Differences Between Wildtrak and Badlands

[604Bronco]

Common comment from a Badlands owner... lol

Common defensive comment from a Wilktrak owner

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[userdude]

It’s a daily driver that has seen Ballarat, Barker Ranch and Mengel Pass in Death Valley, Sand Hollow State Park in Utah, Top of the World and similar trails in Moab, Jeep badge of honor trail Beasley Knob in Ga, JBOH trail Daniel and sister trail Dickie Bell in Uwharrie National Forest in North Carolina to name a few. The pic above my name is the level 8 portion of Top of the World in Moab. So when we wheel, it’s those kinds of trails. Most is lower speed crawling as opposed to high speed running. Like most, I’d say the overall percentage of miles spent in 4lo wheeling compared to total miles is low. Those places are a long and longer distance from the Florida flatlands.

Thats why I said, not having electronic sway bar disconnect is giving me pause.

Get the WT, add your own (better) sliders/skid plates and upgrade the bumpers (at least the rear, if it's not metal...), and get the Rock Jock AntiRock sway bar (this is cheaper than adding the e-disco after the fact, and will wear better, they also act as passive disconnects). Eventually RockJock will have the rear sway bar, which works with the front. However, until then you can just disconnect the rear.

Given different knowledge, I might have gone this route had I known removing the e-disco isn't easy, since the computer expects it.

 

[DaddyMuffin]

Owned a number 4WD trucks over the years, but I’m not a seasoned off roader by any means. But, I’m a quick learner, seem to have a knack for “seeing” the correct line, and can precisely maneuver a vehicle where I want it to go. Have grown to really enjoy this hobby. I’m old and live in an over 55 community. What one learns here is that life is great, until it’s not. I intend to enjoy as much of what the lower 48 has to offer while I’m still able. This year will have us wheeling in Colorado and Moab.

You’re correct, I need a Badlands exactly like the one I have.

I think that is probably right.

I was out multi day wheeling recently with a group of 6 broncos. 3 were badlands, one was obx, one was BD, one was a Braptor. The BD had been self-squatched and the main complaint that owner had was lack of sway bar disconnect.

Having disco just adds an extra get out of jail free card when the going gets tough. Enjoy your new rig.

 

[LSW]

So i'm going to put OEM rock rails on my WT. (building 3/11) Is that going to be a problem?

Researching on this site a bit, this post indicates that the HOSS 3.0 detects even relatively small amounts of shock compression and alters the dampers function, and for that reason it's important to stay within a predfined weight range for the empty vehicle. If that's the reason for the rock slider omission on the wildtrak, I can't be sure, but it seems plausible.

With that said, I doubt the dealer would give you any grief about having the OEM rock sliders put on by them at delivery.

I do know that the Wildtrak configurator wouldn't let me pick "cargo area protector" and "full vehicle steel bash plates" at the same time, supposedly because of vehicle weight issues. I wouldn't think the cargo area protector would weigh enough to matter much, but apparently it does

 

[MNBigfoot]

Researching on this site a bit, this post indicates that the HOSS 3.0 detects even relatively small amounts of shock compression and alters the dampers function, and for that reason it's important to stay within a predfined weight range for the empty vehicle. If that's the reason for the rock slider omission on the wildtrak, I can't be sure, but it seems plausible.

With that said, I doubt the dealer would give you an grief about having the OEM rock sliders put on by them at delivery.

I do know that the Wildtrak configurator wouldn't let me pick "cargo area protector" and "full vehicle steel bash plates" at the same time, supposedly because of vehicle weight issues. I wouldn't think the cargo area protector would weigh enough to matter much, but apparently it does

The Wildtrak was without rock sliders pre-Hoss 3.0 (fox shocks).

 

[LSW]

The Wildtrak was without rock sliders pre-Hoss 3.0 (fox shocks).

Interesting, maybe it is just a glitch, oversight, or money grab to force you into the hoop step/tube step option on wildtraks unless you want to look at the pinch weld. If a badlands can have rock rails with full vehicle steel bash plates, there's no reason a pre-HOSS 3.0 wildtrak wouldn't be able to have them that I can think of, since you can option the two trims almost exactly the same for weight, if anything I'd think a steel bumpered badlands would be slightly heavier than any HOSS 2.0 wildtrak.

 

[Ducati1098]

Interesting, maybe it is just a glitch, oversight, or money grab to force you into the hoop step/tube step option on wildtraks unless you want to look at the pinch weld. If a badlands can have rock rails with full vehicle steel bash plates, there's no reason a pre-HOSS 3.0 wildtrak wouldn't be able to have them that I can think of, since you can option the two trims almost exactly the same for weight, if anything I'd think a steel bumpered badlands would be slightly heavier than any HOSS 2.0 wildtrak.

Don’t think it has anything to do with weight, the Wildtrak was marketed as a high speed/desert type vehicle, so they probably figured offering rock sliders on it wasn’t necessary.

 

[mpeugeot]

I am pretty sure that the 2 door advanced 4x4 Non-sasquatch Outer Banks Lux with cloth seats is the highest trim package. Too bad you can't get it anymore.

 

[murphtron]

Hey OP - you’ve done a fair amount of off roading with your Badlands.

Not sure if this was first time stuff or if you’re a seasoned hand, but seems to me you’ve gotten use out of your sway bar disconnect and your bash plates and probably your rock rails, not to mention your front locker.

Moving “up” to a Wildtrack trim costs you all of those things for an improved suspension and steering rack.

Given the relative ease associated with improving your Badlands suspension vs. trying to add back all the things you’d be giving up…. Well I don’t think there should be much debate.

If you’re driving sand or washboard or whoopdedoos fast, the Wildtrak is probably great and the better rig. But once you start tackling rocks and shelves and crawling, I think you‘re going to miss your bash plates, rock rails, lockers, and disconnecting sway bar.

I know which one I’d pick if I were doing the trails you’ve done.

Agree with this statement ! Having no carpet in the interior is a big win IMO. Makes it easier to clean. I find the BL non-saw suspension plenty good on fast whoopdeedos. Although I’ve never driven a Wildtrack to compare.

 

[Easy-v]

Badlands has electronic sway bar disconnect, Wildtrak does not.

Wildtrak has full HOSS 3.0 system, with FOX shocks, Badlands does not.

Badlands has HOSS 2.0 with Bilstein shocks

‘24 and newer badlands has HOSS 3.0 steering rack & tie rods but not the fox shocks (this is true for all '24 and newer sasquatch in addition to non-sas and sas badlands).

No 2.3L engine or manual transmission option on Wildtrak, Wildtraks all have the 2.7L V6 with automatic transmission.

All Wildtrak have sasquatch package, it’s an option on badlands.

Badlands can have Marine Grade Vinyl or Leather Trimmed Vinyl seats.

Wildtrak only has Leather Trimmed Vinyl seats.

Wildtrak has blue interior highlights vs orange in badlands.

I’m sure there are a few other options that aren’t available on Wildtrak and vice versa for badlands.

I figured I would use the shocks everyday vs the sway bar disco once a year if I'm lucky so I went with wildtrak. If I equpipped a badlands with the same options as I ordered on my wildtrak, I think the badlands was more expensive by $800.

The only thing I couldn't get on the Wildtrak was the ford rock rails; it wouldn't let me pick those because fully optioned with "full vehicle steel bash plates" the Wildtrak is apparently too heavy. Maybe those Fox shocks just put it over the weight limit whereas the Badlands is allowed to have the rock rails.

Wildtrack does not have full bash plates either
Badlands has full bash plate kit out

 

[DrewBronc21]

And so is paying ADM on a Bronco That is a true ripoff.

Or buying a new Bronco now that they’re like $10k more for the same build as 2021…higher than ADMs from 2021. Now, instead of dealers getting the ADM, Ford is in their jacked up MSRP.

 

[CarGuy59]

23 Wildtrak - dealer installed sliders before pickup

 

[prospectfour]

Attempting to steer this thread back on track before it completely goes off the rails...

A BL Squatch has the HOSS 2.0 suspension and allegedly the upgraded steering rack. (I am not sure if the steering upgrade has been 100% proven)

A WT has the HOSS 3.0 suspension and the upgraded steering rack.

Edit. I just checked the Ford website and it does not specify the Sasquatch packages comes with the upgraded steering.

lol @ "mud terrain"

 

[prospectfour]

I was considering a BL and ended up with BD. I could afford the BL, but just thought the BD fit my needs fine with a lower price. That said, you are right the SAS on the BL does not make much sense. If you want 35s instead of the 33s on non-SAS BL, get a non-SAS BL and slap on 35s and save $$$ over the SAS pkg. Also, the 35 SAS OEM tires don't seem to be the best. Especially with throwing rocks on the sides of your Bronco and getting caught in treads according to a friend with a SAS. If it were me, non-SAS BL with 33s (which I personally think are fine) and throw on 35s (which are technically only 34.3" but 315 instead of 285 in width) if you want 35s but get a tire with a wider tread pattern for the rock catching/throwing issue. Yeah, will need to remove crash bars and get a little lift, but still a lot less $$ than SAS.

The number of people who opted for a $7k package so they could have bigger tires is a high one

 

[BlueBronco]

lol @ "mud terrain"

I am thinking that the Fords newest web designer-marketing-Rockstar didn't get the memo. There was a big discussion back around the time of the reveal that the MT designation for the Wrangler tires stood for Multiple Terrain. Or was it Max Traction.

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