out control. These multiple stages of compression and rebound have been tuned independently to maximize overall performance of the Ford SVT Raptor front suspension. For owners who wish to optimize the ride specific to his or her liking, the front coil-over shocks are equipped with an external, “Easy to Adjust” Compression Damping Control Valve, that is effective for the entire stroke of the shock. This compression adjustment valve offers you 10 high resolution settings, each bringing a true feel difference from soft to firm.

Rear Zeta Ford SVT Raptor Shocks are a true 3.0” (inside and out), three tube External Bypass shock. These are far from the norm when compared to a traditional bypass shock you see on Trophy Trucks and other off-road race vehicles. Each bypass valve has a specific port design and individually equipped with a different spring rate to ensure proper performance at each zone of shock travel. These same bypass valves feature dampened valve stops for quiet and precise operation. That means no clicking noises as you hit bumps or road chatter driving down the road. The biggest difference in these shocks versus an industry standard bypass shock, are the “Easy-to-Adjust” knobs and the replaceable bypass tubes. The “Easy to Adjust” Hi Resolution Clicker Knobs do not require any tools for adjustment, and can be adjusted in seconds from plush off-road performance to firm on road manners for extra control while driving the mountains or towing a trailer. Another unique feature of this shock is the replaceable bypass tubes that can be swapped out during a standard rebuild if any damage were to occur, where a normal bypass shock body would need to be completely replaced, saving you hundreds of dollars.

Considering the capability of our high performance 3.0 shocks, many Raptor owners are still using their vehicles beyond Fords intended design requiring further performance upgrades. These trucks are often loaded with additional weight, which when combined, results in VERY high suspension impact speeds. The factory rear bump stop is made of foam rubber and is limited on how much energy it can absorb. Ford Raptors have a couple of unique issues that are problematic for proper control of bump stop forces. The factory rear bump stops are mounted in a manner that allows for the rubber to squish out to the side of its mount, allowing metal to metal contact. The frame surrounding the OEM bump stop mount is not capable of these kinds of forces and with repeated abuse can lead to frame damage not covered by warranty. A more robust solution is a hydro-pneumatic bump shock or "air bump".

ICON's hydraulic bump stop uses oil and nitrogen to do two tasks: function as a spring and a shock. An internal nitrogen charge is compressed when the air bump is compressed to act as a spring, similar to the OEM bump stop. The difference is hydraulic air bumps are adjustable and can be tuned to have low impact forces at the beginning of the travel, and ramp theoretically to infinity at the end. Unlike the factory bump stop, ICON's hydraulic bump stop incorporates oil along with a damping piston internally to control the amount of energy that is returned to the suspension, reducing the vehicles tendency to kick. The oil and damping piston also control the compression of the air bump relative to speed which is important for Raptors hitting obstacles at extreme speeds. Our resulting dynamic system is one that is soft and compliant allowing full suspension travel at slow speeds, yet at high speeds will create very high forces to resist bottoming out. ICON's Ford Raptor hydraulic bump stop system uses a 2.5" travel air bump allowing the shock additional distance to control energy, and does not interfere with suspension travel under normal driving conditions. The clamshell bracket design with triangulated cross braces not only gives a rigid mounting point for the air bump, it helps support a known weak part of the frame prone to failure.