Anyone got experience with Foutz Mid-Travel kit?

[JohnGalt]

Considering purchasing the subject kit with custom bypass shocks and was looking for any feedback on ride quality off and on road, wheel/tire package you’re running, and any other useful info before taking the plunge. TIA!

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[Valhalla]

Please review once you wheel it for a few weeks!!!

 

[monsterfd]

in what ways are you finding the stock suspension lacking and what are you hoping mid travel addresses?

 

[popo_patty]

My recommendation would be to just get your current live valve shocks tuned. There are a handful of companies that can do amazing things with the live valves.

 

[Tye]

Even with Tuned live valves, if you are Baja running you will still have challenges with whoops at over 35mph. I have seen mixed reviews on the mid travel kit (already shared with you) which is why I haven't pulled the trigger on it. If you want to run anything bigger than a 37" tire, the foutz mid-travel is not designed for that and best you will get is a "should work ok"

 

[popo_patty]

Even with Tuned live valves, if you are Baja running you will still have challenges with whoops at over 35mph. I have seen mixed reviews on the mid travel kit (already shared with you) which is why I haven't pulled the trigger on it. If you want to run anything bigger than a 37" tire, the foutz mid-travel is not designed for that and best you will get is a "should work ok"

id respectfully disagree on the whoops over 35. My standard bronco on ride shocks can do mid whoops at 60 mph. My buddy has the tuned live valve and freaking screams through the Baja whoops (in actual baja) a proper tune goes a loooong way.

 

[Tye]

id respectfully disagree on the whoops over 35. My standard bronco on ride shocks can do mid whoops at 60 mph. My buddy has the tuned live valve and freaking screams through the Baja whoops (in actual baja) a proper tune goes a loooong way.

I think it depends on the definition of whoops. If you are full cycling the suspension at speed, stock is not good enough. It's actually very dicey. I'll note that this is my first venture into off-roading, but I have 40k+ dedicated miles on tracks (Porsche GT3) so feel relatively confident in car control and feel.

 

[popo_patty]

I think it depends on the definition of whoops. If you are full cycling the suspension at speed, stock is not good enough. It's actually very dicey. I'll note that this is my first venture into off-roading, but I have 40k+ dedicated miles on tracks (Porsche GT3) so feel relatively confident in car control and feel.

Very true. This video flattens it out but this guy is fully loaded and has his live valve shocks re-tuned and re-sprung. The whoops are what I consider medium. 2 feet deep at their max. He was doing 80 mph at one point watching him.
Not long travel of course, but massive improvement from factory tune

 

[Tye]

Very true. This video flattens it out but this guy is fully loaded and has his live valve shocks re-tuned and re-sprung. The whoops are what I consider medium. 2 feet deep at their max. He was doing 80 mph at one point watching him.
Not long travel of course, but massive improvement from factory tune

I know Matt, the owner of that brap well. Hes running tuned shocks and e-clik, but
It defintely cant keep pace with this:

 

[popo_patty]

I know Matt, the owner of that brap well. Hes running tuned shocks and e-clik, but
It defintely cant keep pace with this:

Oh 100%! We have similar friends lol. I filmed that bronco. And Matt and I both work on team 301 together. And the poster wheels with me haha

 

[swamp2]

No on the OP, but relevant:

My stock suspension was absolutely overwhelmed in my recent huge 500 mile Baja trip (EXO). It was as much or more comfort/harshness and NVH as suspension travel or bottoming. It was also definitely wheelbase as the stock F-150 Raptors were so much faster. Not to mention the true mid travel ones, $200k Rs and the $500k Prerunner... I was the sole Braptor and absolutely not used to running mid pack or last... There also wasn't much evenly spaced mid height whoops on soft sand... I spent a lot of time at 15-35 mph.

 

[JohnGalt]

Oh 100%! We have similar friends lol. I filmed that bronco. And Matt and I both work on team 301 together. And the poster wheels with me haha

@Tye I’m surprised @popo_patty and I haven’t haven’t run into you at some point.

What we (really “I”) need is one of Popo’s suspension reviews with the APG, E-clik/tune, stock Braptor and the oh so elusive Foutz mid-travel suspension.

As Tye and I have discussed that’s about all there is for Raptor suspension upgrades and probably all there will be for some time due to Bronco Raptor‘s limited production/sales numbers. He seems to thoroughly beat the bushes for other potential options.

Those examples give a range of options that have a range of cost, complexity, and performance, that could give some insight on cost/benefit and other tradeoffs.

My latest thinking is have TSW rebuild and tune the shocks, add e-clik to (hopefully) improve base live shock algorithm and see how it goes. The shocks need service anyway and e-clik is easily reversible. Cost is very low compared to other options and may/should complement further upgrade to mid-travel If I ever go that route.

if I wanted to do APG, I think I’d just start fresh with a low mile low spec Bronco.

Foutz has too many unknowns for cost, complexity and potential cons at this point. Can always be added later.

Staying stock-ish is boring. Fiddling with stuff is probably dumb, but where’s the fun in that?

 

[Tatonka 1]

So for what it's worth, the stock suspension does great in whoops well above 35mph. I have videos of doing just this at Sand Hollow and Johnson Valley earlier this year. However, you catch some issues as it takes a beating. My skid plate had to be hammered out twice. At 25k miles my shocks were smoked. TSW rebuilt and revolved my shocks while adding Hyper 2/1 springs and I will testing them in Moab next week. Truthfully, I haven't heard anything good or bad with Foutz but I have been advised to stay away. My plan is to add rear bump stops and leave it alone.

 

[vrtical]

At 25k miles my shocks were smoked. TSW rebuilt and revolved my shocks while adding Hyper 2/1 springs and I will testing them in Moab next week.

Did you send them your stuff and/or how long was the turnaround time? Can you give some more feedback on what you had TSW do and also when you get out to Moab. I think at some point I may switch from collars to Hyper 2/1 so might go this route and get them rebuilt.

 

[Tatonka 1]

So I went with Hyperco 2/1's and my shocks were in their words SMOKED. Replaced bushings, completely rebuilt the shocks and also they valved/shimmed them at what has been a good setup for another buddy of mine 512braptor on IG. It feels like a completely new vehicle. So far very planted and predictable. I am going to run them in Moab for Raptors on the Rocks and give feedback. We decided to not go too crazy on this first change. Once I have more feedback we can make another adjustment prior to Texas Raptor Run. As far as turn around, I drove down to them and they knocked it out in a day. The longest part was just getting the alignment done because that is outsourced. Reach out to them, Brandon and the crew are top notch and won't just sell you something to sell you something. I 100% trust them with my rig and their opinion.

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