Shock upgrade allows your basic F-150 to off-road like the Raptor while improving towing stability.
The newest Ford F-150 Raptor is, without question, the greatest factory-built off-roading truck ever. The “problem” for most prospective buyers is that the Raptor costs too much. But as this video from The Fast Lane Truck YouTube channel shows us, swapping to a set of Falcon shocks can add to any newer F-150 comparable off-roading capabilities to that of the Raptor, while also handling a heavy trailer more comfortably.
Testing with Falcon
Andre Smirnov, one of the hosts of The Fast Lane Truck (TFL) YouTube channel, traveled to Utah to test the newest Falcon shock absorbers on the newest Ford F-150. The goal was to see whether simply adding shocks and bigger tires could truly lift an average truck to the level of the mighty Raptor. To test these new shocks, TFL drove three trucks – a stock 2018 F-150, a 2018 F-150 with the Falcon suspension upgrades and a stock 2017 Raptor. The upgraded truck has Falcon’s adjustable front and rear shocks, bump stops and a leveling kit, along with a set of 33-inch off-road tires that are able to fit on the standard (non-Raptor) thanks to the added suspension height.
The testing process consisted of two phases – towing and off-roading. While this discussion is really more about off-roading, the towing portion shows the usefulness of the Falcon system for someone who doesn’t do much off-roading.
Trailer Testing
First, the host hooks up each of the three F-150 pickups to an open car trailer loaded with a built Jeep. This trailer package weighs around 7,000 pounds, so while it doesn’t push the maximum limits of the half-ton Ford truck, it is a pretty significant load.
During the trailing testing with the stock 2018 F-150, the host found that there was some sway at higher speeds on the bumpy road and when he got into the Raptor, he found the same to be true. Even with the Raptor’s high performance suspension setup, there was still some sway, but the Raptor isn’t built to tow a trailer – it is built to race through the dirt, but it is a capable towing vehicle.
When the host got into the 2018 F-150 with the Falcon suspension upgrades, he noticed an immediate difference. With the adjustable shocks set to their stiffest towing mode, sway was eliminated comparatively to the other two trucks. This shows that even if you aren’t a hardcore off-roader, swapping to the Falcon shocks can improve driveability for someone who regularly tows a heavy trailer.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
