Upgraded Bronco Raptor Bump Stops (3D Printed)!!

[TheLawnDart]

Just announced, new bump stops for the Bronco Raptor!

I started testing these months ago and went through multiple iterations. Each time I went out to a large OHV area an harassed by Bronco to give feedback. The final product is amazing.

The hard rubber stock bumps did next to nothing to prevent the front tires from slamming into the fenders and the rears barely ever made contact. These new 3d printed bumps (that’s right, 3d printed) work like a charm to “catch” the front suspension before it bottoms out to allow the shocks to keep up. Fully compressed they are the same size as OEM so same travel, but they engage sooner.

This is hands down one of the best mods I’ve put on my car and I highly recommend them for anyone who plans to use their rig!

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[dougcjohn]

Interesting, with being 3D Printed. What is material, and will it endure multiple compressions and cold Winters? I wasn’t aware 3D printing could use compressible material.

 

[JohnGalt]

Interesting, with being 3D Printed. What is material, and will it endure multiple compressions and cold Winters? I wasn’t aware 3D printing could use compressible material.

Definitely interesting, check out the website in the link in OP.

spoiler alert: it’s hollow inside and appears to rely on “valving” ( one or more holes) that let air in and out on compression and rebound. The material itself doesn’t appear to be very compressible, beyond the collapse of the external structure.

nice cross section picture makes it fairly clear. Only time will tell on durability.

 

[dougcjohn]

Definitely interesting, check out the website in the link in OP.

spoiler alert: it’s hollow inside and appears to rely on “valving” ( one or more holes) that let air in and out on compression and rebound. The material itself doesn’t appear to be very compressible, beyond the collapse of the external structure.

nice cross section picture makes it fairly clear. Only time will tell on durability.

You’re a step in ft of me.
I did go to website and saw the hollow valve compression… Little bitty holes! I wonder how snow & ice will work with the little holes?

Looks like a good design, much better than OEM for function… durability would be my main question for the 3D material.

 

[Tybh88]

Interesting, with being 3D Printed. What is material, and will it endure multiple compressions and cold Winters? I wasn’t aware 3D printing could use compressible material.

Look up zellerfeld 3d printed shoes. Apparently they are pretty comfortable and very durable

 

[TheLawnDart]

You’re a step in ft of me.
I did go to website and saw the hollow valve compression… Little bitty holes! I wonder how snow & ice will work with the little holes?

Looks like a good design, much better than OEM for function… durability would be my main question for the 3D material.

Sorry I’m late to this! I drove through mud and sand specifically to see if I could get the holes to clog. I also drove into a door-deep mud puddle and sat there for a minute to see if they would full up. I’ve had them for about 5 months now and have noticed zero degradation, fraying, or signs of decay. Granted that’s not a super long test period, but the most I can offer. The manufacturer explained that the cold weather doesn’t affect them. I tested them in the 90s/100s and they worked great

 

[Sherpa11]

nice but these seem outrageously overpriced

 

[1979]

What's the material?

 

[TheLawnDart]

nice but these seem outrageously overpriced

They seem pretty appropriately priced for the market. Sumo springs are more expensive. The only other comparison on the market is the Foutz hydro bumps. What price would you expect them to be?

 

[TheLawnDart]

What's the material?

Industrial grade polymer

 

[Squatch]

Industrial grade polymer

Well that sure narrowed it down.

It almost sounds like you're selling these.

 

[1979]

Industrial grade polymer

The vagueness is concerning. I think at a $300+ price point for a 3d printed part, some clarity would be nice.

What type of machine are you printing on? Is a consumer grade machine?

A failure of a part like this could cause serious damage, you’re asking for a good chunk of money for it and I think more details on the design, materials, and manufacturing is warranted.

 

[TheLawnDart]

The vagueness is concerning. I think at a $300+ price point for a 3d printed part, some clarity would be nice.

What type of machine are you printing on? Is a consumer grade machine?

A failure of a part like this could cause serious damage, you’re asking for a good chunk of money for it and I think more details on the design, materials, and manufacturing is warranted.

To be clear, I’m not the one selling these. I just tested them as a consumer. I am not printing them. And I am not asking for any money for them.

These are valid questions thought and I did reach out to ask them though (and looked through their website). Here’s the answer:

“Base material is TPU. But has some additives, specifically molybdenum and a slew other stuff to help with stability, deformation, and wear. Consumer grade TPU is super susceptible to deformation over time and you can’t control the mix because it’s pre made and on a spool. Perry uses pellets of this plastic. Therefore, can tweak and control the exact ratios between each ingredient easily

The machines themselves are “consumer grade” only when they’re bought. Perry heavily modifies them by replacing the entire tool head with a custom extrusion system.

Rather than using material off a spool like 99% of FDM machines, Perry has really neat kiln drying pellet hoppers up top with screw augers that feed into custom hotends.

The hotends are built entirely by Perry. Something you can’t just go buy.”

So:
Consumer grade= Spool TPU, stock printer

Perry= Custom blend pellet extrusion, highly modified machine

 

[MongoTheBronco]

These bump stops have been awesome, and I’m grateful to have been selected as one of the test candidates. Its important to say I am not selling these or profiting, just providing real life feedback as a tester.

I was chosen to be a tester a couple of reasons:

First, my husband currently manages a rapid-prototyping lab for the Department of Defense, where they run many forms of 3D printers almost constantly. We also operate a small 3D-printing business from home, so I’m familiar with the manufacturing process and the differences between standard consumer printing and more advanced production methods. These bumps are far from what would classify as consumer grade, in both design and formulation. ill get to this later.

Second, I was intentionally selected as one of the less-experienced testers. The more experienced drivers may be better at identifying subtle suspension characteristics, but I bring a fresh perspective and fewer preconceived expectations.

Even with my limited experience, I immediately noticed a massive improvement in bottom-out control, especially in the front suspension, where there is only about a quarter inch of bump-stop engagement before reaching a hard stop. These honestly feel like they add an entirely new layer to the available shock travel.

While they cannot dissipate as much energy as a true hydraulic bump stop, they provide an excellent middle ground. Shock-dyno testing showed that they deliver approximately 60% of the energy dissipation of hydraulic bump stops, which is extremely impressive for a non-hydraulic design.

What really separates them from a typical solid-rubber bump stop is the hollow internal structure and strategically placed air ports. During slower suspension movement, air can escape easily, allowing the bump stop to remain compliant and preserving usable suspension travel. During a harder impact, the restricted airflow creates internal air pressure. That pressure works together with the material itself to provide substantially more support, impact absorption, and rebound control. The result is a bump stop that reportedly absorbs impact energy and controls rebound up to four times better than comparable designs commonly found online, including products such as Timbren and SumoSprings.


The base material is a TPU like polymer, but this is not ordinary consumer-grade TPU filament. The material contains additives, including molybdenum, graphite and several other compounds, to improve stability, deformation resistance, and wear characteristics.

Standard TPU filament is supplied premixed on a spool, which means the manufacturer has little control over the exact material composition. It can also be susceptible to permanent deformation over time. Perry instead uses raw plastic pellets, allowing him to adjust and control the precise ratio of every ingredient in the material blend.


Perry Parts is using heavily modified machines with a custom pellet-extrusion system.
Instead of feeding filament from a spool like nearly all standard FDM printers, these machines use kiln-drying pellet hoppers mounted above the printer. Screw augers feed the dried pellets into custom-built hotends that Perry designs and manufactures himself. This is not an off-the-shelf setup that someone can simply purchase and install.

3D printing is used due to the internal geometries, air passage ways, ramp cone, and other small features being next to impossible to create using injection molding. These custom pellet extrusion machines were constructed to provide the best of both worlds. Incredible and truly industrial grade materials and the freedom to manufacture such a complex part.


Im more than happy to do what I can to answer anything else that ive learned through our testing!

 

[JohnGalt]

What type of machine are you printing on? Is a consumer grade machine?

Probably doesn’t answer your questions, but click the link in the OP, or this:

https://fordraptornation.com/collections/premium-raptor-series-perry-parts

more than the typical aftermarket parts seller‘s amount of info. They offer a “no questions” 8 yr warranty on the bumps themselves.

I share the reservations on durabilty, reliability and cost. The cost is either high based on the simplicity of materials/construction and the fact that R&D costs can be amortized on F150 (and other) bumps.

Or it’s low compared to Foutz bump kits if they work as advertised.

I find them intriguing as they theoretically could have better functionality than stock, obviously easy to install (or uninstall), have some ability to modify height and stiffen damping and are much lighter (on both wallet and GVW) than Foutz bumps.

I wouldn’t mount them on a dedicated desert race truck, but they MAY make a reasonable option for the recreational desert runner especially with 38/39” tires who isn’t going to go to full bump kits and doesn’t want to blow flares off.

Might be worth checking out F150 Raptor forums for more feedback once they get an installed base. Just not enough BRs in circulation.

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