Don’t worry, fellas. The Ford Bronco Raptor has a size problem, too. However, its problem is being too big. Ford somehow managed to make a vehicle that is both too tall and too wide for its production facility.
According to Motor Authority, the Braptor’s design brief called for 13 inches of suspension travel at the front and rear, but engineers on the product wanted more. And more they got. The production Bronco Raptor has 14 inches of rear suspension travel. That caused quite the issue for production, as it made the truck just about 78 inches tall.
In fact, the Bronco Raptor is too tall for its assembly line in Wayne, Michigan. But engineers stuck to their guns and told others on the project to figure it out.
And, figure it out they did. They created a two-position shock mount bracket that holds the rear axle an inch higher than normal, preventing the rear suspension from reaching full extension.
After rolling off the assembly line, Bronco Raptors then head to the “Mod Center” next door. That’s where factory accessories are installed. The Bronco Raptors are placed on a lift. There, two bolts per side are loosened, then a set screw is removed from the bottom of the axle bracket and placed in the lower slot of the casting. An engineer on the project said it’s an error-proof way to make sure the axle is in the right spot.
However, height wasn’t the only size issue the Bronco Raptor faced — it’s also far too thicc for their paint production process.
According to Doug DeMuro’s in-depth video on the Bronco Raptor, representatives from Ford told him the maximum the paint shop could cover is where the painted parts of the body end — meaning the car’s enormous fender flares couldn’t be painted. Those fenders give it a width of nearly 10 inches more than a base Bronco.
The Bronco Raptor is too tall and too wide for its own assembly line, so it may be best to avoid parking next to one in a parking lot.