What a WEAPON (2024 Bronco Raptor)!!

[SHANUT]

2024 Bronco Raptor. What a weapon!!!

Hey Bronco6G. First post here. I’ve been lurking for a while and Im thankful for all the great information and insight provided here. So I thought its time join up now that I own a Bronco and contribute as this journey unfolds.

Im coming over to the Bronco from a Tundra TRD Pro (Frankenstein). I thought the Tundra could take me anywhere but as I continued to up the ante, the long wheel base and size of the Tundra proved otherwise. My Tundra has been heavily modified, but I don’t think the Bronco will need much modification.

I haven’t owned the Bronco long, but boy, in the short amount of time Ive had it…. This truck just goes. Its unmodified currently and has tackled everything thrown at it. It has run with Jeeps on 40s, crawler buggies and everything in between.

I recently took it out for its maiden voyage and broke it in (literally, broke off both fenders). Absolutely thrilled with its performance. It may well be the most capable off-road factory vehicle on the market.

Here it is

Had to add some essentials real quick, the baby changing station

When you get to the top of the mountain, youll need to make lunch, so the tiregate table is necessary.

Need to get all this stuff in the trailer

Done

Hooked up the Schutt XV3 and headed for the mountains.

First night took it easy and just set up camp

Then we made it go, and it goes

And goes

Following the big bois on 40s

Kids are wiped

Nice peice of kit here when youre ready to air back up to street psi. Cuts time to 1/4th

After shot back home

Time to get it cleaned up

Did I say we broke both fenders off? Does Ford have a narrow fender option because I need it.

Once you get the mud off the damage is revealed

Something something, chicks dig scars?

Endless mud

But finally clean

Removing those hideous fenders is the best thing you could do anyway.

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[BROGAN]

Removing those hideous fenders is the best thing you could do anyway.

"Hideous" might be a bit harsh, I see you are not a fan of the raptor styling.

 

[mikeeshim]

Edit: sorry to directly answer your question, yes you can just take off the beauty ring no problem. No worry about losing pressure. But if you are running actual beadlocks no you cannot take the ring off. Lots of debate about whether you should run beads on the highway or not (some say its even illegal, but I dont think thats true)

So these are just beauty rings. Not true beadlocks. If you get the real beadlocks from Ford its quite the process to lock the bead. Involves removing all tires from the wheels to seat the bead and lock it down. I ran 15 psi with no problem, no slipped tire. I run a spare if needed. I also have some starter fluid and lighter if I need to reset a bead (not off-road advice, do not recommend).

I am fully aware that the SAS rims come with beauty rings, but I've long since gotten rid of those and got non-beadlock wheels. I have been scared to go under 20 but I guess I can go -5 psi more.
Since I'm not rock crawling so much, but rather speeding through dirt and snow, I suppose my current setup will work.
Thank you for the help and awesome rig!

 

[mikeeshim]

When running bead locks, you put the tire bead (the hard ring along the inside of the tire) between the wheel face and the bead lock ring, tightening down all the screws until they're torqued correctly. Then you have to maintain the torque. Not advised to run them full time, although people choose to (and have to maintain them). If you remove the ring, you release the air in the tire. If a bolt backs out, you lose air pressure. They're really only supposed to be for low speed. So really, you're wedging the bead between the wheel face and the lock ring.

The Bronco Sas wheel comes with beauty rings, which are NOT bead locks but the wheels ARE bead lock capable; they cover up the wheel face, which is otherwise ugly on bead lock capable wheels. This is why they're missing screws/have gaps. They are not for real bead lock situations. They are also not DOT legal. As Brogan says, if you want to remove the beauty rings (clean, repaint, replace), they are on the outside of the rim and won't lose air.

Now, there's also Method bead grips and Icon Rebound Pros, which are full time bead lock-like (I think Hutchinsons are also, but they are quite expensive) that ARE street legal. If you combine them with low-psi rated tires like Super Swampers, you can run at higher speeds near 0psi, although I wouldn't do it for long.

My second choice in wheels were actually the Icon Rebound Pros, but I wasn't convinced then so I went with standard rims that I liked, and the first were the Volk TE37. Ended up getting something more affordable until I could decide between the 2 (mainly wanted to preserve my FE wheels so I was in a rush), but beadlocks seem like too much work now.

Thanks for your help.

 

[userdude]

I am fully aware that the SAS rims come with beauty rings, but I've long since gotten rid of those and got non-beadlock wheels. I have been scared to go under 20 but I guess I can go -5 psi more.
Since I'm not rock crawling so much, but rather speeding through dirt and snow, I suppose my current setup will work.
Thank you for the help and awesome rig!

How low you can go is really based on the tire (I think it mostly has to do with sidewall stability). Ford says 25psi for liability reasons (see: Explorer rollovers back in the '90's). I understand the stock SAS Territories can go to 15psi per manufacturer. Some are 12psi, some are much lower. Whatever your tire, I'd check on that specifically.

One thing I'm not quite sure about is whether if it's rated for, say, 12psi, whether that means you'll break the tire down, and whether the bead lock capability of the rim has to do with whether it'll really hold onto the tire or not at low psi. In other words, whether the tire will deform too much/be damaged at low psi, as opposed to stay on the rim itself. Bead grips, for instance, have little grippers around the rim edge that grip the bead. I understand they are easy to get on, not easy to get off. I think @Pressurized is 6g's tire guru, if you're around, do you know?

If you don't rock crawl, I wouldn't worry about low low psi. 15psi is probably fine for most things; some things you want more as well or the tire may get hot, like higher speed off roading. I don't know much about that, though.

 

[userdude]

My second choice in wheels were actually the Icon Rebound Pros, but I wasn't convinced then so I went with standard rims that I liked, and the first were the Volk TE37. Ended up getting something more affordable until I could decide between the 2 (mainly wanted to preserve my FE wheels so I was in a rush), but beadlocks seem like too much work now.

Thanks for your help.

Wow, those Volk's are pricy!

 

[Pressurized]

How low you can go is really based on the tire (I think it mostly has to do with sidewall stability). Ford says 25psi for liability reasons (see: Explorer rollovers back in the '90's). I understand the stock SAS Territories can go to 15psi per manufacturer. Some are 12psi, some are much lower. Whatever your tire, I'd check on that specifically.

One thing I'm not quite sure about is whether if it's rated for, say, 12psi, whether that means you'll break the tire down, and whether the bead lock capability of the rim has to do with whether it'll really hold onto the tire or not at low psi. In other words, whether the tire will deform too much/be damaged at low psi, as opposed to stay on the rim itself. Bead grips, for instance, have little grippers around the rim edge that grip the bead. I understand they are easy to get on, not easy to get off. I think @Pressurized is 6g's tire guru, if you're around, do you know?

If you don't rock crawl, I wouldn't worry about low low psi. 15psi is probably fine for most things; some things you want more as well or the tire may get hot, like higher speed off roading. I don't know much about that, though.

Thank you for the kind words... I don't know about "guru", but I do a decent number of tires at an off-road shop. I've seen a lot on the trail too...

It definitely has to do with tire construction and rim width... I do not run beadlocks and my standard air down is set at 11psi using Staun Deflators. I do that on both 8.5" wide and 9" wide wheels and 315/70 sized tires. I have yet to pop a bead. But 15psi is a VERY safe air down and often recommended for most applications. If you don't go below 20, you miss a bunch of the benefits of airing down. On really sandy areas I go down to 7psi. Pretty low for being without beadlocks, but the terrain is lower risk for losing a bead.

 

[BROGAN]

If you don't go below 20, you miss a bunch of the benefits of airing down. On really sandy areas I go down to 7psi. Pretty low for being without beadlocks, but the terrain is lower risk for losing a bead.

Great info. Thanks for the knowledge

 

[Mdozier]

Isn't the downside (as with most of these rear storage/roll outs) that it blocks access to the storage underneath?

Not really on the Ford version, there's an install thread (or a couple) from early on where they show how to access the OEM (tiny) storage and jack slots below the rear. If I recall you do have to pull out the slide then raise the cover platform. Didn't seem too bad. Plus with the raised cover to accommodate the slide table you gain a bit more (albeit still small) storage below the table/cover and it effectively "raises" the rear to align pert-darn-close to the level of the rear seats folded down kinda making a flat or flatter overall rear.

You might can tell I've really considered adding one...

 

[Mdozier]

Quick question on the Goose Gear table and the pull out tailgate. Can you have them both open at the same time or do they interfere with each other? I have a pull out tailgate, and have considered the Goose Gear, but wasn't sure if I could use them together.....

Yes, there's an older install thread showing them both open and just barely clearing.

 

[dcurtis]

Yes, there's an older install thread showing them both open and just barely clearing.

Thank you! Now just have to justify $560.00 purchase!

 

[BROGAN]

and it effectively "raises" the rear to align pert-darn-close to the level of the rear seats folded down kinda making a flat or flatter overall rear.

This is an important point. My wife was able to get her beauty sleep in the back of the Bronco with an air mattress (twin 10") while I wrangled the two kids in the roof top tent. Obviously the wife loves the baby changing function of the pull out tailgate while were off-road, but she also loved that it brought the rear essentially level for her air mattress. This purchase was definitely wife approved.

 

[Raskew]

When you get to the top of the mountain, youll need to make lunch, so the tiregate table is necessary.

[/QUOTE]
Can you slide out your Ford tailgate while your tailgate table is down?

 

[BROGAN]

Can you slide out your Ford tailgate while your tailgate table is down

Yep

 

[BROGAN]

As an aside, how do you stop driving in Sport mode?

I see there is a dial to change modes, but I can't seem to do it. Is there a support group for us? Side note, how do you change the units from miles per gallon, to smiles per gallon? Foreskin?

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